The Pulse Massacre - One Year Later.

For Those We Lost And Those Who Survived: The Pulse Massacre One Year Later.

Looking back at an unspeakable tragedy – and looking ahead for the communities that will never be the same. 

By James Michael Nichols

The pain of June 12 still pangs just as palpably today for Mayra Alvear as it did one year ago.


It’s been twelve months since Omar Mateen entered Pulse nightclub during Pride month 2016 and opened fire with a semi-automatic assault rifle in a three-hour rampage that left 49 people dead – including Alvear’s youngest daughter, Amanda.


It was the worst mass shooting in modern American history, occurring on the LGBTQ club’s Latin night – a targeted attack against queer people of color that sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ community globally.


The time between then and now has held unimaginable grief for many – a daily struggle to make sense of the lives taken and the level of sheer horror and hate that permeated Pulse that morning.


And for Alvear and countless others, that grief has now been harnessed and channeled into a resolute mission: to be a voice for those who were lost ― to ensure that their loved ones are never forgotten, and to bring awareness to the culture of violence and deep-seated bigotry towards minorities permeating the fabric of the United States.


Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pulse-massacre-one-year-later_us_593575cee4b0765bff0f510c

In remembrance

Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old
Amanda L. Alvear, 25 years old
Oscar A. Aracena Montero, 26 years old
Rodolfo Ayala Ayala, 33 years old
Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old
Angel Candelario-Padro, 28 years old
Juan Chavez Martinez, 25 years old
Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old
Cory James Connell, 21 years old
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old
Simón Adrian Carrillo Fernández, 31 years old
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old
Peter Ommy Gonzalez Cruz, 22 years old
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old
Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old
Frank Hernandez, 27 years old
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old
Javier Jorge Reyes, 40 years old
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old
Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25 years old
Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old
Brenda Marquez McCool, 49 years old
Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25 years old
Kimberly Jean Morris, 37 years old
Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old
Luis Omar Ocasio Capo, 20 years old
Geraldo A. Ortiz Jimenez, 25 years old
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old
Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old
Jean Carlos Nieves Rodríguez, 27 years old
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano-Rosado, 35 years old
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old
Yilmary Rodríguez Solivan, 24 years old
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old
Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old
Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24 years old
Juan Pablo Rivera Velázquez, 37 years old
Luis Sergio Vielma, 22 years old
Franky Jimmy DeJesus Velázquez, 50 years old
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old
Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old


#OrlandoUnited

Love Wins Anthology is up for pre-order

The Love Wins Anthology is up for pre-order! My story, Cats and Christmas Trees: Trouble Waiting to Happen is part of it. This short is from Trouble Comes in Threes and has Kirk, Tal, and Dolf in it!

Pre-order: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/love-wins-7898-b

What’s a half human to do when Christmas rolls around? Well, he tries ignores it, but his shifter mates, being the sneaky kitties that they are, persist in finding out what’s troubling him. Kirk doesn’t want to admit he’s down in the dumps because Christmas is approaching and werecats don’t celebrate that holiday.

But Kirk’s mates, Dolf and Tal, surprise him. They might not worship the human god, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make the holiday work for the three of them. Tal comes up with the idea of having a party the night before Christmas, but only inviting the betas and their Alpha. Remi, Heller, Aidric, Brier, and Alpha Armonty all take part in Secret Santa. Laughter abounds as they play the game. And of course, no werecat gathering is complete without lots and lots of food.

After the party is over, and the cleanup is done, the real fun starts when Dolf and Tal finally give in to their kitty natures, shift… and target the tree Kirk put up. Fortunately Kirk had the foresight not to buy anything breakable. There’s nothing funnier than watching a cat in a Christmas tree, except for maybe two. So how does Kirk go about getting his mates out of the tree? Well, he may not be natural born shifter, but this half human knows how to deal with his feline mates. 

Cats aren’t the only sneaky ones in this triad. ;)