Wednesday 25 June 2014

Love Is...




Love is finding pure perfection 

In the persons we share our souls with

Ignoring their faults which are visible

No-one is perfect so we must accept

Them for who they are and always

See their inner beauty remembering

They will also be observing ours


Poetic justice taken. No punctuation.
Image courtesy of www.wikimediacommons.org

Tuesday 17 June 2014

My Writing Journey

I was recently tagged by the lovely Vidya Sury in her post "On Writing" @ http://www.vidyasury.com/2014/06/on-writing.html. This is my first writing progress blog hop and I'm very pleased to be a part of it. Thank you Vidya Sury for making this happen!



My Writing Journey

I began writing poetry and prose when I was about 7 years old. Some of these were published in my church and school magazines. My mother encouraged me to write after reading a booklet of poetry I had made from construction paper (Otherwise known as cartridge paper.) Keeping journals was the norm in my early teenage years, but lost interest for a brief time. That could be blamed on the moody adolescence changes I was experiencing.

My love for books didn't fade though, as I seemed to read more than interacting with other kids. I knew from that early time in my life that I wanted to become a writer, and am now a freelance writer and contributor on a few writing sites.

The blog tag rules states we must answer the questions given and tag three other bloggers. Vidya gave me four questions and here are my responses to them:

What am I working on/writing?

One of the services I offer in my freelance business is writing professional book reviews for companies I am associated with. Most reviews are not posted on my blog, but are published on sites such as Goodreads and Facebook and a few others by these companies. May and June are very busy reviewing months. It often puts me behind in my own writing, and prevents me from reading other bloggers' posts regularly.

There are two novels I started writing sometime ago, but put them on hold to spend more time establishing my business. That was a wise decision on my part, although it didn't seem that way at the time. Things are moving in the right direction for me, and I recently revised my schedule which allow me extra time for my personal writing. I wonder how long this will last.

One of my favourite work in progress is called Dreams. It's about a teenage girl whose happy world is shattered when her father dies, and her jealous mother makes drastic changes in their lives. My muse feels inspired to complete this particular book and I agree. The chapter I was working on had me stumped and frustrated. An absence from this story was good, as I am now refreshed with new ideas that will be included in the development of the plot.

How does my work/writing differs from others in its genre?

Writing mystery/suspense is my favourite genre, but am able to write in most categories. I'm not really sure my writing differs or is unique from other writers, and didn't give it much thought anyway. Creating mysteries is fun, and thinking of the weapon of choice is one of the things I like most. Killing characters isn't as easy as it looks. Most of my protagonists are women, and the victims are men. That was unintentional in my writing. I noticed the pattern and decided to balance the scale. Both sexes should get the chance to be villains and heroes. Equal opportunity for all imaginary characters.

Why do I write what I do?

I write because I like blending words like a good cocktail. I write to release the ideas and imagery that float around in my head. Writing allows me to accurately express my thoughts and feelings in a more creative way than just talking about it. Writing content that will captivate a reader can be challenging, but I enjoy what I do and love a challenge. Hope this answers the question.

How does my writing process work?

I write whenever I'm in the mood or inspired, which is most of the time. My brain works overtime thinking of plots, even when I'm in the middle of another project. That can be distracting, but I pay close attention when it happens. Anything can trigger an idea, so I try to keep a pen and notebook handy.

Coffee is one of the aids that helps my writing advance to the next level. This can be mostly seen in the early mornings and evenings when I do most of my writing. It keeps me focused and energised.  I can't think of anything else to write, so let me introduce you to 3 persons I admire very much, and decided to include them in this blog tag. They will also get the chance to answer the questions as well, so here we go!













Natasha Duncan-Drake - Natasha is a British author with Wittegen Press and has been publishing genre fiction since 2011. Her work includes everything from horror to young adult fantasy, and she has never met a genre she didn't like. A prolific producer of short stories and novels alike, Natasha currently has over twenty-five novels in her back catalogue with further releases always imminent.

Natasha has been writing since she was a young girl ever since she read The Hobbit at primary school. She is a big fan of science fiction, fantasy and horror in all their forms, and is a big advocate of fan fiction as a great tool for writers to polish their skills in a welcome and supporting community. Before establishing Wittegen with her sister, Sophie Duncan, Natasha was a database and systems consultant. She combines these skills with her writing to create and manage her career in the bold new eBook market.

