MEET THE AUTHOR

Hey; I'm Kent Brindley, long-time aspiring fiction author; but I'm kind of new here myself.

Well, now that I've been part of Vocal for a couple of months or so and have posted around ten separate things, it's probably high time that I introduce myself...

"INTRODUCE YOURSELF? HOW FUN! SO WHERE YOU FROM...?"

...Right there with the SIMPLE questions. I love starting things out this way; deep comes later.

I'm a Michigan-made man. I was born in St. Joe Hospital in '84 and lived in Covert until I was about two. My family then moved to South Haven, as that was where my dad's business was and they were thinking way ahead of time and the education system in South Haven would have suited everyone better (bear in mind that I was two and would have zero concept of what school was. I was LEARNING things without even grasping the concept that I had acquired new knowledge. For example, a] I learned how to operate the TV remote control, b] I learned about CARTOONS in the afternoons; though with zero concept of time yet, c] I learned who "He-Man" and "She-Ra" were).

Anyway, St. Joseph was a hospital, Covert formed no REAL, CONCRETE memories (my folks and I watched "M*A*S*H*" for an hour each night. HOW's that for my first couple of years of life?), and SOUTH HAVEN is where memories were made. It's where my father's business was always right below us as we lived in the upstairs apartment. It's where our little family grew the following year. It's where my late Grandma finally MOVED to South Haven in order to take care of my sister and I during the day when it was decided that our home needed to be a two-income household. It's where I went to school. It's where I met my school friends. It's where I met my church friends. It's where I met quite a few peers who felt themselves too good for me. It's where I got my little heart broken once...twice...thri...anyway. It's where I am today and it's where my job is.

Public Schooling was South Haven. College was Allendale/Grand Rapids (THE Grand Valley State University). Grand Rapids is my dream locale one day. I'm a Michigan man.

"COOL; SO (I've GOTTA ASK...) U of M or STATE?"

"GO BLUE!" (or anyone against Ohio State [...or Notre Dame;...or Ferris;...or The Packers;...or The Patriots; or...])

"MICHIGAN; REALLY??? SO, ABOUT YOUR PRO SPORTS TEAMS RIGHT NOW..."

If there's absolutely nothing else on (or if they're playing either the Bears or the Packers), I'll actively WATCH the Lions as opposed to just rooting for them in spirit; and even THEN, I need to be at the tavern/restaurant around people my own age and enjoying THAT experience.

Here's the thing; I don't even really watch my beloved MICHIGAN on the TV unless I'm at the bar and surrounded by people enjoying the spectacle or coping with one another. There is simple a DIFFERENCE between watching U of M on the television or actively gearing up, making an afternoon out of it, and GOING BACK TO Grand Valley for a multitude of Football/Basketball games.

"WHAT'S YOUR DREAM JOB?"

...I've known this since I was four and it kind of stuck; I want to write fiction.

This seed was actually planted by watching the likes of He-Man and G.I. Joe (...and She-Ra, and Silverhawks, and M.A.S.K., and Jayce..., and Galtar, and...). Anyway, I don't know if somewhere in my young mind, I intrinsically KNEW that these animated stories had writers or what had happened there...

Anyway, "He-Man" and "G.I. Joe's" animated adventures would be off the air for the day and Mattel and Hasbro, respectively, had only created so many figures that I had in my possession to recreate something.

Instead, I sat down with plain paper and a crayon and began to draw and even WRITE (in crayon, remember) my own adventures now that the established ones were done for the day and I was too lazy to pop in a VHS.

I was writing Fan Fiction at least two decades before I knew what Fan Fiction WAS. Hopefully, since then, my fiction writing has improved because, Lord knows, my drawing hasn't.

"THAT IS SO COOL THAT YOU STUCK TO THAT DREAM! WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?"

I'm a janito...LOCKER ROOM ATTENDANT for the local health club.

I fold towels and take care of members' clothing while cleaning up after the Locker Room and helping to ensure our members an enjoyable experience every time...

"OH...WOW. WHAT KIND OF CAR DO YOU DRIVE?"

Normally, they're called sneakers/street shoes. I'm a pedestrian.

"WE TALKED ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAMS. WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS TODAY?"

To this day, I'd love to live in Grand Rapids one day (or at least in a place of my own). Also, I'm 36 by now; I'd love to drive a good car, meet a nice woman who SHARES my feelings for her, and have a family EVENTUALLY. Also (and this still stands to this day) I'd like to be traditionally published.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HELP YOURSELF?"

I'm about 10 or 13 times self-published. They're up on Amazon if you know where to look.

"WHAT'S THE TOUGHEST PART ABOUT BEING SELF-PUBLISHED?"

...Convincing myself that I've done something worthwhile while convincing others of the same.

