I label it a ‘spaceship’ because a sprinter van, bus, or SUV doesn’t have enough seats, nor are they easily maneuvered. This vehicle makes sudden turns, has seatbelts and comfortable chairs for at least fifty people, has top-notch entertainment aboard, and to quote Andre 3000- “It does not come equipped with rearview mirrors.”
Welcome to the MS Hayes starship, where daydreams are chased and captured, ideas and thoughts become realities, and team members are acknowledged, appreciated, respected, and inspired. I guess I’m the captain some of the time. Lol.
On the current adventures, audiobooks are being created by five different teams, with me watching, helping, performing, listening, coaching, and being advised. Teamwork at its finest, as ‘Ghosts Live Here,’ ‘A Man Named Purse,’ ‘Singing to Butterflies,’ ‘Animal Sacrifice,’ and ‘Menage- Volume One,’ are being performed, refined, created, and finished. Thanks to Schyrlet Cameron, Tom Storrer, Saralinda Bauer, Gil and Cyndy Miller, Sandra Harris, and my brother Harold Peña-Hayes for being crew members on this voyage.
In another compartment, book covers are being created, along with newsletters, calendars, articles, schedules, and events. There are people here, some doing double or triple duty, as they continue to help steer the spaceship. Venessa McDaniel Cerasale, a navigator and the first-mate is here. So is Tasha Morris, Latisha Franklin, and Cyndy Prasse Miller keeps sticking her head in the door, before going to another department along with Venessa.
The captain (me!) is in the back room with the collaborators, working on joint projects,
collections, and dropping ideas into a jar to be visited later. JC Crumpton strokes his beard, while Gordon Bonnet, Gil Miller, and I discuss ‘Gauntlets and Conches,’ ‘Crimes, Suns, and Misdemeanors,’ and Old West ideas. There are seven comfortable chairs here, each embossed with the logo of ‘The Bumbershoots Writers Society,’ and the creativity hums along at a feverish rate.
In the captain’s private chamber, there are photos of Whats-her-name, my family, my friends, and those who cheer me on. I have two laptops, a PC, notebooks, reference tomes, and a microphone. This is a magical place, with a view of the Milky Way, and I spend a lot of time here. It’s my happy place.
It’s comfortable and familiar, and it is not too bumpy of a ride. The engine is powerful, because it’s fueled by dreams and handwork. Thanks for visiting the MS Hayes starship, and we’ll see you all again.
Marlon S. Hayes
P.S. The commander only wants acknowledgement in all things. As always, all praises to God.
