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To My Visitors and Followers

Susan’s Thoughts…On Change

A change that will affect all who are visitors, followers, and subscribers to this Blog. This will also impact my life as this transition happens. I decided to close my .COM blog and begin blogging on Facebook and LinkedIn. The content will be my thoughts in Journal format and will include

The content will be my thoughts in Journal format and will include short writing of fiction, nonfiction stories, and poetry that I have written. Right now, I am using my Page, Susan’s Thoughts and Musings, as my Facebook page. This page will be changing its name to Susan’s Soul… If you don’t belong to Facebook, you will not be able to see my postings, but who doesn’t belong to FB?

The reason for the change is threefold:

First, I need more time to devote to my writing and my memoir with less time spent managing and marketing my blog. With only 24 hours in each day, I have spent 12-18 hours setting up posts or guests to post, marketing to all of the social media sites, etc. but I have no income despite trying affiliate links.

This brings us to the second reason for my decision. I need more income and more time to spend writing my memoir, freelancing. and a new business venture that you may hear more about in September or October.

The last reason is very personal, but I need to work on some of the things I have blogged about. I need to take care of myself with love and caring by giving myself permission to do other enjoyable things in my life, including personal socialization, time with God, and time for rest.

In closing, I will see you visiting my Facebook page, Susan’s Soul… if you choose to follow me. If you choose not, I will miss you and pray only good things for you in your life.

God Bless You,
Susan…
Susan’s Thoughts and Musings

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Author Zone

Bring Your Books #6 – Author zone

This week in Author’s zone

The Swamp Fairy Book Cover

A bit about ‘The Heart Stone Chronicles.’

Fourteen-year-old Abigale Forester, recently orphaned and a ward of the State of Illinois moves from Chicago to Florida to live with her aunt, her last living relative. Magnolia Forester becomes her legal Guardian, and together they claim an ancient inheritance; land that belonged to Abby’s mother’s family for generations.

Holding onto the only piece of her mother Abby has left, a calcite pendant and her mother’s most sacred possession, she discovers the truth of her legacy. The pendant is more significant than she could possibly imagine. Forged from a giant mystical heart-shaped stone found on the very swamp land Abby now owns, it holds the power of her ancestors.

But with that power comes greater responsibility, one that pits her against Rafe Cobb, a greedy land developer, who will stop at nothing to own Abby’s swamp land.

As Abby learns to be part of a family again and explores her love of horses with friends, Savanna, and Blake, the swamp slowly gives up some of its secrets. She is summoned by a primaeval nymph, who teaches Abby that her true destiny is to protect the nymphs from evil in an ever-changing modern world.

Can Abby save the swamp and the Naiad Nymph Clan from certain destruction before it is too late?

Here’s where you can find your copy:

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Paperback

Goodreads

Universal book link

What Readers Are Saying

“This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I must admit that it’s not my usual kind of read. But I thought I’d give it a chance. Right off the bat, I had two favourite characters, Abby and Sam. The author drew me in with good writing, excellent pacing, and an antagonist that had me turning pages at an alarming rate. I had to find out what the dastardly villain would do next! Andrew Joyce

An enchanting book written by Colorado author and blogger Colleen Chesebro, the “Fairy Whisperer.” This charming book tells a story about a little girl, Abigail, who, in spite of a difficult life, finds true magic from the love she has given, the love she receives, the magic of friendship, and of her beloved swamp.
A wonderful book for tween girls who, like all of us at that age, love horses, magic, and trying on their own wings. Beautifully written, and lovingly told, this story resonates those values we all hope to achieve. Belinda M

A Bit About Colleen

Colleen M. Chesebro is a writer of cross-genre fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Her children/adult fantasy series is presently under production and called The Heart Stone Chronicles. The Swamp Fairy is the first book in the series. A retired bookkeeper, she has an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration, and another Associates Degree in the Arts, which she uses to combine her love of writing with her love for all things creative. When she is not writing, Colleen enjoys spending time with her husband, dogs, children, and grandchildren. When time permits, she also loves gardening, cooking and crocheting old fashioned doilies into works of artistry. She lives in the United States with her husband, and her two Pomeranians, Sugar and Spice. You can learn more about Colleen and her writing on her website: colleenchesebro.com

Guest Posts

Getting To Know Beautiful, Graceful Yvette Aka ETTA D

I am glad that Etta honoured my request to interview her. I admire her personality and her blog is one of those that never fails to offer me inspiration that picks me up.

Etta D, Blogger, Personal Interview

A Bit About Me

My name is Yvette, creator of the “SimplyEtta D” blog.

This is the difficult part, I find so easy to speak about other things, however, it’s not so easy speaking about myself but I’ll do my best. I’m a West Indian living in Central Scotland, The Forth Valley to be exact! My family and I moved here three years ago in search of adventure and a new beginning. I’ve always wanted to live in another country, to immerse my children in a culture that was different than our own. We had previously traveled around Europe and fell in love with many of the cities we visited I guess you can say this became the impetus for our move.

My general outlook on life is to live in the moment enjoying life in the now and letting tomorrow take care of itself. This doesn’t mean that I live recklessly; of course, I prepare for the future but don’t spend my days trying to live it before it arrives.

I’m what you would call a career student, after leaving High School I went on to college to study IT. After not being able to land a job in the field I returned to college to study Business and have been progressively upgrading and enhancing my skills as the landscape for the way businesses are conducted changes with each new concept. After spending years working in the Diplomatic Corps, I’m quite comfortable working with the local council in strategy and customer service. It gives me the flexibility needed to explore Scotland, Write and spend quality time with my family. I think we all are career students, isn’t that what life is all about? Learning as much as you can for as long as you can, no matter what field you’re in.

