My newest venture: 42 books in 52 weeks! Why 42? Because, “the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything is 42” – at least according to Douglas Adams who wrote The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Also, it gives me 10 weeks to fiddle around and procrastinate. ? But why do it at all? First, I’m […]
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Crowd of Awesomeness
I’m not complaining. Keep that in mind as you read this. It’s just I have too many ideas for books, movies, articles, and more, and choosing which to work on seems almost impossible some days. Though it doesn’t seem like a curse, this is the bane of many writers: too many beautiful, compelling stories shouting out how engaging they are, […]
Continue readingMagic Realism Realized
I knew Gabriel Garcia Marquez was from Colombia, but until I went there, I didn’t realize how his homeland must have influenced his work. They call Colombia the land of magic realism, and it’s very fitting. Colombia is very REAL, and by capitalizing it, I mean more expressive, more colourful, bigger, and louder than the understated colours and culture I’m […]
Continue readingThe Hazards of Personal Mind Games
There once was a person who wanted to create stories, and so she did. Her first novel was purchased by a publisher who liked it so much they asked for more. Overjoyed, she wrote more novels for them that they also loved. Other publishers in other countries published her books as well and soon she quit her “day job” and […]
Continue readingROAD TRIP and FREE BOOKS
So excited to be off on a new adventure in the morning. I am full of anticipation and dread, a lovely road trip combined with being the only driver for almost 8,000 km. Yikes! But hey, all things are possible, right? Before I go, I want to do a shout out about my good friend, Ev Bishop, who happens to also […]
Continue readingCiudad Perdida
Two days later, we hiked into Ciudad Perdida. The trip up to that point had been amazing: the cloud forest vegetation and flowers, the river, the indigenous dwellings, coca plants, and so much more. The second day of hiking, we passed an elderly indigenous woman on the trail. She asked with hand signals for a hiking stick from a woman […]
Continue readingCuidad Perdida or Bust
I seriously thought I was going to collapse. Hills should not be this high or this steep. Three hours up? In 35 degree C heat? With no shade? Come on! The rest of our small group had shown us their backs a while ago. I’d already guzzled most of the water by the time the trail turned to white chalk dust, […]
Continue readingFun and Mind Games
I don’t normally find myself blocked from writing, so the last couple of days have been good for me. Haha! From a certain point of view, anyway. I’m trying to write the opening of the new novel I’ve been outlining. Though I haven’t completely finished the timeline, I do think it’s time to write something. Just a modest start, and […]
Continue readingCreating Gold
Travel seems to be on my mind lately. I don’t mean the how of travel, or the when, or the where. It’s not even the why, though that comes the closest. “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” — Martin Buber That kind of travel. The destinations that we don’t know we’ll reach, that we don’t […]
Continue readingGratitude in Advance
I’ve been doing something lately, totally spontaneously, and then today I find out it’s a thing! Isn’t that the best experience ever, realizing that something that makes your day have more magic and meaning, is actually making a lot of people’s lives brighter around the world. And what is this thing? Advance gratitude. “I would maintain that thanks are the […]
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