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If you can’t handle me at my worst…This quote is wrong!

Posted by Rock Kitaro on December 2, 2013
Posted in: About the Author, Food for Thought. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

That saying…”If you can’t handle me at me worst, then you don’t deserve me at my best…” I think the use of the word “worst” is what throws that quote into a fallacy. Because technically, if something happens that’s so bad that you just can’t stand to be with the person anymore…isn’t that the worst? So if you’re in a relationship right now, how do you know that the worst has happened already? Don’t get me wrong, I think relationships are difficult and I applaud those who stick with it. But that’s not my point. This little paragraph is simply an attack on that STUPID CLICHE of a hand-me- down statement that ticks me off because when someone hits me with it…I know it’s wrong, but I’m too slow (and probably in a state of regret and guilt) to come up with the words to articulate how full of shit it is.

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Tales from Ybor – Kindle E-Books

Posted by Rock Kitaro on November 3, 2013
Posted in: Ebooks, Original Stories, Tales from Ybor. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

The Godfather’s Sword – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G8U9HXM

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A former U.S. commando turned Syndicate enforcer recounts his first and only mission with the infamous Black Creek Security firm. It’s on this mission that he has the honor to witness the Godfather’s favorite nephew in action.

Eight for Death, Seven for Peace :  – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GQS24T0

Eight for Death, Seven for PeaceWhen a young street tough stabs a nonviolent door-to-door preacher, a small town urban neighborhood becomes infected by several of the most notorious criminals in the world. Continuing with the “Tales of Ybor” stories, this title contains graphic violence and street level language. While “The Godfather’s Sword” revolves around Braden Pierce, the prodigy syndicate enforcer, “Seven Deaths” introduces us to one of the few individuals who can match him in skill and execution. Gavin Hassell is an indiscriminate mercenary who sets his own agenda based on the highest bidder and his own private personal constitution.

It’s Okay If You Don’t Like to Read

Posted by Rock Kitaro on October 30, 2013
Posted in: Ebooks, Food for Thought. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

It’s Okay If You Don’t Like To Read

By: Rock Kitaro

Amazon Kindle photo

 It’s okay if you don’t like to read. More specifically, its okay if you don’t want to read my work.

As I get further and further ahead in my writing career, more and more I’m bumping into friends and acquaintances who hear of what I’m doing, and wear a look of shame. They usually begin to say things like:

“Ah man, I’ve been meaning to get around to reading that.”

“Dude, there’s not enough time in the world.”

“Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me of that. I’ve been meaning to buy your book.”

“I’m in the middle of it, but things keep popping up that keep me from finishing it.”

Etc. etc. etc.

With a light-hearted smile on my face, I want to tell them that it’s okay if they simple have no interest in reading my work. I didn’t start writing to burden my friends and acquaintances by adding yet another thing that I’m expecting them to do.

Besides, putting myself in their shoes, I know that my style of writing or subject matter might not appeal to them. I don’t write with a focus on prose or clever wordplay. I’m a story-teller who writes clearly and direct as if I’m speaking to you personally. Some people don’t like this. Some people like reading the literary and poetic arrangement of words more so than the story, however pretentious and pointless it may sound.

And if I do write about something that catches your interest and you start reading and get too distracted by something else to want to continue on…Then I take responsibility for that. All that means is that my story wasn’t interesting enough to keep you coming back for more and I need to step up my game. Hmph…and that’s fine. I’ll accept the challenge. All that means is that I have to be more provocative and engaging, connecting with my reader so much to the point that my words hook into their brains, refusing to let them go.

Light yagami laughing

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The Stage in the Sky since July 2012

Posted by Rock Kitaro on October 23, 2013
Posted in: About the Author, News and Updates. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Exhausted Rock

Exhausted Rock

Hello all!

I just wanted to create a post to welcome my newer visitors to this site, and say thank you to my fans from over the year and a half that this site has been up. Just an update on what I’ve done and what you can expect from me.

Since launching this site in July 2012 I have written:

– Three published e-books with Amazon Kindle, each over 30 pages

– Two original short stories in the “Dragon Ash” series, each over 40 pages

– Four original stand alone short stories and premises

– Three back-story pieces for the main characters of the “Three Kings of Ybor” saga.

– My first poem

– Four drama sketches from my days in acting class

– Over a dozen philosophical narratives…some more embarrassing than others

– Characters from four different stories

– Eighty page treatment for second novel in the “Three Kings of Ybor” saga.