Tidbits About My Blog

As a suggestion from a friend of my in my writing group, I actually started my blog to improve my writing skills; it took me a few years after signing up with blogger to jump over to WordPress. Even then it took me a while to get started, I had to first decide on

1. What I wanted to convey in my blog and

2. A Name for my blog.

Once those were decided it was easy for me to decide on the direction I wanted to take. I would describe my blog as a haven for lifting the spirit when people visit my blog I want them to leave feeling better than they did before their visit. I truly believe that our thoughts can change our life, I know there are hundreds blogs and websites on self-improvement, motivation, inspiration, metaphysics etc., out there but I don’t own those blogs and that’s what makes mine unique. It’s an expression of me. My experiences through reading, the people I meet and my outlook on life.

Here are a few links you might find interesting:

Top Blogs
Special Interest
Inspirational Insights

My Thoughts About Blogging

I find the blogging phenomenon just that, a phenomenon that’s taken the world by storm. I don’t think it’s a fad for one thing. Blogging is here to stay; I think it will continue to evolve the way it has been doing over the years. Blogging has come from being an online diary to rival the popularity of social media because now there’s more interaction, more content and more in-depth dialogue between the blogger and the audience across the spectrum and I love it!

Blogger, Blogging, Photo, Interview

Keeping Motivated

Honestly, it’s hard to keep motivated, sometimes even scary when you know there are people out there who are waiting to read what your next post. I’ve thought a few times of just calling it quits and walking away from my blog due to fear of disappointing my followers through lack of or poor content which is why I choose to blog three instead of the five days per week. It gives more allowances research my subjects and creates more substantial content. I’d rather have a less frequent posting with more substance than posting every day with not substance. For me it’s not about filling my site with blogs, it’s about adding content that won’t bore and people will be happy to come back to again and again.

Blogging Challenges

I want to say getting more of my followers to engage in my blogs. But I don’t really see that as a challenge. I would say coming up with a title for my blog! I mean I write a blog, and then I’m stuck for the next 30 minutes on coming up with a heading that’s not only eye-catching but also ties in with my blog. I also suffer from writer’s block. I always jot down my key points, pull my ideas together and project that so it makes sense is more difficult than it seems.

A Word To Others

Yes!! Most definitely blog!! It will expand your thought. The way I see it certain aspects of your life that may not seem interesting to you could spark a following from others, there are people out there who can benefit from your experiences and what you have to say. The beauty of the Internet is, if you’re a shy writer it gives anonymity. Just be honest in your intent and write about what you know, don’t try to be someone else or live on someone else’s experience.

Etta, Interview, Pet

A Day With Me

I’m an early riser and a night owl. My typical day can begin as early as 5:00 am. Two weeks ago I started drinking coffee again, the first time in about 30 years and found it gave me that extra kick. So after a cup of brew, it’s playtime with Mitzy, then setting breakfast out if it’s a workday, on weekends it’s usually a late brunch. Workday I’m off to work. Weekends or days I’m off, I spend writing, visiting fellow bloggers and researching new information for my blog and book. I also enjoy volunteering which I manage to squeeze into my schedule. That’s just a typical my life is more exciting, I promise!

Looking Forward

I would say the next evolution of my blog is to be published either outsourced or self-published and I’ve found a lot of ideas on how to do this. But it all takes planning and lots of related content, right now my blogs is bits and pieces of everything. Another avenue I’m interested in is networking through guest post or supplement pieces for larger sites or online magazines, I did a weekly, years ago, for a supplemental that was printed by a local newspaper back home.

In closing, I’d like to thank my followers for their continued support and interest in what I have to say. Big thank you to Jacqueline for her interest and inviting me to do this interview for her ever expanding, ever evolving blog.

Guest Posts

Beautiful Bella – Thoughtful, Talented Woman of Wisdom.

Like her name signifies ‘beautiful’ so do her blog post refresh you with positivity, inspiration and extra vigour for life.

Her words soothe in a friendly, motherly way. In Bella, I’ve found a like-minded kindred. Whenever I visit her corner, I come away nodding in agreement, the thought pattern, the quotes, and inspiring posts resonate with me. She makes me see parts of me in a different reflection.

Dear Bella, thank you for granting this interview into parts of your personal world

Bits of Me, Myself and I

www.thoughtsnlifeblog.com. My name is Bella, I live in a London suburb in the UK. I am a university graduate with a BSC Hons in Computer Science. I graduated many years ago, just when the internet started. I worked as system analyst doing both programming and business requirements in my early years of work. Over the years I have worked in many industries. I am now known as Business Analyst (BA). Well, I would say I morphed into it over time.

From 2014 to 2016 I took an unexpected career break when my mother had a second heart attack. A year prior, she had triple heart by-pass surgery. The second heart attack was treated with medicines, which slowed her heart rate, meaning, that she could have had a complete heart block. Luckily, we don’t follow Doctors orders entirely and we had stopped taking medications. Anyway, we landed in the hospital again, three weeks later at Easter time. Mum came out of hospital over seven days later with a dual pacemaker. Life after the pacemaker meant we had to adapt to a new normal. Well, the combination of several health issues, heart issue and another operation, and the fact the bottom half of her heart is 100% reliant on the pacemaker, is our new normal. Nevertheless, life is good, she is a trooper. As she started to recover, we started to do volunteer work again and I started my wordpress.com blog.

