25 YEARS in the publishing industry...

With the profile text being so short, I found myself scratching my head, wondering how to really introduce myself and my work. Then it hit me—2024 is going to be a huge year for me! I’m celebrating 25 years as a traditionally published author. Twenty-five years in the literary world! And I’ve been spinning stories for a solid thirty-five years.

It all started because I wanted to prove that I wasn’t cut out to be a poet at all. Honestly, I began writing song lyrics just to escape the endless loop of Beatles songs we had to play in the school big band. Whenever we complained, our teacher just made it worse, forcing us to perform “Heal the World” by Michael Jackson. Ugh, I couldn’t stand that song back then!

So, a few friends and I decided we’d had enough. We formed our own band to play rock and roll. Sure, the old songs were fun, but soon we wanted something more—our own music. I had dabbled in composing some tunes before, so I naturally became the main lyricist.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a blast writing those songs! Over that decade, I churned out more than 200 songs. Some we played, but many just gathered dust in a drawer until I eventually published a collection of lyrics in a book called With Love from the Golden Cage.

Most of those lyrics were in English or French, with a few in Spanish—zero in German. I did dabble in poetry in German every now and then, mostly to impress my grandfather. A little poetry collection from me made a great, cheap gift! But my real passion was for short stories and bestselling novels. Poetry felt like a dead end; I just wasn’t into it.

My grandmother often nagged me about not writing poems about nature. So, when she introduced a poetry competition, I decided to write something to make her proud and show that I wasn’t good at it. I figured they wouldn’t accept my poem, but surprise! Not only did they accept it, but I ended up in their anthology. Suddenly, I was a published author in the National Library of German Poems.

I won’t lie; I was mad about that success, but I also felt a swell of pride as I held that book and saw my name printed inside. And that’s how my publishing journey kicked off back in 1999!

With love from the Golden Cage

Life is a constant battle between good and evil, success and failure, happiness and unhappiness; no matter if all our decisions are right or wrong, they all will lead us and guide us on the path we have to create and walk down to become the human being we deserve to be. This book is about the beginning of my path, my struggle, my love and my inner demons. This is where my journey has started!

Published 2014

* * *

This is me, a monkey in the music

Is it possible that a photographer is hiding beyond a journalist? A writer beyond a photographer? And beyond a drop-out someone who's quite willing to have a career - but by his own rules and at his own time and place? Can a man from Hamburg, Germany survive in Mauritius, Africa? And what's going on in such a man? Many questions surround writer, photographer and journalist Christian Bass. In "This is me - a monkey in the music" he answers them all. He invites his readers to have a close look at his inner thoughts and fears. In his lyrics he talks about his ups and downs. "This is me!" is a simple but self-confident statement of a man who has proven "If you really want something, there's always a way!"

Published 2011

This was the first book that was all mine, written entirely by me. It marked the beginning of my comeback in the publishing world back in 2011.

* * *

STORMBRINGER

Stormbringer hits like a force of nature, shaking you to your core with words that carry the weight of the world. This powerful collection of poetry dives deep into the big issues—social justice, the fragile resilience of the human spirit, and the environmental crisis we’re all facing.

With verses that cut to the heart, Stormbringer tackles the struggles of modern life, forcing us to reflect on our role in it all. It’s not just poetry—it’s a wake-up call, a journey through the storms of our time, where hope flickers and change is possible.

If you're looking for something that moves you, pushes you, and makes you think, Stormbringer is it. Let it stir your soul and fire up your drive to make a difference.

Published 2019

And with this book, I teamed up with Kevin Ghoseawon, a talented artist from Mauritius. He brought all my poetry collections to life with his stunning covers, and I’m excited for him to keep doing it in the future.

* * *

Bazaar of Broken Hearts

Life is not always fair, especially when you are left behind. Sometimes we are caught in an ocean of lies and injustice. These days may not be very often, hopefully, but they exist for sure. We might feel as the sun will never rise again and that is the moment the poetic injustice begins.Never lose hope, never lose your faith, open your eyes to see the spark of hope that will guide you over the Bazaar of Broken Hearts. Follow your path, be honest to yourself and one day happiness will lighten up your life again. Neither rain nor pain will stay forever, sunshine and love always find its way back into your life.

Published 2014 / 2019

Just to keep you on your toes, this book actually kicked off its journey back in 2014 as "Left Behind." It was supposed to be my first real poetry collection. But life had other plans, and I ended up pulling it back. I reworked it, added more content, and finally released it under this new title.

* * *

Lior has always been the outsider in their hometown, constantly targeted by bullies. But when they escape into the mysterious Black Forest after a brutal encounter, something strange happens. The ancient trees seem to come alive, guiding Lior deeper into their shadowy embrace. Will the forest offer the safety Lior seeks, or is there something more hidden beneath the towering trees?

I’m pretty proud of this short story. Not only does it tackle topics that really matter to me, but for the first time, I wrote a "real" queer fiction piece and used they/them pronouns for the main character, Lior.

* * *

In the streets of Hamburg, journalist Tim McKirk returns to his childhood haunts, seeking to rediscover the thrill of his youth. But what begins as a nostalgic stroll quickly spirals into a harrowing encounter with the city's dark elements. As Tim crosses paths with Alex, a charismatic rent boy, he finds himself drawn into a dangerous game where innocence meets corruption.

This story kicked off back in 2007 when I was really struggling with Writer’s Block. It’s based on true events, but I just couldn’t get it wrapped up at the time. Then, while I was gathering stories for the "Cry Me A River" collection, that old idea popped back into my head, and I finally finished it.

* * *

Since this is an English platform, it probably wouldn’t make much sense to dive into all the poetry collections I’ve written in German, French, and Spanish. I could list a bunch of other books I've written under different pen names, but I’d rather keep those identities under wraps for now.

As I mentioned before, I’m super excited about the upcoming queer short story collection titled "Cry Me A River." There’s also a new poetry collection in the works, set to drop by the end of this year. I’m still toying with the title, but once again, Kevin Ghoseawon will be creating the cover art.

We’ve also been planning a children’s book called "The Lion Prince," with Kevin illustrating it, plus a festive Christmas story and another poetry collection featuring some stunning black-and-white drawings Kevin created for a different German author. We’ve been chatting about this collaboration for years, and I promise you’ll be the first to hear about it right here on Vocal.

Just a heads-up: "The Lion Prince" is getting pushed back to next year.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed this content, don’t forget to subscribe to my channel for more. Your support—whether through tips, pledges, or simply hitting that subscribe button—directly fuels my growth and helps bring exciting new projects to life. Join me on this journey and be part of something special!