If you want to refresh yourselves on a bit of Haiku in English, although you do not have to stick to that particular style of Haiku, it’s just my particular style to use, click here.
This weeks two words to use in some form, meaning you can use another word that means the same thing are:
Acceptance & Rejection
Here is my example just to give you something to spark the thoughts if need be.
She rejects my glance,
As I gaze with deep longing.
Her body accepts.
Be sure to put a link to your Haiku in the comments below so we can all go check them out. I’ll comment and also choose the ones that knock me down for one reason or the other and link back to them in my Weekly Rewind telling people how great they were and why I picked them. Eventually these will turn into categories.
This is an excerpt from Aeneas Williams’ 2014 Football Hall of Fame induction speech. It is great for everyone in that the message is universal. Please take the time to read it and be inspired and motivated. This not about me and this site, this is about you and what’s ahead.
“Hey, let me tell you first thing, begin with the end in mind. People say what’s it like to be up here? I’m going to tell you what it’s like. I learned write down what’s in your heart. See, growing up I grew up in church, but I never gave my life to Christ. I didn’t understand how God related to everyday life. When I was growing up, I thought church was a religious deal. You go sin for six days, then on the 7th day, empty your sin bucket and go do it again.
But I’m going to tell you something, I was on pace to graduate with my degree in accounting in three years and I don’t even like numbers. My brother Achilles graduated with his degree in accounting in three and a half years. He called me back and he said little brother, slow down. You’ll be working the rest of your life.
Ladies and gentlemen, I tell you, it was at that time over the two years, freshman and sophomore year my uncle William and a guy named Michael Lindsey who was on Southern University’s football team who also played with me in high school. He would always, and my uncle would always say, they called me Nicky in New Orleans, so if I hear Nicky, I know you know you’re from New Orleans. And they would say, why don’t you play football? I’m going to tell you why I didn’t play football because I didn’t know how God talked to you. I would hear people say God talk to me. I was standing next to them; I didn’t hear anything. I tell you how you know. A week before the season started my junior year in college, it was different. Unlike the freshman, sophomore year.
In September, you football guys know when the weather changes. It goes from dead hot summer to the fall. We all know because it’s getting time right now. We’re itching right now on this stage. We know it’s getting ready to be football season. Yeah, you fans know it’s getting ready to be football season. So how do you know? Some people say you got to be a Christian to know God talks to you. No! God is talking to us all the time.
How do you think I got on defense? Troy Descano, when I was playing 95 pound ball, and we decided I was a big bad running back. I emulated Larry Csonka. I went out running, and we decided we hadn’t lost a game, and we decided we’re big and bad, we’re going to play the 110 pound guys, and Troy Descano was at the 110 pound guys. I came through the hole, Troy hit me so hard. I was on the ground wondering when I’m going to catch my next breath. It was at that time God spoke to me. You know what he said? He said, “You got to be better hitting people than getting hit.”
So I’m telling you pay attention to the signs God’s giving you. Back to the story, all of a sudden when it comes down to God talking my heart changed a week before the season started. That’s what happened. All of a sudden, it entered my heart to walk on the football team a week before the season starts. Made no sense, but the first sensible thing I did was didn’t tell my parents. I’m already on my parents’ dime. I’m getting ready to finish, and I didn’t tell my home boys who were from New Orleans. I walked on, started my fifth game Bayou Classic, that’s right, Bayou Classic, all you State people, it’s Southern University. God’s favorite color is blue.
It was after the Bayou Classic after my second year playing, I read in the newspaper one of my coaches said, “Aeneas Williams is a good player, but I don’t think he’ll ever go pro because, at best he runs a 4.6, 40.”
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the difference when I learned the difference between facts and truth. Facts were I did run a 4.6, 40. The truth is I found my teammate Brian Thomas, and Brian, if you’re here, if you could stand up. Brian was the fastest guy on Southern University’s track team and the fastest guy on Southern’s football team. He was a wide receiver, and he was our Usain Bolt, 6’3″, and Brian wrote on his practice pants siren is speed, and speed kills. I couldn’t cover him. I’d lineup ten yards off Brian and he’d run right by me.
Brian had thing when he’d run by you he’d make this noise (imitating). So when I read that I didn’t get bitter. Some people spend their whole life to prove people wrong. The goal is not to prove people wrong. The goal is to reach your potential. The first thing I did was went to Brian Thomas because mentors are critical. You have to find credible others. I didn’t go to the offensive line. I went to Brian. I went to Brian after we had upset Grambling. I said, Brian, can you help me get faster. Brian Thomas looked me in the eyes like I’m looking at these Hall of Famers. He said, Aeneas you can run a 4.3, 40. It baffled my mind because all my life I’ve been a long distance guy. They said you can’t have speed, you either got it or you don’t.
I said, Brian what do I do? He said Aeneas, walk on the track team. Now I’m in graduate school. I’m going into January. I’m going to finish my final season while in graduate school in the fall. I said, Brian, what do we do? He said get next to me because more is caught than taught. I said, Brian, and we running, we working out. All of a sudden we’re finished running, and Brian is walking like we hadn’t worked out. I’m on the ground and my legs are telling me, Aeneas, you can keep this up or we through. Ladies and gentlemen, by April of that spring, the scouts came and I ran a 4.3, 40. I was the number two rated cornerback in all the country.”
You may have noticed the black has faded here at RonovanWrites. But I’m still not all sunshine and rainbows.
You’ll also notice I’ve gone to a color version of my photo and a slightly different angle. Yes, red hair, blue eyes, I am a rarity or so the statistics say. That combination is supposedly under 1 or 2% of the population in the entire world.
Also there are now drop downs above if you hover your cursor over the various page titles. This means the categories along the sidebar and the tag cloud are gone.
Does this mean that you won’t be seeing the Lost Mind Poet? Not at all. He lives on.
Also moving forward I want to return more to my writing and less on the interviews, although I have a few lined up I plan to try and slow down on their output. I love doing them but I love my poetry and other writings as well. Also I am beginning to work on a second draft of a romance/love story I have had sitting on the shelf for a few months. It’s back to work on that time, and I have two other books thoughts rolling around in my mind that are unique.
Plus there are still a couple of surprises coming up in the future.