I had almost given up going back to my job as a BA because there was no way I would be able to find a part-time job in that. To cut a long story short, I asked my old boss and I landed a part time job at the end of July 2016, after two years of not working. Now, if that is not the law of attraction and the power of good wishes then what is? We are still adjusting to it all, as no one day is the same with Mum, but all is good with the new normal.

I have an older brother, a sister in law and two nieces. Life is busy for all so we don’t see them as much as mum would like. My father passed away at a young age, mum was only 48, my brother had only started to work and I was in my final year of university. That is, our immediate unit, but of course, we have extended family.

My outlook on life, well life experiences shape our outlook on life. However, my outlook on life has always been simple “be good, be kind, be nice, be sweet, be bold, be brave, be compassionate, be uncomplicated, be humble, be wise, be open, be honest, be prepared to learn as we don’t know everything, be detached and observe, don’t take to heart what others do, never deliberately hurt another and always have self-respect, and always, always, always do the right thing -always” “Integrity is doing the right thing when no-one is watching – unknown author”. People will knock us down and we have to take it as a test of my character that has come to make me better. Let me always be good even if they wish to hate me; for I have to answer to myself, my character, my world view, my god, my karma, and my parents. Therefore, I do my best to live a good honest and royal life – royal in character not in material possession. Life is tough, but never lose your smile or your character just to fit into that which is wrong. Gandhi said something like “Have the courage to walk in the opposite direction of the crowd if the crowd is going in the wrong direction”.

Life, since my father passed away, has been a huge struggle, not one year of grace, and the test came harder and faster.

I am grateful, that my mum introduced me to Raja Yoga Meditation at the age of 10 years. Raja Yoga Meditation is taught by the Brahma Kumaris globally. It has taught me that we are immortal souls (a tiny point of light) and our original qualities are love, peace, wisdom, purity and Joy. When we act out of anger, lust, ego, attachment, greed –aka ALGAE, we are not being true to our original qualities of the soul. Meditation and powerful positive thoughts have helped me in my life and helped me to see there is a benefit in everything, even the most painful of things.

Therefore, I say, be good, just be good and do what is right – even when no one is watching. Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, for your own self no one else, for your peaceful sleep at the time. So when judgement day comes, and it does come, you know that you will be judged fairly for you have lived with honour and grace. And if you are judged you will be able to accept for you know yourself well enough to accept your errors. So my outlook on life is this, and I honestly have had these feelings for my entire life, well I remember having such thoughts at the age of four. If I dislike anything, then I dislike the lack of honesty and integrity.

I would like to share this YouTube video by Maya Angelou, she expresses so eloquently a beautiful an outlook on life that I resonate with.

Snippets of My Blog

The purpose of my blog and why I blog is to: 

1) To share meditations, positive thoughts, affirmation, gratitude, to inspire me and anyone else interested.

I believe if we change our thoughts we change our life. We are happy or sad because of how we think and what we get stuck in.

I share my experiences, my experiments, what inspires me and motivates me, and what I need to hear to improve myself.

I post from the heart and what is buzzing around in my head, my journal, or what I have just read.

Finally, I want to challenge myself and the reader, to live a wider life, not to be stuck with this materialistic world, to be characterful and simple in your desires, for that is all that matters.

2) I blog to improve my writing, editing, and proofreading. I am the worst writer, I just don’t have the patience to edit or proofread. Even after a year of blogging my mistakes are painful. There is some improvement.

3) I blog to learn new skills and new technology.

4) I blog that, maybe one day when my writing improves, and I have a topic, maybe I might write a book. Or something?

My Thoughts About The Blogging Phenomenon & My Journey So Far

In all honesty, I am not sure what I thinking about blogging in general. It is most definitely massive, global phenomenon. I think anyone can blog even if the niche is taken, you can still blog because no-one will express what you want to express, the way you do.

I love blogging for the global community spirit and the friends I have made. I love blogging because I see and learn from other bloggers who write so beautifully, it leaves me inspired.

Blogging is challenging me in different and good ways. It has opened my world and my eyes to many things that may be, I might never have thought about or contemplated. It forces me to improve, to research and just keep growing.

Blogging is a major part of my life now, and I love it and all my new global friends. I am hooked.

There are a few posts that I would like to share with you all, from my blog. I believe this selection gives you a little bit of preview of what I share on my blog, and the topics dear to me.

Thoughts and Life: https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/2016/04/24/thoughts-and-life/
This blog post was an introduction to by blog written in April 2016, it was the post that gained me some of my first followers. It effectively was my ‘About’ page as a blog as it seemed no-one was reading my about page.

Meditation: https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/2016/12/26/6meditation-a-retreat/
Intentions: https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/2016/05/18/daily-intentions/
Insult: https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/2016/03/14/its-just-an-insult/
Karma: https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/2016/09/08/regret-repent-karma/
Peace: https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/2016/10/06/instruments-of-peace/
Peace: https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/2016/11/16/let-me-share-peace-with-the-world-each-and-every-day/
Journaling: https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/2016/05/15/the-power-of-journaling/
Questions~: https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/2016/08/25/questions-questions-what-is-lifes-what-is-lifes-purpose/
Soul: https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/2016/08/30/i-the-soul-am-a-point-of-immortal-light/

How I keep Motivated

I believe it with all my heart that if we “ Change our thoughts and we Change our life”, and that the change starts with me.