I’ve used twitter and facebook as a means to promote my work, as well as paying for press releases to push my e-books out there. On Sept 27th 2013, I attended a party at a brewery for radio personalities to interact and network myself, handing out business cards and showing my face for all to see.

Cigar City Brewery - Tampa

Cigar City Brewery – Tampa

When handing out my business cards, people usually ask what can I do for them. That question really does perplex me because in all honesty… ignoring what it technically is, it’s difficult to see my writing as a “business”. Yes, I want to make money from my talent, and yes I want to be known worldwide for it…but there’s a deeper reason as to why I want those things. It’s not the only reasons why I write.

It reminds me of Alan Watts’ question: “What if Money was no object?” What would you do if you had all of the money you could ever need? What then?

My dad and I got into it about two years ago where he chastised me for thinking myself better than others who call themselves writers without devoting themselves to the craft. I really do think that I’m better than people who call themselves writers when they only really write as a hobby. I’m not afraid to admit that and anyone who has a problem with it…sorry?

Skeptical Rock

Skeptical Rock

Don’t get me wrong…if you like writing. Do that! I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met in real life who I’ve tried to encourage and support their endeavor in the field that I love… but so many lack the ambition and confidence. They’re reluctant to set aside the time to hone improve on their skills and just sit down and write. I don’t slight them. At the same time, I don’t consider them to be of my caliber…that’s all, really.

A friend of mine pointed it out to me long ago, and I agree with his theory. I write to escape the world that I’m in. It’s why I started writing when I was a pre-teen…its why I wrote during my college days instead of going out to clubs and partying. There’s something about embarking on a new journey every time I start a new story or add a new chapter that really fulfills me.

Haha! I’m sure as I get older, I’ll find better words to articulate what I truly mean than that corny reason I just gave you. But for now, it’ll just have to do.

So keep rooting for me! Until the day I die, I won’t stop improving or creating. Until the day I die, I’ll continue to strive in owning the Stage in the Sky.

Yes, I know how to smile!

Yes, I know how to smile!

My Dad’s Message for my 27th birthday…

Posted by Rock Kitaro on August 17, 2013
Posted in: About the Author, News and Updates. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
To my very handsome and intelligent son. Happy Birthday!!!! I am so very proud of you. Not just today but from 18 August 1986 @1036pm when i first heard you cry. from the times when i would fall asleep with you laying on my back, mom would wake me up and tell me not to roll over for fear i would crush you. From the the time you would fall asleep in your swing set holding your stuffed frog. From the times you first started walking and you would follow me around the house humming. From the time you took my credit card and ordered pizza for 6 months without me knowing. You always made me smile. My baby has grown and is growing to be a better man than me. Here we are now 27 years later and you still make me smile. I love you son and happy birthday.

got-text

My Response
HAHAHA! Oh…dad…you could’ve stopped at following you around the house humming, but you didn’t. And I love you for it. I truly do appreciate the sentiment. I’ll never forget it.
He really is quite awesome when he wants to be. 

If you were to ask me if I believe in Ghosts… – Romantic Poetry

Posted by Rock Kitaro on July 21, 2013
Posted in: About the Author, Food for Thought, Original Stories. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

tears_of_sadness

If You were to ask me if I believe in Ghosts…

By Rock Kitaro
July 21, 2013

If you were to ask me if I believe in ghost… I’d tell you yes.
I see them everyday.
I hear them. I even interact with them.
Not by choice, but by obligation.
They wander the halls and even drive in cars.
I observe the chilling affects of their cause,
And I shudder to think that I play any part
Despite being hollow shells of what used to be,
They’re difficult to ignore.
Not Angry. Not sad. Not Happy. Not Glad
Desensitized of all forms of love with a lack of purpose,
Their melancholy infects and attacks, to the point
That my energy is depleted just by fending them off.
…
I grieve for these ghosts. I loved them.
…
They are not dead.
Just not alive in my world.

sadness_love_by_country2010keith-d33yfyw

The Bridge to Clearwater Beach – My Own Personal Kingdom

Posted by Rock Kitaro on July 14, 2013
Posted in: About the Author. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
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“Fly” Korean song by Geeks –

When you think of Tampa Bay, what generally comes to mind? When most people think of South Florida, they usually think of Sea World, Disneyland, and the exotic club scenes of Miami. I think you may be hard-pressed to find many talking about the city of Tampa. If you did, you’d probably hear of the hundreds of strip clubs or the sports teams that constantly make a national impact in the various leagues.