Let me know what you think of the changes . . . seriously. You are the ones reading and navigating the site. I felt this w as less gloomy and the drop downs made it easier to find things and looked nicer and cleaner.
While lives die greater in numbers than F-bombs in a picture by Scorsese
We’re petty and selfish in ways we don’ t know
Don’t blame yourself for our ignorance though
Don’t get and angry with me for saying it
It’s just a thing that we all need to change and recommit
Did you buy a soft drink for 1.69
Did you stop on the way home for a fast food dine
While there is food in your house and a drink
I do it to, all that money and the good with it I don’t think
But it’s not all about the paper and the jangling discs
It’s about the deep and the core within our midst
No matter what you give in the way of the wealth
If you don’t change your heart death won’t come from lack of health
Dig a little deeper way down go where you hide
Go past the hole forming in the pocket on the right side
Take a u-turn and head back upright
Then squeeze that blind heart real real tight
When you finally feel the pain and the ache
And the agony is way way more than you can take
That feeling is the day to day fate
For those people to the world just don’t rate
We enjoy or luxurious compared lives
While girls are being taken by gun and knives
We enjoy our milk shakes and our Big Macs
While kids hide in mountains waiting for another rocket attack
Hey–you–yeah, the one looking at porn
There are babies that will die as soon as they’re born
While you HD and stream and grip your sex addiction online
Those babies grip a finger for their only time
Have I been preaching during this diatribe
I don’t know, do you feel so sick like you are poisoned by cyanide
I’m just here to share what thoughts seem to flow
Don’t like it, then just tell me to blow
After I wrote this another blogger friend of mind commented that apparently we were in the same mind set today. Take a look at Turn it Off if You Want to by joatmon 14.
There are different types of sites we all like to frequent; humor, life, poetry, manic depression pain ridden men who write about anything that pops into their Lost Minds. But there is one site that is, in my opinion unique. You get a combination of life tips, encouragement, spirituality, and if you read her amazing promo ‘Female Focus Friday: One Q&A from Allison of Long&Luxe’ then you know about The Real Sexy.
Combine those qualities into a long haired blonde with big beautiful eyes and you end up with one groovy lover of love.
I asked Allison for an interview and she graciously agreed. Then her answers ended up being so great that this was originally a two part interview. But now I have combined it for easy viewing for those who want the complete story.
RW: First of all, why Long & Luxe?
ALLISON: Awesome kick-off! Well, I consider my blog a journey of uncovering our highest potential, so it’s all about our journeys together. I wish for all of my readers that their self-discovery journeys last long enough to uncover the true luxuries of life: peace, love, joy and creativity.
RW: There is a great deal of spirituality flowing through everything you write about; where does that come from, such as influences?
ALLISON: Yes, spirituality is the birthplace of everything meaningful in my life. I believe the universe, that divine energy, call it what you like, is what ignites our passions and keeps us coming back to play and serve. So to answer your question ‘where does it come from’ I would honestly say it comes from my soul. I’ve always been deeply spiritual and believed in a higher power.
Recommended Readings
These folks in particular have inspired me deeply and taught me much of what I know today to be true: Marianne Williamson, Elizabeth Gilbert, Oprah Winfrey, Gabrielle Bernstein (check out her incredibly powerful book May Cause Miracles), Brene Brown, Maya Angelou, Mastin Kipp (check out The Daily Love website), Rain Wilson (check out SoulPancake website).
RW: A lot of people start a blog but don’t stick with it. You’re still here and doing very well. Why did you turn to blogging?
ALLISON: Thank you! I adore the blogging scene. It is astounding that we can connect through our creative endeavors this way, across time and space. It blows my mind. Obviously, people are the heart of social networks and the potential for collective, inspired change to happen quickly is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. It’s an incredible time to be an artist. When I first began, blogging was a creative outlet for my love for fashion. I wrote all kinds of fun tips and tricks about clothing, accessories and beauty. I loved the power and fierceness of a woman’s beauty and the mystery of uncovering it; I wanted to invite people into that. Over time my passion evolved into writing about what makes us beautiful, fierce and loving from the inside. Not because I don’t still love me a fabulous pair of jeans, but because I had some deeper convictions that were beginning to want to claw their way out onto the page. I began to see myself as an inspirational writer and a spiritual seeker. I want to lift people up – that is my number one goal. So I let my writer run wild and began posting original poetry and sharing my transformative journey. Now I’m all in, writing from my most authentic place and sharing with the intent to inspire others to be their most creative, artistic, brave and wholehearted selves. All in, baby. It’s my spirit work, my offering.
RW: There is an obvious skill in your writing, not only in what you write but how you write. What experience did you have in writing prior to your blog, such as perhaps classes, University, workshops?
ALLISON: When I was very young I wrote all the time, poetry, prayers, journals, essays. It was just part of how I made sense of my feelings and experiences. In 2000, I graduated from Penn State University with my BA in Liberal Arts. Most of my academic work was writing intensive in the areas of English Lit, Creative Writing, Sociology and Psychology. Unfortunately, once I started working in a corporate environment and raising my son (he’s now 16) I made less and less time for writing. It was still in me though, stirring to come out. Finally, after reading Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art a million times, I gave in and started pouring my soul into writing. It’s been saving my spirit ever since.
RW: With that type of degree, I would think there was likely an intent to write something other than a blog, perhaps something lengthier. Do you plan to do any kind of publishing, perhaps of your poetry, or is there a story in the works such as a novel, or some spiritual journey philosophy?
ALLISON: Yes! Some of my poetry has already been published in a book titled Heart Whispers, a compilation of poems by poets whose work focuses on the quiet musings of the heart. Heart Whispers features three of my original poems: Begin, Open, and Cry which can also be found on my blog. The indie poet book Heart Whispers can be purchased at Amazon.com. I also have a debut book in the works that will include more of my original poetry and just what you reference “spiritual journey philosophy.”
RW: What do you think makes your book idea a little different than others out there?