“be the change you want to see in the world” – Gandhi

One day the human race will be in harmony for we would have all learned to change our negatives into positives. To be kind and loving to all. If my little blog can assist in making us more peaceful, harmonious, and contented in our lives… This is what motivates me to blog.

My Challenging Moments and A Word To Others

Everything! I am trigger happy – I click publish so quickly, it is hard for me to sit on a post and proofread it. I suffer writer’s block always. I feel that my post are the same and that I am repeating myself, and then I get stuck what to write about.

Even after a year of blogging, I find it so very, very, very hard. However, the word “impossible say’s I’m Possible”. So I carry on!

If you have something to share then share it with the world. But, don’t be fooled, part time is harder than an employed job! You gotta love it to be motivated.

Spend A Day With Me

I work three days a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I volunteer two mornings a week with my mum, that is Tuesday and Thursday at the Brahma Kumaris. Saturday and Sunday are for everything else and socializing. Blogging does take a huge amount of my time because I find it so hard. I love to cook, though I am not the best (well my mum is an awesome cook), I love to keep a clean house. I used to like gardening and this year I am trying to find the passion again. I meditate daily in the morning and evening. I read daily and Journal daily. As for exercising well, I need to improve on that front.

Photos: The garden has been worked on, but it still looks like a tip to the unwise. I don’t like photos of myself, but I guess it is long overdue, so here is a very bad selfie of me, Bella the author of www.thoughtsnlifeblog.com

Going Forward

I started this blog randomly and spontaneously without a clue. Therefore, I have to say, I am clueless here, how does one get an article published, paid for or free? I would love some advice from those who know how to. I think it would be rather nice to publish something that is not on my blog.

In terms of the next steps for my blog, well I just need to be more consistent, to have a schedule, to have blogs written in advance and improving my proofreading. I am just a year old I blogging and I am more experience, but I am still learning and improving.

To close, I would like to thank Jacqueline for all her love and support on my blogging journey. From my first blogging party to my first interview, thank you so much, Jacqueline.

Guest Posts

Connecting With Lovely Talented Writer, Ellis: L. S. Engler

My Easter Edition interview is with talented Ellis also known as L. S. Engler of ‘Worlds Unknown.’ Her byline alone is intriguing and, in her blog, she breathes stories. Do check out Worlds Unknown.

Thank you, Ellis for granting this interview.

Snippets of Me

Ellis Engler, Writer, Blogger, Interview

Hello! I’m L.S., a writer, reader, dreamer, creator of worlds. I’ve always felt that writing is something I was destined for. Growing up in rural Michigan, I could easily spend hours running around the woods, making up stories and characters and grand adventures, and I’m happy to say that the wonder of it all has never really left me. Now I just channel it all into words. I live in the suburbs of Chicago now, working part-time as a barista because those bills have to get paid. But when I’m not there, I’m reading or writing or exploring some of the really wonderful nature trails we have here in Northeastern Illinois. I’m vegan, I have two cats and a boyfriend, and my favorite color is green.

My very first story published ever was back in 2009, in Temenos, the graduate studies literary journal at my alma mater, Central Michigan University, where I studied history and creative writing. I started self-publishing in 2012, with my collection of short stories titled Bowlful of Bunnies, and have been hitting the publishing trail pretty hard since then, including starting my own literary journal, World Unknown Review. It’s been very gradual, glacier-paced start to a career, but it’s a start none-the-less.

Bits About My Blog

When you get into the world of self-publishing, you hear a lot about branding and building your tribe and the need to really reach out to people and get them to know you. That’s how I started blogging, as a way to meet with other writings and potential readers, sharing my thoughts and ideas. It’s sort of a catch-all for whatever I want to write about.

Mostly, I talk about stories that I’ll be publishing and upcoming books, but there’s also book reviews, recipes, and various other observances and promotions. I also like to use it to help promote the authors that contribute to my World Unknown Review. Nearly every month, we feature an author from the review, with a featured story and an interview. That’s probably my favourite part. I love spreading the word about stories I love and getting to know other authors, what makes them tick, what they enjoy to read, and things like that.

Staying On Top of Things

Sometimes, it’s hard to get posts up, whether it’s just a lack of time from trying to juggle too much or simply feeling like I don’t have any ideas worth sharing at the moment. What really helps is that I’ve started doing a weekly thing I like to call a “Monday Morning Reset.” On Monday, I mentally wipe the slate clean of all the stuff that may have dragged me down in the previous week, and I write a blog post talking about what was done, what didn’t get done, and what I hope to do in the upcoming week. I start reading a new book, I start working on a new story, I just try to keep everything new and fresh, and that’s been a great motivator. It’s important to sometimes look back at what you’ve done and give it a critical review. It’s also a great way to keep your readers up-to-date on what you might be working on and what’s going on in your world.

The Downsides and Yes, The Ups

So far, it’s just challenging trying to think of interesting things to say! There are so many blogs out there, so many of them talking about writing, that there are many times when you feel like you’ve got nothing new or interesting to contribute. That’s when it’s important to remember that people are reading your blog because they ARE interested, and you can’t let yourself get in the way of yourself. It’s your blog. Write what you want, even if it’s boring, even if it’s not too exciting. Even if it only get a small iota of views this time, maybe next time you’ll get more. But you won’t get any if you don’t post at all.

A Word of Encouragement

I would encourage other bloggers the same way I encourage other writers (and myself!): by emphasizing the importance of JUST WRITING. It doesn’t matter what you write, as long as you’re getting some writing done. Eventually, the good stuff shines through and you can run with it for a while. Even if you feel like no one is reading it, just write. Eventually, someone will.