Long ago, I used to table in town with my books during Summer festivals (the shop owner that I setup outside of was very gracious to me about that). People would walk right on by. They would walk right into my table as an obstacle in their way. They would gather to chat within their little core groups IN FRONT OF that table as though I were nonexistent. They'd start to leave THEIR things on MY table (thereby covering up either the prices or, worse yet, the books). They'd see a local self-published author; and ask me for directions ("Okay; in return for the fact that I've been acknowledged, the place that you're looking for is [...] And it has REALLY good food. Enjoy your time in town!")

Occasionally, people WOULD stop and acknowledge my books or the framed right-up that the paper did on me. We'd talk about my alma mater. We'd talk about the writing process. We'd talk about what my books are ABOUT; so on. That has led to a few sales; but a FEW. Oh; and an office full of several copies of unsold merchandise that is no longer the self-publisher's problem.

Without festival seasons right now (and since that was always so lackluster anyway), I do occasionally turn to social media to beg friends and family. Ocassionally it works; more often, it doesn't. But if I didn't do it, NOTHING would happen there.

"HOW FAR HAVE YOU TRAVELED FROM HOME?"

Two weeks in Italy my sophomore year of high school. My mother, our church's pastor, and one of my mom's very best church friends all went with a larger group. It went really well and we had a great group with us. (In fact, the day that we heard the Pope speak, I got separated from my mother; and a small group of the people we went with let me tag along with them until we reached the hotel at the end of the day and I could be reunited with my mother).

"WHAT'S THE MOST SURPRISING COMPLIMENT SOMEONE HAS EVER GIVEN YOU?"

(Effeminate voice) "I really like you too."

...Yeah; that hasn't happened yet.

Honestly, I was sitting at one of my favorite restaurants the other day, chatting with someone who I knew from another of the restaurants as the two of us just sat and shot the breeze. Suddenly (I think we were talking about how the Pandemic had affected EVERYONE, as Michigan was closing in on the day when the restraints over restaurants would BEGIN to be lifted in margins), I was called a "Social Butterfly."

I know that was meant as a compliment and I DID take it as such. But you could have knocked me off of that bar stool with a feather that day. It DOES take a very kind individual to take the kind of time to get to know me well enough to call ME the social type.

"HAVE YOU EVER HAD YOUR HEART BROKEN?"

...I'm 36 now. Believe me; it's happened more times than I cared to journal about. I half expected my college journal to one day blurt out "YOU again??? Alright; which woman was it this time...?"

"WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE T.V SHOW RIGHT NOW?"

...Well, I've been binging a lot of "He-Man" and "She-Ra" lately and even giving DIC's revamp of "G.I. Joe" a second glance (as a WHOLE, it STILL doesn't measure up to Sunbow; but some episodes were alright. In speaking of, I haven't watched the GOOD "G.I. Joe" in a long time...)

You scoff now; but I established how good these all are as a CHILD. I'm revisiting a simpler time with childhood friends. (However, you may have a point; and I ALSO haven't watched "227," "Full House," or "Step By Step" in a long time).

"HOW IS THE FITBIT JOURNEY GOING?"

It's going surprisingly well, thanks. Each day can be a struggle to KEEP IT that way.

"WHY DID YOU START THE FITBIT JOURNEY?"

For my health, basically.

There is the PHYSICAL health of my body; and the mental and emotional health of my self-esteem.

I've heard the commentary from others. I should be so old by now that that just washes over me. But I can't do it. So, I'm trying to get healthier and gain back my SELF respect. As for the respect of others, who knows...?

"ANY HOBBIES?"

Collecting Masters of the Universe Classics figures (the ones meant for ADULTS).

Playing PS4 (mostly Rockband 4 or Mortal Kombat 11).

"Listening" (Warbling along) to music.

Visiting people at the bar.

Writing.

"WHAT'S THE BEST MUSIC TO WRITE BY?"

...That sort of depends on the project.

I write fiction, so genres change.

For medieval fantasy, I tend to use the "Myst" soundtracks or the "He-Man" soundtrack; ANYTHING instrumental.

For Science Fiction/Superheroes, again, instrumentals.

For GENERAL fiction (usually with romantic/coming-of-age undertones), I turn back to the 80's rock/pop, 90's pop, or 90's country that I used to listen to on the radio and, now, constantly listen to on "Media Player."

For my major novel projects, I simply build playlists for the background and let 'em go as I write. (This makes NaNoWriMo go surprisingly well).

"UH...NANOWRIMO?"

My mistake; National Novel Writing Month. (November).

I started participating when a classmate in Grand Valley's writing program told me about it. I think this year was my thirteenth year participating; and I think I "won" (finished 50000 words and made it official) at least 6 of those times. (In fact, I self published some of them.

Anyway, it was cool hanging out here and that's a little bit more about me.

Nice meeting you all and I hope to get to know you all a little bit more...