ALLISON: I think it is becoming increasingly important to come forward and talk about our connection to a higher consciousness and a transformed way of living. I want to make that feel invigorating and accessible for real people who feel called to do soulful work but they don’t know where to turn to talk about it or explore it. People still have this way of thinking that it’s “out there” to honor your intuition and your spiritual connection. It’s not out there at all – it’s who we are at ground level, it’s our greatest potential, it’s our molecules. And the more we understand about our divinity the more we can come to understand our tremendous potential for love, creativity, compassion and peace as human beings. I want to get my story into the world to invite others in and to hear their stories.
RW: Back to blogging, you have a loyal and loving Following. So another question would be what do you contribute to your success or your ability to connect with your Readers?
ALLISON: Thank you! I am so, so blessed and humbled to welcome every single reader into my world. It is an honor and a privilege to have my work read by another interested person. I think (I hope) I connect with people because I write from my truth and if that resonates with someone else, then we know we are kindred spirits. We can trust each other. I pretty much love my readers to bits. There are so many good people out there doing tremendously inspiring things – it rocks my spirit to know them! The energy I put out comes back to me tenfold, that is a fact. My readers make we want to give it all I’ve got. They are my teachers and they light me up something wicked. I hope they know that.
RW: Allison, I have to say I am disappointed in you. You lied to me. Okay you didn’t lie to me, I asked why Long & Luxe, and right now your answer IS what it means, but you started your site as a fashion tips site . . . come on . . . what was the real original meaning to Long & Luxe?
ALLISON: You got me! So my original reason for L&L is kind of similar but more fashion angle – ready? My favorite song of ALL TIME is Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by the Hollies – my favorite thing to wear is long flowing hair and a long maxi dress so luxe! Luxe to me was and is always about comfort – that is the ultimate luxury.
SET UP ALERT!!!
*****RW: Perfect. This just shows how things mature and change over time, even a site now matures into something more than we thought it would be. I set Allison up for that question because I recalled that when we first met she said something about it had to do something with something from her earlier days. So yes, Allison Marie, I gotcha on this one! And you can all hear the song at the bottom of the screen and now you know why I have the slide show above today rather than yesterday.*****
RW: We share a common bond in that we don’t write or blog to gain followers. I personally think of everyone that ends up clicking to follow my blog as Finding a new Friend. To me it’s more of a support thing than a following thing. What is your own personal philosophy of blogging?
ALLISON: I know just what you mean. If you are up for the lengthy version of my answer on this question do feel free to check out my 25 Tips On Beginning A Blog That No One Else Will Tell You. It’s not only tips for beginners but also my blogging philosophy in general. For the quick and dirty summary, I offer you this quote from the article: “Don’t write for numbers. Numbers are OK left alone. Write for people. Write for people because people don’t want to be alone.” In a nutshell, that’s what always brings me back home.
RW: I’ve found that many that do have the ability to care deep have been hurt deep.
Where does your deep heart come from? Is there a history?
ALLISON: You know, I’m really not sure where my deep heart comes from. I was always a sensitive, empathetic, introverted type and studied psychology because I have always been very interested in people, why they think and feel as they do, what choices they make, and what philosophies they adopt as their own and why. I do think I love big and I hurt big and it just comes naturally. A friend of mine and I talk about being ‘empaths’ or people who feel what others are feeling. I suppose a lot of my inner conviction to follow my heart comes from my mom, who died eight years ago very young. The experience of seeing my mom go through tremendous physical trauma to fight her cancer, and then to go through dealing with her death, has taught me that nothing is guaranteed in this life. It’s up to us to love deep and spread love wide in the time we are here. It’s the only thing that really matters.
RW: What tips do you have for someone to be able to keep blogging? For example do you have burnout tips?
ALLISON: Well, for sure my 25 Tips are my best gems so far. As for burnout I would say ask yourself why you got started in the first place and go from there. Maybe you need to go in a new direction? Maybe you need to post less often? What is so important to you that you couldn’t go another day without sharing – write and publish about that. I would also say that the more authentic your writing and connecting, the more likely you are to want to stick around. It becomes part of who you are, your way of sharing – of giving and receiving.
RW: How is the family with all of your blogging?
ALLISON: My husband is thrilled that I found blogging. I think I’m kind of a pain in the ass when I don’t have a creative outlet and this one seems to suit me quite well. The rest of the family doesn’t really get that involved. My blog isn’t for everyone and that’s totally ok with me. I think it should be that way – if you are writing from your soul, some people will groove with that and some won’t. It’s your job to stay true to you. It’s sort of a good life lesson as well.
RW: Where does the hippy chick come from?
ALLISON: My mom, I think! It’s so funny you say that because in all honesty I don’t know why I connect to the peace, love and grooviness vibe but it shows up in my world all the time. I love the music and clothing of that time and I love the peaceful revolutionary mindset of possibility and change. I have been channeling my mom’s spirit more and more lately and from what I understand she was quite an earth angel back in the day. I believe that love and peace can change the world. There’s a freedom of spirit there that – you guessed it – I dig. We are going through a time of global awakening and people are looking to come back to center, through meditation and mindfulness and a re-evaluation of our priorities. We know as a species that we need to change in some fundamental ways if we want to protect our precious lives and our planet. Greed will not get us there – love will. That is why I think my old soul always finds its way back to a peaceful revolutionary place.
RW: What is your favorite scent?
ALLISON: The beach. There’s no way to bottle it – you’ve got to sit in the sand and breathe with the wind and the salt spray and the waves.
RW: What is your favorite beverage?
ALLISON: A crisp, lemongrassy Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand
RW: What is your favorite word and why?
ALLISON: LOVE. Because it’s everything.
I doubt anyone was surprised with that last answer. Even though I had never asked her before, when that word came back to me, it was no surprise at all. I want to thank Allison for the interview and those great answers that turned some simple questions into what I think will be some life eye openers for some who read this interview series.
I am a simple man. What I desire is obvious to anyone that wishes to discover.
What do I desire? I desire to be stimulated, mind over matter. Turn my mind on and you have me forever. Only turn my body on and have me for a few hours. I want to belong forever to . . .
What do I desire? I desire physical pleasure; a touch from love, a hand in mine that sends electricity through my body, a caress of my cheek that makes my body melt, a tender kiss that makes my body alive. I live because of . . .
What do I desire? I desire friendship far more than relationship. A friend understands, cares, is there, is honest, fights for you and with you if you are deserving of either. A friendship wants to be and does not have to be. I want to be wanted by . . .
