Friday, August 31, 2012

NO MORE RAIN by V.V. Taylor

"Striking blows where they may pierce..."
The torrents come in heavy blows
Dismissing the glow of shine so fierce,
Unrelenting to soften woes,
But, striking blows where they may pierce.

The heated night cries out for calm
Amidst the shadows running wane,
Releasing only scaling balm,
Lending horror to the pain.

Freedom stalled with each night's storm,
Passion forced on fragile flower;
Brightness dimmed by shadowed form...
Repressed by fear, raped by power.

Stones are cast where they may fall,
Rocks are scattered where none has lain;
Applaud for victory, be it small,
The sun bursts forth...there's no more rain!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Realizing Your Reality!

My 1st Reality!
How often in life have you been told, "You need to face reality!" or "You need a reality check!" How about this one: "You're not being realistic." Let's go a little deeper: How about this one, "Are you for real?" 

The root word for reality and realistic is real. When someone tells you your dreams or thoughts or opinions or ideas are not realistic, that person is telling you that they are not reality based or real. And, are these not the very words that people use when you say I'm going to be a singer, or I'm going to be a movie star, or I'm going to be a musician, or even a writer. People tend to try to discourage you by telling you that you need to try something a little more serious, or that you need to focus on something more realistic. In other words, stop reaching beyond yourself--stop reaching for the stars or the moon--and stay earthbound; reach for something more within your reach!

How often have we limited our children with this kind of talk; with this way of thinking? How often have we limited ourselves? And, why when the words reality or realistic are used, they're always used in the negative! Could this be why our children don't attempt to aspire for anything above teaching or nursing or truck driving, etc. Because we've clipped their wings and destroyed their dreams with our negative attitude and words?  It's like telling them their dreams are foolish and unreachable!

I was a Summer Youth Counselor many years ago with the S.T.O.P. Program and I began to help teens that would not be returning to school in the fall to find jobs. In assessing them, I asked them what would they like to be when they grew up. I got answers like truck drivers, nurses, teachers, etc. Some actually said they'd like to work on trash truck, etc. I asked them: Doesn't anybody want to be a Scientist or Doctor or Writer when you grow up? And, they told me that wasn't realistic. They said they could never be those things. They brought me to tears! Who stole these kids dreams? Because our realities comes from our dreams! In fact, our realities are our dreams grown up!

I've had many dreams and not all of them became realities, but many of them did. Because I believed in myself. My grandfather used to say, "Nessie, can do anything!" He said it so much that I began to believe him. I've had many successes in life because I believed I could! But, then I believe in miracles, too...so, the impossible has always been possible to me!

Not only can your child be anything they want to be, but so can YOU! If you're alive and breathing, there's a possibility! Believe that! Don't let anyone turn your reality into a negative: If you can dream it, you can be it or do it...or achieve it! Your reality is what you make it! Make it a possibility...make it take you places you've never been before! And, make it allow you to LIVE BIG!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

A Learning Curve...