Links:
Website: http://www.wittegenpress.com/natashaduncandrake
Blog: Tasha's http://www.tashasthinkings.blogspot.co.uk
Twitter: @ beren_writes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/natashaduncandrake
Google+: http://www.google.com/u/0.+NatashaDuncanDrake/posts
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/tashaddrake




My name is Meglena Ivanova - I live in NYC with my husband, bearded dragon,/lizard and abnormally strange cat. When I'm not writing, reading or blogging, I enjoy gaining insights into the psychologies of of other cultures and times. I'm also into dancing, movies and Apple products. Occasionally, I like to write short (usually about mystical, mythological creatures and old but sacred objects that are described in ancient legends) fiction stories.

At my Blog, you will find interviews with remarkable authors about their life, books and writing experience! Also a few articles about self publishing, guest posts and book recommendations/reviews. At my website you will find information about my fantasy novels, short stories and the creative ground it grew out of: gems and mythology. Why gems and mythology? I suspect because both hold inherent mystery and intrigue for me. And perhaps because I'm a big fan of mythology and legends about innocent times and objects.

Connect with Meglena Ivanova:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Meglena-Ivanova/5059042094580
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg436PmQrwY
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/megidivam/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7216923.Meglena_Ivanova
Google+: http://plus.google.com/u/0/118088705452693219921/posts
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/377347
Website: http://www.meglenaivanova.com
Blog: http://www.meglenaivanova.wordpress.com/




Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside to play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing. When she isn't crafting fiction, Stephanie is indulging her gadget geek side by writing for on line technology sites. Her work is regularly featured on a wide variety of blogs and websites
http://www.stephaniefaris.com and as a ghostwriter. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Neil.

Here are the four questions for my three bloggers:

What am I working on/writing?
How does my work/writing differ from others in its genre?
Why do I write what I do?
How does my writing progress work?

Well, this completes my blog tag. I hope you'll  find these bloggers and their posts as interesting and wonderful as I have found them to be.

I apologise for its lateness, but had unexpected difficulties that prevented me from blogging for a few days.

Image courtesy of www.wikimediacommons.org
Please feel free to comment.



Wednesday 4 June 2014

Urn My Love

Urn

Melanie decided to get some spring cleaning done before Dan got home from work. She worked most of the morning moving furniture, vacuuming the rugs, and dusted most of the rooms. As she dusted the bookcase in the living room, an urn that was on the top shelf fell off.

"Why did this have to happen now?" she grumbled.

The contents of the urn had spilled all over the floor, but the container was not damaged. Melanie quickly cleaned up the mess and placed most of the ashes back into the urn. She returned it to its original position and looked around the room.

There were a lot of useless objects taking up space. If she could get rid of most of them today, then maybe the house would feel more like hers, once she did some redecorating. This thought cheered her spirits.

Melanie worked hard sorting through pieces to keep, and throwing away others she considered junk. The garbage bin was full and Melanie dragged it outside to the curb. She returned to the house and made herself a cup of coffee, finally relaxing.

As Melanie looked out the front window, she saw the garbage collectors. One of them was examining her trash and picked up something from a box she had dumped.

"Hey, look at this beauty! Why would someone throw it away?" he asked excitedly, looking at his reflection on the object.

"Some folks don't appreciate fine things," his partner remarked.

"I bet I could get a good price at Joe's Antiques," the new owner said. Melanie smiled when she heard the conversation. She looked at a framed picture of herself and Dan on their wedding day and started to laugh.

"Well, Mother Harper, you didn't want your precious son to marry me. You said I wasn't good enough for him. All you ever did was complain about my cooking and cleaning."

Melanie and Dan moved in with his mother when they married two years ago. Mother Harper died from an illness three months ago. She had requested cremation and her remains were to stay in the house. Melanie was convinced she only did this to spite her daughter-in-law, as Mother Harper was a tyrant who tried her best to come between her and Dan.

"This place won't be the same without your presence. In fact, it's going to be a pleasure to finally live a happier life without a constant reminder of you."

All she had to do was tell Dan his mother's urn was in the basement because she was redecorating. That excuse should work. For now.

"Pity you're not around to see how I finally keep house!"


Image courtesy of www.wikimediacommons.org
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Monday 2 June 2014

life insurance (senryu)

Wad of Money


worked hard for money
to leave grieving family
what a shopping spree


I would prefer to have my loved one alive. How about you?
Image courtesy of www.wikimediacommons.org
Please feel free to comment