What do I desire? I desire a tortured heart. A heart that has been destroyed and resurrected knows what love is. Some say you do not need to have been destroyed to know love. Perhaps, however for me I know what love is because I am destroyed every day. Every day that ends away from . . .
What do I desire? I desire that one person that I can never stop thinking about. At 2 AM my eyes open and a thought comes to mind and sleep is finished. Thoughts of the day ahead and the conversations I wish for play out in my mind. What will be today? I cannot stop thinking about . . .
What do I desire? ‘What more could there be’ you might ask. Someone that consumes my mind, body, friendship, soul and thoughts is what I have shared, what is it I desire? What does all of this mean? You must know me well enough by now. You must know.
What one desire has not been revealed? The one I desire is . . .
Robbie is a meek boy in New York City who struggles with the desire to prove himself to his friends, his enemies, and himself. Robbie’s father is a stubborn man determined to teach his son through tough love. When he witnesses Robbie being bullied, he forces his son to face his fears. Robbie is sentenced to a frightening challenge––staying in the basement alone for a night. But what lies in the dark recesses of the basement? Will Robbie make it out alive and well? Will the urban legend about the terrifying creatures that hide in the dark basement prove to be true? And most importantly, will Robbie prove to his friends and his father that he is brave enough to take on the challenge? The Basement is a tale of angst, teamwork and solutions, treasure hunts and adventure, and facing fears. It focuses on the small world of one group of preteens and the very real and wondrous challenges they face.
When I first approached Vashti, who I met through her blog, about an interview I wanted to learn more about the author behind The Basement. There is a contrast between the woman of who I know a little about and this amazing book’s story. I still want to learn more so we can all know her better, but in truth, I want to know about this book and how it came to be and what else this author has planned for us. I’m going to get out of the way of this interview, simply ask the questions and let you meet . . .
RW: Vashti Quiroz-Vega. Love the name. Tell us a little about your ancestry. I am very into history. And your name spins all sorts of imagery through the echoes of my mind. And is there a meaning behind your name?
VASHTI: My first name, Vashti, is Persian in origin and has very little to do with my ancestry, I’m afraid. Vashti is the name of a queen in the old testament of the bible in the book of Esther.
VASHTI: The Basement began as a short story I wrote in high school. I won an award for it and put it away in a box, along with a bunch of other stories. Years later, I came across it. After reading it again and with the encouragement of others, I decided to expand the short story into a novel.
RW: The book is about an 11-year-old boy and his troubles, how did you connect with the character?
VASHTI:I have a brother and two sisters. I’m close to all my siblings, but I grew up especially close to my brother (maybe determined by the fact that I was a tomboy). The Basement is loosely based on memories I have from childhood. The main character, Robbie, was inspired by my brother and my nephew, Joshua.
RW: And the abuse parts?
VASHTI: There has been no abuse in my household, but I did know a child growing up who was verbally and physically abused by a parent. The parent did not try to hide this from anyone. I saw and heard this child being abused on many occasions. This experience and the memory of this child have stayed with me till this day, which is why I tolerate no kind of bullying or abuse of any kind.
An ex-boyfriend once told me that I was a perfect mix of femininity and masculinity because I am feminine and very much a woman, but I am also assertive, straightforward and I love basketball, action movies, UFC and camping.
RW: What did it feel like writing the character of Robbie, the 11 year old boy in the book, as you had to basically become him for periods of time?
VASHTI: When I wrote The Basement, I essentially became an 11-year-old boy. I felt vulnerable––like my life was not in my control. I guess I felt like a child in a scary world.
RW: For those reading who may not be familiar with you can you give an example of an author and perhaps a book that would give them an idea of what this book is like as far as feel and style?
VASHTI: That’s a tough one. Some people have compared my storytelling to that of several other writers, including Stephen King and Anne Rice, who are two of my favorite writers and whose books I have been reading for years. So I don’t doubt that there is some of their influence in my writing, but I believe that I’m developing my own style. Not that I wouldn’t love to write as well as Stephen King and Anne Rice, but I don’t think I’m quite there yet.
RW: Are you a character in The Basement?
VASHTI: Let’s just say that several of the characters in The Basement have some of my personality traits.
RW: Tell us about your writing process. You took a short story and turned it into a full-length novel. How did you go about that?
VASHTI: As I re-read the story, I added, changed and rearranged sentences, and I replaced and deleted words. I had read so many books and learned so much since writing that story in high school that expanding it was not that difficult. Even now, I feel that I have learned so much since publishing The Basement. I guess that’s how it is with writers. We are constantly reading, learning and improving. I feel that my second book, Lilith, will be much better written than my first, and my third book, Dracul, will probably be better written than my second, and so on. That doesn’t mean any of my books are badly written. It just means that as I learn and gain experience, my work will reflect that. I have noticed this when I compare Stephen King’s earlier books with the books he’s written in the last couple of years. But I have always enjoyed all of his books.
RW: Can you walk us through how you went from complete and satisfied manuscript to now available for purchase? Many will be reading this who haven’t gone through it yet, and since you have on a number of occasions, I know I would personally like to hear it from a pro like you.
VASTHI: Wow! You flatter me, Ron. 😉 I’ve actually gone through the entire process only once with my book The Basement. The best advice I can offer anyone who has finished writing a story is to give the finished manuscript to several trusted people and ask for their honest opinions. Then after revisions (if any), hire a professional editor.
RW: Ah, I get the impression you have published several because of how professional everything seems. What other works do you have available and what are you working on presently?
VASHTI: I have written a variety of short stories, from horror and dark fantasy to sci-fi and romance. You can check them out on my blog.
I’m in the final stages of editing my book Lilith. This is a dark fantasy about angels aimed at a young adult/ adult audience. I’m hoping to have it available in early 2015.
RW: Is there a lot of romance in your work or sensuality?
VASHTI: There’s always a little romance because I believe that’s part of life and reality. There’s also some sensuality in my work-in-progress because that’s part of who I am, and that part of my personality comes through in the story.
RW: How understanding are your friends and family when the writing mania takes hold of you?
VASHTI: Some are very understanding, especially other writers because they’ve been there. Others––not so much.