Spend A Day With Me

My days are pretty simple and regular. I love order and I love consistency, so I try to keep a routine from day to day. I wake up around six thirty every morning, make some coffee, and settle in to read and write for about an hour. I have absolutely no attention span so I like to switch between reading for a little and writing for a little. After that hour, I hit the computer to write blog posts, answer emails, type stories, edit stories, send out stories.

Then I have a daily workout routine, then shower, and then a few video games before breakfast with my boyfriend, who, being a night owl, is just about getting up at this time. We always watch “Jeopardy!” with breakfast. Then it’s time to get lunch prepare and I usually have to go to work at this point. I’m an early bird, so I work nights so that I can have my sweet precious morning time to myself. Well, to myself and my cats, who intermittently want to cuddle while I work. I have two eight-year-old Siamese cats, brothers, one grey point, one seal, named Genghis Khan (leader of the Meowngal horde) and Baldur Cat (Bringer of Cuddles). They’re pretty affectionate and they keep me company while I work.

If I have the day off, I’ll usually spend the day running errands, preparing meals for the upcoming week, going out for a hike, or spending the day getting inspired at the Art Institute of Chicago, one of my favorite places ever. I’m trying to get into the habit of getting in some more writing before bed, too, though so far it’s been a little hit and miss. I haven’t had as much time as I’d like for my writing, as they have me temporarily full time at work, but I do what I can when I can, and a little bit here and there can really add up!

Going Forward

My next step is to finally finish my zombie trilogy, the Slayer Saga, with the final book, entitled “Fearless,” and I hope to get more books finished, too. And, of course, what I really wanted to share in this interview was information about the World Unknown Review. I started this literary journal four years ago, and it’s really been gaining momentum!

Last year, I received over a hundred stories from fifteen different countries, and the final product represented five of them. I’d love to see what this year will bring. So if anyone’s got some stories and they’d like to be a part of this hopefully steadily growing tradition, I hope they send them my way for consideration. You can find more about the journal and the submission process at http://lsengler.com/submissions

Other than that, it’s just more writing, more blogging, on to bigger and brighter things each and every day.

Guest Posts

Meet Maline Carroll – A Fascinating Blogger Friend of Mine

The blogging journey has introduced me to fascinating people from all walks of life and today, I introduce you to beautiful Maline of Lifting Taboos who also happens to be one of my partners. Please read and meet her yourself.

Brief Snippet of Me

My name is Mae and I am a Haitian adoptee. I like reading and writing clubs. I don’t like long walks on the beach. My general outlook towards life is positive with a dash of hesitation. 

Me and My Blog

I grew up with psychologically abusive adoptive parents and one of the ways for me to get out of myself was to write. I began journaling at an early age (About 7) and eventually compiled my first book from over 10 years worth of journal entries. I would describe my blog as a stream of conscious writing with really no end and odd beginnings. When I was setting up my blog I had the desire to write one blog a day but then life happened and those goals became very unrealistic. I now attempt to blog once a week on “difficult to swallow” topics and as much as I can on random happenings.
The blogging phenomenon has its ups and downs. You have a greater audience but it means more people get to know more about you. My blogging experience has been pretty positive. Many of my posts deal with adoption and their many complexities including race, gender, and sexuality. I have categorized most of my blogs so they can be found based on particular categories. I feel that some of my simplest and non-thought-out writing gets the most views. I have not quite figured out why yet. And I get comments on some of my strangest blogs which makes me laugh each time. Maybe the thought-provoking pieces keep people from commenting. Some of my top blog posts are; #notallwhitepeople  if you make your child a doormat, and 6 signs you are healing from abuse.

Keeping it Going and The Little Challenges

I do not feel I motivate myself. I feel that writing comes naturally for me. When I feel the need to write, I do it. I feel that not creating a particular writing schedule actually encourages me to write more. My motivation? No rules, no structure. Just me. 
My most challenging moment in my blogging journey is reaching the right audience. A lot of my writing sounds like it is “anti” adoption which goes against what agencies, orphanages and adoptive parents’ wishes but if you read my work carefully, it is not pro or against, it is all about education and what we can learn on this journey and how adoptive parents can do better for their adopted children who one day become adults. 

What I Got To Say To Others

I would say write about what you know. For a long time I wrote for a research company and I learned a lot about writing different genres. But my biggest success was sticking to my lived experience. People want to hear your voice if you write from just that your voice. Don’t pretend. Just be in the moment and share who you are. We only have one life, maybe this is the legacy you can leave behind. 

Spend The Day With Me

I’m a mom and a wife so a typical day spent with me is not very glamorous. I wake up at around 7 a.m. to see my young child off to school. My partner takes the dog out in the mornings (I absolutely refuse to do it, I deal with night duty). If I have to sub, I go in to work with my partner, if it is not a subbing day, I go back to sleep until about 10 a.m. At 10 a.m. I’m up and get into the shower. Grab coffee. I pet the dog and then sit at my desk to answer messages and calls. I am an adoption consultant and I have an online business so every morning that I am not at “school”, I am in my office working.
Throughout the day I consult and answer the phone. I also work on video edits, and on my Honest Adoption Talk YouTube channel, a safe place where we talk honestly about adoption. When I am not working on my YouTube channel, I’m finding time to interview someone on my podcast or just speaking some truth. At around 3:00 pm my kid gets home and I can’t do “adoption” related things because she is adopted and I don’t want to create trauma where there is not any yet. She knows I am open to talking about anything but I don’t want to do any preemptive conversations that could cause her to feel she has to feel a certain way. So Adoption conversations cease once she is home. From that time until my partner gets home, I work on my newest book. Then prepare dinner, then a movie, and then bed. 

