About the Author

No Longer Diving In Headfirst – A Romantic Declaration

Posted by Rock Kitaro on December 29, 2013
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By: Rock Kitaro
Date: December 23, 2013

Jamie Cullum – Don’t Stop the Music Remix –

“I’m not the same person I was before.
I no longer dive in headfirst.
Now, I step lightly.
Slowly wading through the shallow waters,
Hiding my caution with a mask of confidence and apathy
I see the deep end. I want to get there.
But whether I do or not, depends on how hot or cold it is.
And the only one who can control the temperature… is you.”

man overlooking city

I wrote this a couple of weeks ago and planted it on my facebook page. While the concept of “no longer diving in headfirst” pertains to the tactic I plan to use in most of my future endeavors, it obviously pertains primarily to the aspect of romance.

“WAIT, ROCK! Why are you writing about this and putting it on your website!? Aren’t you worried that any female who comes into your life might wander onto your website and read this?”

lol…No.

One reason why, is because I understand that I can be quite difficult to understand. I’m not like most men. And that’s not to brag, because sometimes I wish I was. It would make things easier to just fit in, rather than being that nail that sticks out. Trust me, there is nothing noble about being rebellious. I blame it on my education. Once you’ve become aware, there’s no going back. But that’s for another editorial.

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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
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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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The Stage in the Sky since July 2012

Posted by Rock Kitaro on October 23, 2013
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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
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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
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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
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20130630_191542
“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

The Meaning Behind “Dragon Ash” – My exploration of Jpop and Kpop

Posted by Rock Kitaro on March 31, 2013
Posted in: About the Author, Original Stories. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

The Meaning Behind “Dragon Ash” – My exploration of Jpop and Kpop
By Rock Kitaro
Date: March 26, 2013

Dragon Ash

Dragon Ash

“Be Stronger, Fly Higher, Don’t Be Afraid”

Those are the opening lyrics to Dragon Ash’s “Underage Song,” a song dedicated to the youth, inspiring them to strive no matter what.

I’m currently in the midst of writing the second episode of one of my short stories. The “Dragon Ash” series I’ve created is named after my favorite band. Not my favorite Japanese band. Not my favorite rock band. But favorite band, period. And out of respect and overwhelming gratitude, I felt it was high-time I explained myself. If by reading the end of this memoir, members of Dragon Ash thinks I should change the title of my story, I will.

Let me take you back to the end of 2004. In the midst of my senior year of high school something was happening to me. I think the last English CD I bought was Slipknot’s “Vol. 3 Subliminal Verses.” After that, I confess that I couldn’t help but to simply download my music. But the music I took an interest in downloading wasn’t American made songs. My dormant rebellious nature kicked it up a notch and I think I just got fed up with English lyrics. I think after 18 years of life, I got tired of hearing the same lyrics over and over again. I felt that I had heard every possible way that an artist could overextend “why” or say “I love you”. Not to mention, the kind of music that was clouding the airwaves during this time was just…just terrible. And so…I moved away from American music for a brief period of time.

Using filesharing sites like limewire, I began with downloading instrumentals. Music from anime, video games like Need for Speed and background music from movies like Daredevil and Vin Diesel’s XXX. My friends back then understandably thought it was puzzling, as did I for a time. But then I found a similarity between those instrumentals and metal, another genre I discovered a liking for at the time.

With some metal songs from artists like System of a Down and Slipknot, until I looked up the lyrics, other than the main chorus I had no idea what they were saying. And on a subconscious level, I think I preferred it that way. I couldn’t articulate “why” back then, but I think I was tired of lyrics dictating to me what to think, how I should feel and how I should go about situations. When I listen to music, I want to simply feel good. And 2004’s mainstream music kind of made me feel shitty because I wasn’t and still don’t, feel like I’m part of the mainstream.

Giving you this background information was crucial to help you understand how I was able to transition into what happens next because something spectacular happened.

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Rock Kitaro….at your service!

Posted by Rock Kitaro on July 3, 2012
Posted in: About the Author. Leave a comment

Hello hello hello!

My name is Rock Kitaro and I’m an up and coming novelist, screenwriter and all around good-natured (often times cerebral) philosopher. I’ll give a more detailed “about me” later, but for now, I’ll tell you what you can expect from me. Right now, I’m on a journey to publish my first novel, “The Three Kings of Ybor”. But until you see it on your shelves, I’ve decided to upload and share some of my other more entertaining stories.

To be up front, I’ll go ahead and tell you that with my stories, I curse and can sometimes be choreographic with my fight scenes. Following the Byronic Hero that I learned about in film school, all of my main characters are troubled individuals. They are sophisticated, arrogant, seductive, disrespectful of authority, self-destructive and struggle with a sense of integrity, what’s right or wrong. In particular, I wrote “The Three King of Ybor” because I wanted to show the world that the difference between a hero and a villain really depends on the audience’s preference and social morals that lies within.