RW: What would be your ideal agent be like to sign with?
VASHTI: I would love an agent who truly enjoys my story. The editor that’s working with me on my second book ‘Lilith’ truly loves the book. It is obvious by her enthusiasm, the comments she’s made and the questions that she’s asked me. It makes a difference when the agent loves the genre and story. Also, an agent that is hardworking and self motivated is great. One that will stop at nothing to get you the best deal possible for your book. I would love to get into one of the big publishing houses.
RW: Now for a few fun and trivial questions. What’s your go to beverage while writing?
VASHTI: Water. I know you’re thinking, “boring,” but I prefer to be sharp and focused when I write. Being well-hydrated does that for me. I don’t drink much coffee, beer makes me bloat like a blowfish, wine puts me to sleep, margaritas and rum are fun, but put me in the wrong frame of mind, and I get distracted easily. So while I’m writing, it’s water for me.
RW: What is your escape from writing when you need that break before burnout happens?
VASHTI: Reading, cooking, baking, hiking, kayaking, getting together with family and friends, watching one of my favorite shows on TV (Criminal Minds, Law and Order, Castle, Modern Family . . .) or going to the cinema, playing with my dog, and other things I shouldn’t mention––not necessarily in that order.
RW: And finally, as a writer, what is your favorite word and why?
VASHTI: Wow! There are several words I love, but the first word that comes to mind is “Dulcet.” Why? Because it’s a beautiful word, I enjoy pronouncing it and writing it down. Meaning: 1: sweet to the taste 2: pleasing to the ear 3: generally pleasing or agreeable.
Thank you, Ronovan, for inviting me as a guest author to your awesome blog. I appreciate you.
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I want to thank Vashti for taking the time to answer a few questions for us. And I hope she comes back when her next book is due out.
Her various contact information appeared in some links throughout the interview but I am putting them all here together so you can follow her everywhere. Also here are some some fan art of her and one of her characters from The Basement, Natasha. Don’t worry, she won’t mind, I already do and if she will let me follower her she’ll let you too. And we are all about supporting each other here, right?
Fan Art of ‘Natasha’ from The Basement.Fan Art of Vashti
Saw this earlier in the week and made note to share it with everyone on Female Focus Friday here on RonovanWrites. The lady has a hilarious style and some real advice men should take. Honestly guys, if your love life is suffering read this and maybe it will give you some ideas. @collegeladyblog
I’ll be the first one to admit that I enjoy Twitter. There are some great things that can be done with it, including talking with Friends in a conversational style that you cannot do within a blog comment section. Sometimes you want to talk and taking up comment space is not the place to do it and emails just aren’t that fun.
Even as great as Twitter is there are the things I have to deal with that comes along.
So I give you . . .
10 Twitter Things That Annoy Me
Having to Learn What the Acronyms Mean
I don’t speak Initialese. I’m sorry, but I took a little Spanish in High School and College, but that’s it. I might even throw out some inappropriate Cajun French (What, you expect working in a warehouse in my younger days beside excons to fill me with gooder words?). I am fluent in Typonese, both the typing of and the reading of. But please Initialese is not my thing. Some Initialese is quite embarrassing. Especially if you ask one of your female friends what they mean.
Pardon me while I mention one here. As you know I had a concussion that wiped out my memory, and I am a fairly nice guy who thinks fairly nice thinks. (Yes ‘thinks’.) So when I see the letters MIL(And the letter after E), I am naturally not understanding it. Yes, I asked a female friend I was chatting with and they understood that coming from me it was a real lack of understanding and were kind enough to help me. Now . . . I google things.
I am not Robin Williams.
The auto DM after a Follow
Someone follows me and I look and they appear to be a human that is in a field I am interested in, so what do I do? I return the favor. What do I receive in the not to distant future? An automated Direct Message in my DM box thanking me for following, usually accompanied by an ad for their website or service. Whut? This is the way to have people UN-Follow you very quickly. You don’t understand? There are services that will generate Automatic Messages upon receiving certain actions.
The Follow Back where the person makes it sound like you initiated the Follow
You Follow me and I return the favor to a human. You then Tweet about my Following you in an obvious either auto Tweet or a form Tweet to make it appear that I must just be in love with you so much that I begged to Follow you. At first I just ignored this. Now . . .
“You’re welcome, and I thank you for Following me so I could then Find & Follow you. Hope you enjoy!”
Hashtagonese
I use Twitter for three things; Talk to my Blogger Friends, Help my Blogger Friends, and network. To do two of those things I have to know the Hashtag language. I am thinking of coming up with my own little list of Hashtagonese and sharing it, but now that I’ve said that someone else might do it and I am sure others have before, but mine would be geared toward Blogging. Hashtagonese is a truly difficult language. It’s almost like Pig Latin.
Auto RTs
I like to RT when I can. For those not familiar with Twitter and Initialese RT means ReTweet, meaning you Tweet something and then I click the ReTweet option to share it with all of those that Follow me. I actually go through and RT what I like. So if you see me RT something I have actually looked at it and even clicked the link to your site to see if I like it or not. This way you get triple benefits; a view, a like, and an RT to my Follower Friends.
But some people use services that RT everything. You can set them up to RT everything with . . . say (wp) in it, you know the link address for WordPress blogs. I really should try doing a Tweet one day that has just letter combos like wp, owl, and whatever other blogs use. Don’t get me wrong, we have some great people in the WordPress family that RT great. Nonsense & Shenanigans is amazing at it. And I am not saying that just because she’s a fiery looking red head.
RTs of the nudity and stuff I intentionally don’t Follow
When I RT I try to be considerate and not choose anything that isn’t at least PG. I Followed some people early on and quickly realized I was Following people I just did NOT need to be Following. Write the books you like, and some of it is even okay to read, but please . . . don’t put the nuday photos up and please don’t RT them. No Nuday for this Manay. o,O (That’s my face for what did I or you just say.)
My Tweet Typonese
I am an edumucated man. I really am.I received my Bachelors degree just like everyone else in 8 years. Okay, it was 4 years and a quarter because of my student teaching. But I like to use my smarticles at times. Then I do it . . . Typonese. For all of those of you who glance at Tweetverse and see Ronovan done did an i instead of an o when talking about a shot of a flower . . . it’s Typonese.