But living in Tampa, Florida for eight years now…I’ve never done any of that. I’ve never been to a strip club, taken in the sights of the theme parks or even care to visit Miami. Does that make me lame or dull? Maybe… I grin… I don’t think so. I’m still relatively young, and ambitiously, I’ll tell you that compared to what I’ve dreamed, the worlds and complicated characters I’ve created…They make Miami those aforementioned attractions seem like the black-and-white pictures you’ll find of undeveloped new lands from the Great Depression era.

This isn’t to slight anyone who enjoys such attractions…only to differentiate that not everyone needs such sights to stimulate the imagination. For a romanticist such as myself, all I need is that which nature provides. The open sky that seems limitless, the perpetual motion of the oceans that shows an endless abundance of energy…and the wind…The wind that allows me to fly every time I close my eyes. It’s amazing.

This little memoir is a piece I’ve written to elaborate on how this bridge has served as my own Fortress of Solitude. Since 2005, I’ve found myself embarking to this destination every time I feel lost or have strayed off course. And every time I’ve climbed up that bridge, I’ve carried with me chains of animosity and suicidal thoughts caused by heavy self-loathing. And every time I walk back down…I feel resurrected as an entirely new individual. I can’t blame those around me for not keeping up…I never stay the same and this is why.

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20130630_190754CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Dragon Ash – Episode 2 – Short Story

Posted by Rock Kitaro on June 23, 2013
Posted in: Original Stories. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

By: Rock Kitaro
Date: June 23, 2013

“Vampire” by The Trax (Japanese Rock) –

philippines

In the previous episode of Dragon Ash…

We open up to Bakumatsu era of Japan where the assassin Kawakami Gensai cuts down influential politician Sakuma Shozan. Without provocation or a given reason, Gensai steals a scroll that’s tucked in Shozan’s robe. Unbeknownst to Gensai, that simple act of theft will eventually bring a world of trouble upon his descendants.

This brings us to Tien Kaze. Our rebellious teen hero who gets kicked out of school for standing up for a girl who was being molested on the back of the bus. As if he didn’t already feel isolated and obscured by his peers and religious congregation, things escalate when his father jumps the gun and tries to ban Tien from seeing his grandfather, the accused source of his misbehavior. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back, as Tien does the unthinkable. In the heat of the argument, Tien ends up throwing a regretful punch, flashing an ounce of the anger he’s held back for so long. But the disappointment written on his parent’s faces are too much to bear. Tien runs away from home.

In Episode 2…

We take a first-hand look at the so-called “expeditions” executed by the up and coming research and development company, Miro-Tech. In the Himalayas, Miro-Tech’s own private group of soldiers waste no time in seizing a remote village in pursuit of a pendant that is supposed to lead the way to one of Japan’s most sacred hidden treasures.

Amongst the main players, Silence, the femme fatale and majority shareholder of Miro-Tech shows multiple sides of herself. A brutish violent side towards anyone who stands in her way, a strong sense of superiority towards her race as a Japanese, yet a subtle sense of regret towards having to kill. Other than her protégé, Mellow, the only one who seems to understand her is her college lab partner and lead historian, the brilliant smartass Steven Alba. But even Alba can alleviate Silence’s voracious thirst for power. Even if Silence can’t already see that she has it.

Tien Kaze - Potentially staring Jay Kim of The Trax

Tien Kaze – Potentially staring Jay Kim of The Trax

Following up with the events in the states, Masatake Kaze comes home from a long overnight stocking shift at Home Depot to find his only grandson asleep on his couch. As you can probably guess from episode one, Tien’s bond with Masa is unbreakable. Tien opens up with how he’s felt for so long and makes up his mind that he wants to go to Japan, where he naively thinks that he’d be accepted. The two have a heart-to-heart conversation over a classic karate sparring match for old times sake and it ends with Tien finally convincing his grandfather that he isn’t just blowing smoke. His passion is real. His desire to visit the land of his ancestors is real.