Taking it To The Next Level

I don’t really have any “plans” for my outreach and publishing. I just write and publish my work. My main focus right now is publishing my new book The Perks of Being an Adoptee. I have self-published 7 books (two which are in Spanish also). This new piece, however, looks at adoption in a more comical light using humor, sarcasm and matter-of-fact speech. This book will be available April 1st. Currently, portions of the book can be read online. It is available for pre-order if you contact me.
Along with the book that  I am working on publishing, I spend a great deal of time answering questions in my facebook group. Adoption, Race, and Their Complexities. It’s a group I created to help adoptive parents better understand the complexities of adoption in a group setting. I offer one on one advice and assistance but the group is free.

Meet Maline On Her Channel

Honest Adoption Talk
Guest Posts

A Sweet Sister Called Deborah

Anytime that I see Deb’s Gravatar she simply reminds me of one of my younger sisters Ify, who’s so humble, sweet, unassuming and funnily stubborn 🙂
Deb makes me smile. Her writing is fresh, full of surprises and always satisfying.

This Bits About Me

Deb, Bloggers Interview

My name is Deborah Glover (Booky). I’m a choleric/melancholic person – I best describe it as “introverted extrovert”. A writer by passion, a teacher by profession and a Christian. I’m the first child of my parents and being responsible had been drummed into me since I was a child.
I’ve not been so perfect like most people think when they meet me, I’ve got so many imperfections but it’s what makes me human. I like sincerity. It’s a trait I admire and exhibit too. Tell me the truth even if it hurts, especially when it hurts. I dislike it when people try to become another person. I love originality. Be yourself and not the second version of someone else.
Life has its ups and downs. It is filled with TIME or MOMENTS. These moments are priceless. Both the good and the bad and ugly and devastating. They all add up! They make us who are. I mean that “Interesting and Special” person we have all become.

Snippets of My Blog

I started blogging in 2015. I’ve had it in mind to blog long before then. However, when I started I didn’t have the faintest idea of what it was going to be. I wanted to write and read. I wanted a community that would understand my 200+ blabbing and won’t condemn me for it. I started at a crucial time in my life. A time when my family lost her home.
It was a point of distraction and an escape from reality. Writing 101 came along and all the WP courses tagged along too and I saw myself learning. I was a writer who wrote a few poetry and fictional piece but WP polished me. Gradually, I began to share my short stories and poetry. Somewhere good, some were not too good, but in the midst, I had friends who were able to encourage me with the Likes and the piece of advice they shared in the comment section.
Blogging is a great opportunity for everyone. It’s not just for writers and readers. It’s for everyone who can at least write about something. It may be old news to you and people in your country but it might be new to the world.

My Blogging Experience So Far

Blogging has been awesome and I’ll summarize them:
  • I’ve met a community of friends who sincerely care
  • My writing has improved.
  • My view about the world and cultures have broadened.
  • I have read about struggles of others and it encourages me and sometimes it helps me to give a word of comfort to those who are downcast. I have acquired the comrade spirit that says “we’re in this together.”

 

  • Now, when I see someone with a talent to write, perhaps someone who has many things to share with the world. I tell them about blogging and how blogging on WP has helped me. This is what I do.

A few of my links:

What Keeps Me Plugging Away

I just need to see a Colleen post or Rosema post or any blog I follow post in my mail. They remind me silently to do what I need to do. To keep speaking because I shall be heard, to keep writing because it’s the one thing that bonds us all. Even on days I don’t blog, I read blogs till my battery runs out.

Challenging Moments

I like answering to writing prompts both from The WP daily prompt or those hosted by other bloggers. At a point it became a full time job; so my most challenging blogging moments had been trying to answer all of them. These days, I have choosen to be more laid back. I answer to whichever prompt I could and let the rest go.

This is What My Day Looks Like

A typical day with me? (Smiles) Well, Monday to Friday I work at a children school as a teacher. I return home by 15:00. I cook, chat with my siblings, surf the net and read. If I got an inspiration to write, I write no matter where I am. That’s it!
I don’t have pets.

Looking to The Future

I haven’t published any work yet. I have a novella I completed in 2013 and I yet to publish it anywhere. I’m working towards publishing that this year.
I have my insecurities about the book. It’s my first baby (book) and it’s not been edited – excluding my writing it four times from start to finish. I might have to publish it online first before I get it done in paperback. It’s a Young adult Fiction set in Nigeria.
Guest Posts

Chatting and Connecting with Susie.

The first thing that drew my attention to Susie when I started blogging and during blogging 101 course which seems like eons ago is her consistent contribution and suggestions to a discussion. I find her frank talk refreshing and being in the business of trying to understand a personality through their words, I was drawn to her.

If my perception is not wrong, I would describe Susie as a gentle, conscientious, kind and tolerant woman.

Please read 🙂

 

Cat in a box
Sunshine in one of our travel suitcases, that he loves.

A bit about me.

I am a 47-year-old woman, with a June birthday. I am a Syrian Christian by birth. I belong to the southern part of India. I come from a very loving background with caring, nurturing and guiding parents, who tried their best to instill Christian virtues in me. I went to a school that emphasized old-time values like love for one’s country, patriotism, helping others without care for who they were, and standing up for what was right. After school I went to a Medical School that had Christian values written all over it- this played a great role in my selection of this particular school for my higher education.