Discovering a person has chosen not to allow me to RT their great stuff.
Someone has a wonderful article or a fantastic thing they have shared with the world and I see they have made it so I am not allowed to share either of them with the rest of the Tweetverse. Am I bad? Did I offend? Did I look at you funny? Did you notice me looking at you like this, o,O? We Follow each other and yet . . . I done been banned in some way? Ronovan done been heart burned. o,O Did that come out right?
Twitter accounts that follow you just long enough to get a Follow Back then UnFollow you a week or two later.
Oh this one gets me right here. Yes, it’s good you can’t see me when I pointed. You do the nice, you Follow Back, then you check for something and notice your numbers aren’t right. The Follower done become the UnFollower. Of course my next step is to UnFollow, but I am considering perhaps using some other method as well . . .
“Thank you for the Follow so I would Follow you then YOU UnFollow me. Your number just went down by 1 just like mind. Enjoy!”
And of course do some Initalese things or something to all of my Follower Friends about them.
3 Lines of poetry with the first line having 5 syllables, the second 7, and the third 5. If you get stuck, visit the Haiku Challenges Guidelines page. You need to insert words such as ‘the’ where they fit. Keep the syllables in mind.
Post your Decipher in the comments. You can guess as many times as you like, but please don’t look at the other guesses if you are going to make additional guesses. That just wouldn’t be fair, now would it?
RW: Allison, I have to say I am disappointed in you. You lied to me. Okay you didn’t lie to me, I asked why Long & Luxe, and right now your answer IS what it means, but you started your site as a fashion tips site . . . come on . . . what was the real original meaning to Long & Luxe?
ALLISON: You got me! So my original reason for L&L is kind of similar but more fashion angle – ready? My favorite song of ALL TIME is Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by the Hollies – my favorite thing to wear is long flowing hair and a long maxi dress so luxe! Luxe to me was and is always about comfort – that is the ultimate luxury.
SET UP ALERT!!!
*****RW: Perfect. This just shows how things mature and change over time, even a site now matures into something more than we thought it would be. I set Allison up for that question because I recalled that when we first met she said something about it had to do something with something from her earlier days. So yes, Allison Marie, I gotcha on this one! And you can all hear the song at the bottom of the screen and now you know why I have the slide show above today rather than yesterday.*****
RW: We share a common bond in that we don’t write or blog to gain followers. I personally think of everyone that ends up clicking to follow my blog as Finding a new Friend. To me it’s more of a support thing than a following thing. What is your own personal philosophy of blogging?
ALLISON: I know just what you mean. If you are up for the lengthy version of my answer on this question do feel free to check out my 25 Tips On Beginning A Blog That No One Else Will Tell You. It’s not only tips for beginners but also my blogging philosophy in general. For the quick and dirty summary, I offer you this quote from the article: “Don’t write for numbers. Numbers are OK left alone. Write for people. Write for people because people don’t want to be alone.” In a nutshell, that’s what always brings me back home.
RW: I’ve found that many that do have the ability to care deep have been hurt deep.
Where does your deep heart come from? Is there a history?
ALLISON: You know, I’m really not sure where my deep heart comes from. I was always a sensitive, empathetic, introverted type and studied psychology because I have always been very interested in people, why they think and feel as they do, what choices they make, and what philosophies they adopt as their own and why. I do think I love big and I hurt big and it just comes naturally. A friend of mine and I talk about being ‘empaths’ or people who feel what others are feeling. I suppose a lot of my inner conviction to follow my heart comes from my mom, who died eight years ago very young. The experience of seeing my mom go through tremendous physical trauma to fight her cancer, and then to go through dealing with her death, has taught me that nothing is guaranteed in this life. It’s up to us to love deep and spread love wide in the time we are here. It’s the only thing that really matters.
RW: What tips do you have for someone to be able to keep blogging? For example do you have burnout tips?
ALLISON: Well, for sure my 25 Tips are my best gems so far. As for burnout I would say ask yourself why you got started in the first place and go from there. Maybe you need to go in a new direction? Maybe you need to post less often? What is so important to you that you couldn’t go another day without sharing – write and publish about that. I would also say that the more authentic your writing and connecting, the more likely you are to want to stick around. It becomes part of who you are, your way of sharing – of giving and receiving.
RW: How is the family with all of your blogging?
ALLISON: My husband is thrilled that I found blogging. I think I’m kind of a pain in the ass when I don’t have a creative outlet and this one seems to suit me quite well. The rest of the family doesn’t really get that involved. My blog isn’t for everyone and that’s totally ok with me. I think it should be that way – if you are writing from your soul, some people will groove with that and some won’t. It’s your job to stay true to you. It’s sort of a good life lesson as well.
RW: Where does the hippy chick come from?
ALLISON: My mom, I think! It’s so funny you say that because in all honesty I don’t know why I connect to the peace, love and grooviness vibe but it shows up in my world all the time. I love the music and clothing of that time and I love the peaceful revolutionary mindset of possibility and change. I have been channeling my mom’s spirit more and more lately and from what I understand she was quite an earth angel back in the day. I believe that love and peace can change the world. There’s a freedom of spirit there that – you guessed it – I dig. We are going through a time of global awakening and people are looking to come back to center, through meditation and mindfulness and a re-evaluation of our priorities. We know as a species that we need to change in some fundamental ways if we want to protect our precious lives and our planet. Greed will not get us there – love will. That is why I think my old soul always finds its way back to a peaceful revolutionary place.
RW: What is your favorite scent?
ALLISON: The beach. There’s no way to bottle it – you’ve got to sit in the sand and breathe with the wind and the salt spray and the waves.
RW: What is your favorite beverage?
ALLISON: A crisp, lemongrassy Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand
RW: What is your favorite word and why?
ALLISON: LOVE. Because it’s everything.
I doubt anyone was surprised with that last answer. Even though I had never asked her before, when that word came back to me, it was no surprise at all. I want to thank Allison for the interview and those great answers that turned some simple questions into what I think will be some life eye openers for some who read this interview series.
What better way to announce my next Blogger Interview than to give you a taste of him? So have a taste of Hugh’s Views & News and his thoughts on Summer and BBQ. Pass me the ribs and sausages.
