Updates for 2017

Hello ladies and gentlemen.  Welcome to the Casa!

It has been a short while since we last talked, and there have certainly been some changes since then.  It would be easy and tempting to delve into the elephant in the room (pun not intended), the new president, but there is enough heated vitriol out there about it.  The Casa will remain neutral ground and a place for people to escape the real world for a short period of time.  My hope is to provide that for you and, perhaps, make good suggestions for other entertainment to catch your attention.  As Heath Ledger so aptly asked in “The Dark Knight”, why so serious?

Updates:  Our son, Little Man as we call him, has been home since October. and turned five months old today.  Since he was a preemie, he was on oxygen for a couple of months, but I’m proud to say that he’s been breathing all by himself since just before Christmas.  He is doing very well and sends his greetings to you all, as well as thank you to all who prayed for him and sent their positive thoughts and energy.  He is truly a miracle baby for my wife and I.

With the birth of our son came more changes than just now being parents of seven children collectively (5 months through 22 years old).  Once he came home, I took time off from work to take care of him while my wife returned to work and daycare wasn’t an option since he was a special needs child.  During that time away from my day job, we looked at our situation and decided that daycare still wasn’t something we wanted to do.  I left the company I’d been working at for the past ten years, but not just because of Little Man.  Over the course of my last year there, I found myself unhappy with where I was professionally and dealing with a lot of anxiety and frustrations.  Now that I am away from that company and working on my own writing and audiobook recording business, I am much happier.  I am eternally grateful to my wife for allowing me this opportunity, and I promise  not to squander or take it for granted.

I already have sent some short stories out for possible anthologies, and continue to work on more as we speak.  I also am nearing completion on an audiobook I’ve been recording for another author and look forward to do more recording in the near future, including some of my own tales.  I have also stepped away from my staff position with HorrorAddicts.net, but so I can compete in the writing contest they are offering this year.  You can find details regarding this contest at The Next Great Horror Writer Contest page.  More news to come as it happens.

Well, that is all of the news I have for this week.  Look for a review of  “Once Upon a Scream” next week.  If you have any suggestions of books and movies to check out, please let me know.  I’m also available to lend my voice and writing talents to whatever story or project you may need.  The links for my social media accounts are available on the home page, or you can leave me a note below.

Until next time, loyal patrons…

D.J. Pitsiladis