It was the first time I had stayed away from home and my parents. I was shocked beyond reprieve that the Christian values of care, love, putting others beyond self, helping one another, unity and patience were far from the real life of the people at the college. I went into an emotional and personal crisis at this stage. From being an A level student, I went to the bottom rungs of the academic ladder. Around this time, I lost belief in God and in my religion.

I wondered and pondered over a God that allowed all the atrocities that went on in the college in the name of Christianity. Injustice and blatant human right abuse abounded there. A system of ragging prevailed,  that went to the heart and soul of a newcomer or a freshman to the college, which in many cases served to shatter the person from within. Being me, I protested openly against this and this made me hugely unpopular. A reign of terror was unleashed at me and I was made to feel hugely uncomfortable during my college life. Needless to say, I did not enjoy my college life.

It was divine intervention that helped me and kept me safe during this time and kept me away from the various vices a person could fall into while away from parental scrutiny. I survived and passed to become a doctor. A year after passing out, I married a man, who by some strange coincidence was from the same college. My marriage was a surprise to many of the naysayers in my college life as my husband was one of the most desirable bachelors of that college and I the least but again God brought us together. Over the years my faith in God has grown and I have come back to the fold like the lost sheep or the prodigal son.

I love writing. I have come to learn that I love listening to people. I can be a talker when I wish but I think I enjoy listening more and analyzing people and their thoughts and deeds. Most of these analyses lead me to life stories that I blog about. I guess I am an introvert.
I dislike two facedness. I am judgmental so am quick to find out if someone is not what he/she says he/she is.
I try to be a nurturer and love my two children very much. I am a dog lover by heart but the Good Lord has put so many cats in my life that I have lost count. I have come to believe that he really loves a good chuckle at my expense 🙂

The purpose of my blog.

At a low point in my life, about three years ago, I quit a job in Medical Research again because I didn’t believe in the work ethics of the place I was working at. I decided to move on, leaving a very respected job. For about a year and a half, I was unemployed and the object of a lot of ridicule. In an attempt to earn some money, I decided to do so by writing.
During this writing journey, I learned further that if one had a blog, writing jobs came easier. I didn’t land any major writing jobs but I got a blog and a lot of blog friends, many of whom are keepers. My blog is about my life. I have almost half a century of life lived behind me – perhaps I can be of good to some soul who has gone through issues like me and is hoping for a friendly listening ear.
I started this blog in order to write but became a reader and a listener by turn. So the objectives of my blog have done a U-turn now from when I started. When I started blogging, it was all about me and promoting myself. These days, it is more about being a listener and helping others, if that is possible. It seems to me that my blog is more about others now than myself.
I like the blogging world a lot except when it airs the political opinions of people who often don’t agree with my political thinking. When it gets beyond a limit, I stop reading their blogs. But otherwise, blogging has been a wonderful experience to me.
Links to some of my favorite posts:

How I stay motivated.

To be honest, I don’t motivate myself at all. I go for days without writing and then there is a deluge of writing with more silence. I like writing when I feel the whim and not when I am forced to do so. During moments of silence, I read others blogs and get inspiration from them, sometimes commenting on their posts that touched my heart or pulled a string somewhere in my being. Often times, these posts serve as inspiration for my own future posts. I have a long memory and so I have plenty of feed to write about inside my own head.

My Blogging Challenges.

I would say, not being able to express myself to my fullness, with absolute freedom for my words and my creativity. I am a little worried and scared about whether people I know and work with or live with will come to know of my blog and my blog opinions. So my blog posts will often be tempered down from what they actually should be. In the process, I have learnt diplomacy but perhaps lost out on some of my innate honesty.

My Word For Others.

Yes, I would surely encourage people to blog and especially if you are going through a personal crisis being a blogger certainly helps when you are down in the dumps. There are so many people out there, who are going through pain just like you and maybe more than you. Perhaps you can be a comfort to them and they, to you.
I would tell new time bloggers to keep writing, small posts frequently, till you reach that place where you can be a model of writing to others. So practice writing as often as your heart tells you. Also, I feel that one needs to write if one feels the urge and not when one feels that one has to join a group of people to belong to a certain belief group. Be honest to your own true self, as much as you can and your honest voice will reach others.

Spend a day with me.

I wake up hearing before the crack of dawn to prepare food for my human and animal family before I go to work. But the first thing I do is open ” Our Daily Bread” and read the readings for the day, reflect on them, pray about them and give thanks. Giving thanks is becoming a bigger part of my life with each passing day. It keeps me positive and hopeful that good things will happen if we go looking for them. After the cooking and packing of lunches and feeding of my strays, I shower and dress up to go to work.
I work as a research administrator in a university college and need to be at work at 8 am. Often being caught in rush hour traffic, I reach work only around 8:30but because I have an understanding supervisor, I often get away with it. Life has been getting easier as my children need less of me and my husband has become more independent in terms of their needs – so I have more time for myself. At work, I complete my day’s work in about an hour and the spare time I have, I sit at my desk and write or think about what to write. Sometimes I study Math to keep up with my daughter’s math homework. I read some books at my desk too and when my watch tells me I have been sitting too long, I take a walk around the corridors of my university.

Looking to the future plans.