Like I said before, there was a time if you were a writer you wrote your book and assisted in promoting it and prayed the sells hit the roof! Now, it's media and multimedia and blogging and youtube and book trailers (I've only known about them for a few months, believe it or not)...it's all so overwhelming! Writing...I can do that in my sleep! The greatest compliment I ever received (did I tell you this already?) is when I was accused (via my son's 4th grade teacher) of plagiarizing something I had helped him to write for a school project. Even when I gave in and told teacher that I helped him, she still insisted I had to have gotten it out of a book, and she was going to find the copy of the book I got it from to prove it! Needless to say, she never found that book! On one hand she was insulting my intelligence in insisting that I couldn't have written that well in the first place; on the other hand, it was a compliment because it was my very first hand at fiction. She had given the children a scenario whereas a young girl dressed in red (or was it white) was sitting at a bus stop (supposedly waiting for the bus) and the children (including my son) had to take it from there. This, of course, was a class assignment. It only had to be 2 to 3 pages long. Well, my son and I did it together: I asked him where was the girl going? Did she miss the bus? Was there a seat on the bus for her to sit down? Was the bus late? Did it come at all? The kind of questions that would get him thinking. And, the next thing you knew, we had a story! She gave him a B because she insisted he (even with my help) couldn't have made the story up! My point is, telling stories comes easy for me, but I didn't know it until that assignment. Until then, I had only written non-fiction; although, I loved reading fiction books.
       Finally, I've stepped out and am ready to do something with this fiction and the world has changed on me! I've been trying to edit for 3 months! Normally, that would have taken me 2 to 3 weeks, but having to stop and blog and stop and tweet and stop and add to Facebook and stop and respond to people writing me...by the time I finish all that, I'm exhausted and the editing gets an hour in and I'm calling it a day! My kids (who don't write and don't understand how it works now, either) are saying, Leave Twitter alone until you finish, but then you lose your following and have to start all over again. You ignore Facebook and in a few days they want to know...who are you?
       An assistant would solve that problem but who can afford one? Amanda Hocking, for sure. But, I'm not there, yet. Because I will hire one as soon as I am. I have 2 hands and 10 fingers...and I sure haven't learned how to type with my toes, yet!
       The thing is (truth time) people are hungry for interaction...any kind, any way they can get it. Parents ignore children, children are bored out of their minds...everyone is looking for that new wave of interaction, even if it's behind a keyboard. Words of encouragement. Words of kindness. A sort of media holding of the hands! We're human and we yearn for the human touch...even if it's behind the glare of a computer or smart phone screen!
       That's why I've named my Publishing Company, A Soft Place To Fall. I know it's a mouth full and not at all, a typical name, but it's what people need and it's what my books will offer when one reads them. Comfort, Hope, Care...Possibilities! And, no...it won't be all fun and games between the pages, but there will always be light at the end of the tunnel: There will always be a Soft Place To Fall.
       Yep, this great grandma has had to face and achieve a learning curving and I'm still going around that bend (sometimes a bit slow), but I've met a community of wonderful people that will help me to get where I'm going, just like I'll help the next person to get where they're going. If we all keep that shoulder strong and firm, we'll always BE that soft place to fall ON...or at least, to LEAN on. That's been my learning curve..realizing that in all this, I'm NOT alone! And, neither are you! So, come on...take my hand...Let's go around this next curve together!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

I'm Back...And I'm Proud!


Ok…giving up the blog didn’t work: It didn’t work for me and it didn’t work for you! I saw you looking every other day for some new information up here; only, to find the same old thing!  So, I apologize!  The truth is…I’m too old for all this stuff! Plain and simple! There was a time you wrote a book, advertised it, marketed it, toured with it, and if things went well, you sold a few!  Now, you have to Twitter…I mean, Tweet—See how old I am? My grandson laughs at me because I keep saying I’m “Twittering”—make a Facebook page for your family to take over…it’s a nightmare! When all I ever wanted to do in this life was write my books and hope you enjoyed them, and maybe meet you in the library or bookstore and talk with you about them over a cup of Ginger Tea or Capaccino…oh, those were the good old days! At any rate, I’m back and I’m not going anywhere: I Promise! I’ve got to find a way to make this work! So, here’s the plan. I’ll start putting more pics up here and stuff like that!  Maybe, write shorter posts more often…that should be doable!  And, so in catching up, I can assure you much has been going on here in Virginia, the most important being I just became a Great Grandmother! Yep...you heard me right! On Friday, July 27, 2012 (Yes, a lot of time has passed), we welcomed into our family JaCorey Pierre Parks, weighing in at 7lbs. 10oz. at 9:15 am. We were exhausted (I assisted in the all night labor), but he was worth it. So, here he is......



I will most definitely find a way to incorporate him into one of my next books; maybe, even one in this series...I'll see. I don't like to "stuff" them in, I like to put my grandchildren in where their fit feels natural. In case I haven't told you this before, I always put one or two of my grandchildren in each of my books (or rather, I use their names). I actually got this idea quite some years ago from a reknown author, Danielle Steele (who just happened to have been on The View just a few days ago). At any rate, he's here and I'm back! Thanks for being so patient and understanding. Now, back to editing for me! I've got a book to get ready for publishing! Wish me luck!