So of course…Masa takes it one step further. Whilst packing a bag and giving Tien what little cash he had on him, Masa talks about a legendary school of swordsmanship. A family whose heirs and descendants have carried on with the school providing the best martial arts training exclusively to selected individuals from Japan’s elite class. These warriors range from the famous Minamoto Yoshitsune to the deadly Yagyu Jubei. A warrior trained by the Yagami family is said to equal the strength and speed of ten skilled samurai on the battlefield.

Over the centuries, the Yagami family has dwindled to damn near exile, but Masa knows where their only living descendents reside. Bound for Japan with a bus ticket and a plan to work as a sailor, Tien is filled with renewed vigor and excitement. Finally furnished with an attainable goal and instilled with a fulfilling sense of purpose, Tien grins…determined to find the Yagyu family and learn this so-called exclusive martial art.

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Top ten common lies that people say everyday…lol….

Posted by Rock Kitaro on June 21, 2013
Posted in: Memes. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

I confess, I’m guilty of a few. Thanks Memebase.com

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Old School Romance in Philippe Park – Short Story, narrative fiction

Posted by Rock Kitaro on May 27, 2013
Posted in: Original Stories. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

By: Rock Kitaro
Date: May 27th, 2013

Mariah Carey – “Always Be My Baby” –

Philippe Park

 The following is a narrative fictional piece based on factual events.

…

I’d never been there before. To Philippe Park. I was invited by a colleague to attend his church’s barbecue in celebration of Memorial Day. I admit that I was reluctant at first. Not due to the religion or the fact that it was going to be held at noon when I’m usually a night owl…but because of my agoraphobia. While I accept that I do have a slight case of agoraphobia, I told myself that I wouldn’t let it hold me back from such experiences. So I went.

It was a beautiful day around noon that day. The sun was up but the heat was still manageable. There was a cool breeze rustling through my white cotton button up shirt. The sky could’ve been better. The clouds seemed smeared not painted, but the distinction between the blue sky and the white clouds were distinct, so I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The National park lay on the banks of the western waters of Safety Harbor, a northern extension of Tampa Bay. While the saltwater and the rare sightings of manatees were certainly a worthy attraction of the park…in my opinion the highlight and most noticeable feature of the park are its majestic Spanish moss trees. I’m a history buff, you see…Pulling up to the parking lot and taking a look around, I could tell from the winding serpent branches that stretched out in all directions that they’ve been around for generations. It’s weird…I love historical landmarks when it comes to nature, but feel quite the opposite when it comes to manmade landmarks…like when it comes to buildings, I prefer newer constructions over the older.

Greeting my colleague and his wife at the barbecue made me laugh on the inside. When I walked up to them, already in the line for grilled burgers and hot dogs, they seemed surprised. I told them that I would be coming, but I suppose they just weren’t expecting me to show up one way or the other.  Still… they embraced me and introduced me to a few bystanders within proximity whose curiosity I had peaked.

Agoraphobia…I hate that it has the suffix of phobia because I’m not afraid. Just nervous and anxious. Being that I’m well over six feet tall and at one point used to be borderline obese, I still carry the paranoia that I’m always being watched. From a spectator’s point of view, my condition is similar to a formerly abused dog in a new surrounding. My voice shuttered and I struggled to release the words that I was trying to say. As I reached for the hot dogs and hamburgers, my hands and fingers rattled as if I had Parkinson’s. Not fear… It didn’t look cute and I didn’t feel special because of it. It annoyed the hell out of me, and I had to suppress the frustrations I had with myself. But the sensation didn’t last long, thank god. Once I got myself situated, seated and relatively out of the open…I could calm down. I could focus on being sociable.

Being that it was a church function, I felt obligated to inquire into the group’s religion, their beliefs and how they came to find their way to that particular organization. My colleague caught me twice staring off in deep thought. I’m still working on handling my facial expressions because I have large eyes and it’s easy to read my mood. I didn’t mean to be rude or draw in curiosity from my perplexed look, but rather, I find it’s important to digest such information on the spot so I can ask more questions while I still have the people there in front of me.

In the end, the group won me over and I had made up my mind to check out their next service. Not sure what to expect really. But I am a religious person. And more so, I’m a philosopher. What philosopher would turn down an open invitation to learn a new system of thinking, a new theology…I can’t wait.

After sitting with my hosts for a little over half an hour, the inner child in me compelled me to get up and walk around. Such a beautiful place…People get on airplanes and travel all over the world in search for adventure. The amazing thing about Florida is that there are so many untapped places for me to explore. So explore I did.

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