First I would like to publish my own research in the world of medicine and make a few publications in my name and then I would like to see my own name in my publications – whether scientific or creative writing. I would like to earn some money from my blog and help other bloggers who so deserve the help they can get and I am working towards this aim. As to increasing the outreach of my blog, I am letting things take their own time and I am pretty casual about it for now. I get joy in seeing a new follower of my blog but more than numbers, I am now interested in making good friends, and people whose company I love. I learn a lot from my fellow bloggers and those I follow and I would like to learn more and more each day.
Thank you, Jackie, for having me.
Susie
Guest Posts

Adebisi is not just a blogger friend, she’s my beautiful Nigerian sister.

The most interesting thing about the blogging world is the connections you build with people from all walks of life and one such person that I have been totally delighted to connect with is Adebisi.

I call her sis or ‘Nne’ – which means mother in my language, not just because we share a common bond of being Nigerians and her consistent support, but her loving and endearing spirit that shines through her work and her words.

just-me

A Bit About Me

I am the first of 6 siblings and my sisters and brothers call me madam action *Wink*. This stems from having to fill the shoes of being the oldest and wanting everyone to fall in line. On Saturdays, while growing up I would wake them all up and assign chores to everyone. We would scrub, clean and tidy up the house before anyone takes breakfast…now you get the picture! Now they are enjoying the dividends of that as adults running their own homes I imagine…well, I somehow know and I still behave like a mother hen to them.

I was also the end of year party organizer back then. All the teenagers in our neighbourhood or who were our friends looked forward to our Christmas party which normally holds on Boxing Day, 26th of December. Looking back now I laugh as I remember twisting my dad’s arms to foot the bill of our budget for the party.

If he didn’t have enough to cover for what we had in mind we would consult with our friends coming for the party and ask everyone to contribute towards making the party a success. Some would bake a cake or make pastries, others will make fresh drinks and it always was a lot of fun for everyone. Great fond memories that we still talk about till date were made.

I like reading story books a lot so much that my parents couldn’t keep up with buying me new ones. Any great story still catches my attention even now whether it is a movie or literature. Perhaps this hobby is why I am a writer today. My life’s passion and goal is to make a difference in people’s lives no matter what Job I find myself doing.

I dislike lazy people who just drag their feet when something needs to be done. So you may say I can be impatient sometimes.

Most importantly for me is my spirituality. I believe in God and see him as my father. Simply put, knowing Jesus is what gives my life a meaning.

At Work
Me At Work

What motivated me to start blogging?

Firstly, training on blogging at a workshop opened me up to the world of blogging. I was thrilled. It came at a time when I felt dissatisfied with how things were being run at my workplace. I felt choked and needed a space where I could express myself not necessarily about what was going on. It was just a place to pursue my passion of reaching out to others on my own terms and at my own pace.

One of the things I learned about blogging was to write about what I am passionate about. I know I am passionate about making life better for women and girls and so I decided to go in that direction. But since I started blogging I found out from the community and courses on WordPress that I could spice my purpose with writing about other things. It is interesting to know that your readers want to have a peep into who you are and what your life is all about. So I have learned to spice my blog with a few other ideas.

Here is my first blog post ….. Why Femininematerz https://femininematerz.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/why-femininematerz/

Another from my first few posts – https://femininematerz.wordpress.com/2015/05/30/a-happy-girl-without-virgina-violation/

How I Motivate Myself to Continue Blogging

Once I started blogging I found out that it can be addictive so that in itself has kept me going. There are days when other aspects of my life get in the way for example when I have work deadlines or a project I am working on like this one: https://femininematerz.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/people-and-places-that-have-made-my-week-memorable/

It can sometimes seem like I am barely floating with my blogging goal. At such times I try to post at least once a week.

Other things that keep me motivated are the fact that:

  • blogging is something I want to continue to do even after retirement
  • I really do not like disappointing my readers who have come to follow my blog watching out for new posts
  • I will like my blog to grow and be sustained so I must be consistent
  • I will like to be able to sustain the friendship I have come to enjoy in the blogging community. I mean it’s amazing that you can meet people from other parts of the world and become friends.
  • And I do want to make money with this thing someday so I need to keep writing and posting for people to take me seriously.

Challenging Bloggy Moments

My greatest challenge is juggling my job with my blogging goal. I can get really busy sometimes that I simply do not have time to spare blogging. At such times I try to share a bit of what I am up to with my followers/readers.

You too can become a blogger

  • Blogging can be fun and tedious at the same time. It takes hard work and consistency.
  • Blogging gives you the opportunity to have your say about any issue that is of interest to you.
  • I have come to know some blogs that started as a channel for relieving stress or a means to reach others going through the same challenges in any area of life ranging from health issues, parenting, cooking etc. So blogging allows you to meet other people like yourself doing the same thing you do or going through something you might be facing.
  • Blogging is self-discovery. It helps you to discover new things about yourself and you actually learn a lot meeting and reading other bloggers post.

My Lessons

  • Write about what you know and care about
  • Write at your own pace. Determine what works best for you and how many times you wish to post.
  • Be yourself don’t try to be like other bloggers but you can learn a few tips about what works for them.
  • Don’t be a wall expecting others to come to you, reach out and follow other bloggers.
  • Read, comment and like what others post on their blog and you will be expanding your reach
  • Seriously there will days and times you are not able to write or post so don’t beat * yourself.
  • Keep at it and keep doing your best
  • Blogging helps others as well as you

More Images from My Life

Taking it further

I’d love to publish some of my written work but I am yet to get there.

This interview has been fun.

Thanks Jacqueline for your friendship and the opportunity to share my life and story on your page.  I call her Nne…