A Verdict for Radovan Karadzic

On March 24, 2016, war criminal Radovan Karadžić has been convicted of crimes against humanity committed in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the war in that country in the 1990s.

Yes, I remember vividly how that war was because I was living in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina when it started. I remember what Radovan Karadžić looked like when he appeared on TV—always assure of himself, always having something to say. Always eloquent in his speech of love and hate; Love for the idea of great Serbia, hate for those he saw as a threat to it.

The things he said publicly referred to his deep belief that Serbia and its military had the right to start a war and basically do whatever they pleased with the civilian population—kill, torture, rape, loot, steal.

Sadly, this is the way aggressors and armies reason—this is what every army has done in the past 5,000 years (the year some believe Adam and Eve ate the poisoned apple and exited paradise.)

The human race conquers and starts wars because certain members want to get rich fast. The ones who want to get rich fast always invent an ideology, an idea, philosophy, a religion for their subordinates to follow blindly, in order not to mind fighting, losing limbs and lives, and remaining traumatized for as long as they live. Did you think that it’s a coincidence that presidents and high army officials never go to the battlefield?

War is a game. And this ugly game is ruining our planet, ruining our chance of survival and threatening our freedom. If you think that living without peace and freedom makes life worth living, think again—it’s the worst thing ever. Take it from somebody who’s spent some time living without peace and freedom.

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Deciding on Pen Names

This is my first blog post in a long time. I’ve decided today to begin blogging about my experience as an indie publisher. The first topic I will tackle is the one that has been occupying me for about a year now—pen names.

Pen names: Yes or no? If a writer is writing in more than one genre, should he or she have a pen name for each genre? What about marketing the books? Will having multiple Facebook pages and blogs be too time consuming? And what about publishing regularly? Will it be possible to publish regularly under different names? All these questions went through my mind when I thought about writing in different genres. So, I thought, the best thing to do is research.

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Writer’s Block – Why I Never Had One

“Harry struggled to release the stone hanging from his leg. He was sinking. The lake was quiet on the surface, but in the deep waters the turbulences Harry was making with his arms to cut the cord holding the stone attached to his body, were like mild earthquakes. He wasn’t giving up. The stone was pulling him fast towards the bottom of the lake, and with every second that passed the light was getting darker…”

I imagine writer’s block being something like the heavy stone hanging from Harry’s leg in the story. A stone made of a mental block that makes everything dark in the head until it looks like the blank page starring at you: white and empty. “What should I write about?” the writer asks. “Where should I start?” “How should I continue?”

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Enthusiasm — Bliss Or Pitfall?

The Bliss Of Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is defined as “intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval.” I’d define enthusiasm is a state of mind of which I have plenty. What would life look like without enthusiasm? To me, meager and vegetable-like. Dull. Uninteresting. Uncourageous. Not half as exciting or interesting as it could be. When I analyze my motivations for doing things which are generally considered daring, or even dangerous, I find that the motor that powers the belief in the success of my actions is enthusiasm.

In my wish to learn more about this energizing state of mind, I researched the internet for more insight. […]