There are different types of sites we all like to frequent; humor, life, poetry, manic depression pain ridden men who write about anything that pops into their Lost Minds. But there is one site that is, in my opinion unique. You get a combination of life tips, encouragement, spirituality, and The Real Sexy.
Combine those qualities into a long haired blonde with big beautiful eyes and you end up with one groovy lover of love.
I asked Allison for an interview and for some insane reason she agreed. Then I came up with the questions and they apparently sent some serious sparks through that groovy gray matter of hers. Instead of doing like I often do and scale down the interview to be a little shorter just because at times its information that simply is cool to me but not really part of the interview itself, I decided to make this a two part interview.
Each day you will be able to take in what Allison avails us of a little easier. I have to tell you, you may have to read it at least twice. The woman really loves what she does and believes in what she is spreading. And now here we go.
RW: First of all, why Long & Luxe?
ALLISON: Awesome kick-off! Well, I consider my blog a journey of uncovering our highest potential, so it’s all about our journeys together. I wish for all of my readers that their self-discovery journeys last long enough to uncover the true luxuries of life: peace, love, joy and creativity.
RW: There is a great deal of spirituality flowing through everything you write about; where does that come from, such as influences?
ALLISON: Yes, spirituality is the birthplace of everything meaningful in my life. I believe the universe, that divine energy, call it what you like, is what ignites our passions and keeps us coming back to play and serve. So to answer your question ‘where does it come from’ I would honestly say it comes from my soul. I’ve always been deeply spiritual and believed in a higher power.
Recommended Readings
These folks in particular have inspired me deeply and taught me much of what I know today to be true: Marianne Williamson, Elizabeth Gilbert, Oprah Winfrey, Gabrielle Bernstein (check out her incredibly powerful book May Cause Miracles), Brene Brown, Maya Angelou, Mastin Kipp (check out The Daily Love website), Rain Wilson (check out SoulPancake website).
RW: A lot of people start a blog but don’t stick with it. You’re still here and doing very well. Why did you turn to blogging?
ALLISON: Thank you! I adore the blogging scene. It is astounding that we can connect through our creative endeavors this way, across time and space. It blows my mind. Obviously, people are the heart of social networks and the potential for collective, inspired change to happen quickly is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. It’s an incredible time to be an artist. When I first began, blogging was a creative outlet for my love for fashion. I wrote all kinds of fun tips and tricks about clothing, accessories and beauty. I loved the power and fierceness of a woman’s beauty and the mystery of uncovering it; I wanted to invite people into that. Over time my passion evolved into writing about what makes us beautiful, fierce and loving from the inside. Not because I don’t still love me a fabulous pair of jeans, but because I had some deeper convictions that were beginning to want to claw their way out onto the page. I began to see myself as an inspirational writer and a spiritual seeker. I want to lift people up – that is my number one goal. So I let my writer run wild and began posting original poetry and sharing my transformative journey. Now I’m all in, writing from my most authentic place and sharing with the intent to inspire others to be their most creative, artistic, brave and wholehearted selves. All in, baby. It’s my spirit work, my offering.
RW: There is an obvious skill in your writing, not only in what you write but how you write. What experience did you have in writing prior to your blog, such as perhaps classes, University, workshops?
ALLISON: When I was very young I wrote all the time, poetry, prayers, journals, essays. It was just part of how I made sense of my feelings and experiences. In 2000, I graduated from Penn State University with my BA in Liberal Arts. Most of my academic work was writing intensive in the areas of English Lit, Creative Writing, Sociology and Psychology. Unfortunately, once I started working in a corporate environment and raising my son (he’s now 16) I made less and less time for writing. It was still in me though, stirring to come out. Finally, after reading Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art a million times, I gave in and started pouring my soul into writing. It’s been saving my spirit ever since.
RW: With that type of degree, I would think there was likely an intent to write something other than a blog, perhaps something lengthier. Do you plan to do any kind of publishing, perhaps of your poetry, or is there a story in the works such as a novel, or some spiritual journey philosophy?
ALLISON: Yes! Some of my poetry has already been published in a book titled Heart Whispers, a compilation of poems by poets whose work focuses on the quiet musings of the heart. Heart Whispers features three of my original poems: Begin, Open, and Cry which can also be found on my blog. The indie poet book Heart Whispers can be purchased at Amazon.com. I also have a debut book in the works that will include more of my original poetry and just what you reference “spiritual journey philosophy.”
RW: What do you think makes your book idea a little different than others out there?
ALLISON: I think it is becoming increasingly important to come forward and talk about our connection to a higher consciousness and a transformed way of living. I want to make that feel invigorating and accessible for real people who feel called to do soulful work but they don’t know where to turn to talk about it or explore it. People still have this way of thinking that it’s “out there” to honor your intuition and your spiritual connection. It’s not out there at all – it’s who we are at ground level, it’s our greatest potential, it’s our molecules. And the more we understand about our divinity the more we can come to understand our tremendous potential for love, creativity, compassion and peace as human beings. I want to get my story into the world to invite others in and to hear their stories.
RW: Back to blogging, you have a loyal and loving Following. So another question would be what do you contribute to your success or your ability to connect with your Readers?
ALLISON: Thank you! I am so, so blessed and humbled to welcome every single reader into my world. It is an honor and a privilege to have my work read by another interested person. I think (I hope) I connect with people because I write from my truth and if that resonates with someone else, then we know we are kindred spirits. We can trust each other. I pretty much love my readers to bits. There are so many good people out there doing tremendously inspiring things – it rocks my spirit to know them! The energy I put out comes back to me tenfold, that is a fact. My readers make we want to give it all I’ve got. They are my teachers and they light me up something wicked. I hope they know that.
That ends today’s portion of the interview. Tomorrow will be Part Two, and I finally find out the REAL meaning of Long & Luxe. (Click here for Part Two.)
I leave you with this quote from tomorrow’s portion.
“I think I’m kind of a pain in the ass . . . ”
Those of you who know Allison, what in the world could she possibly mean? Leave a comment and we’ll see who might know her best.
If you want to refresh yourselves on a bit of Haiku in English, although you do not have to stick to that particular style of Haiku, it’s just my particular style to use, click here.
This weeks two words to use in some form, meaning you can use another word that means the same thing are:
Chaos & Calm
Here is my example just to give you something to spark the thoughts if need be.
Chaos of her soul,
Made her eyes stare into space,
An image of calm.
Be sure to put a link to your Haiku in the comments below so we can all go check them out. I’ll comment and also choose the ones that knock me down for one reason or the other and link back to them in my Weekly Rewind telling people how great they were and why I picked them. Eventually these will turn into categories.
I like to give shout outs when FREE books come up from my friends, but some out there don’t have a Kindle. I don’t either, my son does, but I don’t. o,O Yeah, he’s an only grandchild on both sides, so you guess why.
Go to the link below and get the app for your computer/device and start getting FREE books NOW!
I have some GREAT news. Yeah, it’s a FREE BOOK! The heading up there might have given it away. I love free books.
I know you remember Cyril Bussiere, author of The WorldMight who I interviewed not long ago. Well guess what.
His book is FREE this weekend for download at Amazon! That’s right, I said FREE!! I’m downloading it and as soon as I read it I am going to put in a review of it.
A couple of quick things from Cyril about the book that I didn’t ask him before. Yeah, I did an author interview and I didn’t ask much about the book. We know lots about Cyril though. Yeah, I still hate him . . . smart, plays guitar, and speaks French with the accent.
RW: What genre does The WorldMight fall into?
CYRIL: The WorldMight is a fantasy rich of mysteries, romance, and mysticism that unfold in parallel stories.
RW: Tell our Reader Friends about those parallel story perspectives.
CYRIL: One follows a mysterious prince walking the world in search of a mystical word; a word that has never been said, a word that would free his love from the clutches of a mythical beast. With love as his only fuel and compass, he will go further than humanly possible and overcome countless dangers and obstacles arising both around him and from within.
The WorldMight also follows the story of Aria, the reluctant princess of the Kingdom of Alymphia, her best friend, Cassien, the weapon master apprentice, and her brother, the king-to-be Prince Hobgard, as they get ready for the upcoming Fall Passing Festival. The celebrations are fast approaching and merriment can be felt throughout the kingdom. But events that occurred decades prior are about to come crashing on their lives; events involving terribly powerful beings, the beloved and wise Master Baccus, and Aria’s father, the good King Hedgard. And once all is said and done, their world will be changed forever.
~~~
I want to thank Cyril Bussiere for this quick description of his book The WorldMight that you can’t find on his website or Amazon, just right here.
Remember July 26-17 you get The WorldMight FREE at Amazon for download. And when you finish reading it, be sure to give an honest review as thanks for the book. No, he didn’t ask me to say that. But hey, wouldn’t you want your friends to give a review?
Click here to get the free Kindle App download and get Cyril’s book FREE!
Yes everyone. You can assume correctly. A full interview is coming with Allison from Long&Luxe. One of her answers was worth an article of its own. Really several were, but I decided to give everyone a look at this one today since it’s Female Focus Friday. Look for her interview next week. You don’t want to miss it. Not because of my questions but because of her answers.
Now for the question and the answer for today.
RW: I mentioned spirituality earlier, many people are hesitant to group spirituality along with sexy, but that’s part of your blog, part of your bio page. How do you connect the two?
ALLISON: I LOVE this question! How cool that you bring this up, Ron. I hope you don’t mind my using this interview as the chance for me to finally say something publicly that I’ve been wanting to say to our society in general for a long time: I am so over your sexy. I am so over a cultural view that distorts our sexuality to the point where we internalize and degrade our very beings as measureable commodities. I am over the nonsense – wherever it comes from– that brainwashes us into thinking that our most sexy goods are body parts. Trust, I dig a good-looking person as much as the next hot blooded 35 year old blogger but we have got to stop the body dimorphic insanity that is crushing spirits the world over.
Here’s my humbly ferocious feeling on this: spirituality IS sexy. And sexiness IS spiritual. Show me a person who is deeply in touch with her soul and her personal goodness; with his authentic power and strength; with her deeply divine-rooted loving potential; and I will stand up and applaud their sex appeal. Doing things from your soul with grit and determination is damn sexy. Watch someone painting lost in the artistic expression of the moment, watch someone dancing with intricate skill, read someone’s clever poetry or soul creations, listen to someone telling the hard but necessary truth without apology, feel your heart race when you listen to the ethereal voice of your favorite singer and tell me that stuff isn’t the definition of sexy.
Sexy is a spark – it’s the spark of daring to own the space where your humanity meets your divinity. It’s visceral, it’s creative, it’s about beauty and emotion and pleasure. “I’m so over your sexy” means you will not make me feel ashamed about myself for wanting to rock out with the beautiful creature I am. It’s who we are. I can be sexy in a swimsuit or a track suit. It’s not up to anyone else. And it’s not measurable in numbers. And if we have to take any more clothing off just to feed the manic media machine we’ll have to start putting up our x-rays. I’m over it. Whew – thanks for letting me get that out!
Remember to look for her interview next week. Some great answers for you all.
Badge provided by DazzlingWhimsy.
t you like, is what ignites our passions and keeps us coming back to play and serve. So to answer your question ‘where does it come from’ I would honestly say it comes from my soul. I’ve always been deeply spiritual and believed in a higher power. 
nothing we’ve ever seen before. It’s an incredible time to be an artist. When I first began, blogging was a creative outlet for my love for fashion. I wrote all kinds of fun tips and tricks about clothing, accessories and beauty. I loved the power and fierceness of a woman’s beauty and the mystery of uncovering it; I wanted to invite people into that. Over time my passion evolved into writing about what makes us beautiful, fierce and loving from the inside. Not because I don’t still love me a fabulous pair of jeans, but because I had some deeper convictions that were beginning to want to claw their way out onto the page. I began to see myself as an inspirational writer and a spiritual seeker. I want to lift people up – that is my number one goal. So I let my writer run wild and began posting original poetry and sharing my transformative journey. Now I’m all in, writing from my most authentic place and sharing with the intent to inspire others to be their most creative, artistic, brave and wholehearted selves. All in, baby. It’s my spirit work, my offering.
knowing you exist
ronovanwrites 