Pamela Schloesser Canepa's Blog, page 75

D is for Dog. A haiku. #AtoZChallenge #NAPOWRIMO

[image error] A haiku in honor of Bixby, the one who is always excited to see me and go places with me!

By Pamela Schloesser Canepa

 

A Haiku

This is what I see:

Man with a dog in the rain.

HE is not alone.

 

*Photo taken 2015, Prisma filter added.

C is for Contests. #AtoZChallenge

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4/04

“I cheated in the contest.”  Seinfeld quote.

Sorry, I had to throw that in, because it is all I can think of any time there is a contest!  I’m a diehard Seinfeld fan, and my brain quite easily goes South to his innuendo and jokes.  But I digress.

I’ve been thinking about how I started publishing my writing.  The answer is this: contests.  Yet, I’ve never won money in a writing contest.  I was in Poetry contests as a teen and in my early thirties.  Each of those got my poems in an anthology, a beautiful book which was mine for, a fee.  I bought both but never won any money.

A Wattpad contest is what encouraged my first self-published book of fiction.  Maybe because I wasn’t sure what to write about, and this contest gave a premise.  The contest was just for a short story, but the feedback I got from it was encouragement enough to make me try my hand at self-publishing.  Since then, I have entered into a Writer’s Digest contest (didn’t win), and plan to enter more.  As long as the fee is not exorbitant, why not try?  Each time, I hone my skill a little bit more.  Nonetheless, I have to be true to myself, and write in my own unique style, rather than trying to write the way the winner actually wrote.  They could be looking for something different every time.

The beauty of the contest that got me started on this journey was the fact that I was risking putting my writing out there and NOT winning.  Once I got over that, I was able to have the nerve to publish, because some may not think I’m the best writer, but maybe some will.  My ego can sustain not winning, so I think it can sustain the popularity contest and occasional criticism.  It was really a good preparation, much better than the vanity press contests.  So what happens now?  I keep publishing my writing!

Made for Me was a continuation of my short story that was entered into a Wattpad contest.  Find out more about it at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DZ5230G.  Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes was a sequel that follows Norrie from Made for Me, who has now become a young woman who is exploring the world and learning who she is.  It offers a lot more suspense than the first, which has been called a sweet love story with a futuristic flair.  Both are now in paperback as well as Kindle Unlimited, and you may find them, or find more about them, by exploring my Amazon author site at https://www.amazon.com/Pamela-Schloesser-Canepa/e/B01E0KV716.

The bottom line is, remember who you are writing for, and it doesn’t just boil down to a handful of judges in a contest.  Write what you enjoy writing!

B is for Bumblebee. #AtoZChallenge

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Where?  Providence, Rhode Island.  When?  Summer, 2009.  It happened when I lay my camera down.  The next time I saw it, there were all these new shots of everyday things at new angles.  My dad’s shed (my son and I were visiting him), a porch step, a flower.  Said flower happened to have a happy bumblebee hovering over it.  I applauded my son’s photography skills.  He had just turned fourteen.  The curiosity of his eyes through the camera lens shows through.  But, alas, he soon became a full-fledged teenager and grew interested in other things.  Nonetheless, I own the rights to this photo, and I am happy to share.

A is for Arthritis. #AtoZChallenge

4/01/17

A is for arthritis.

It will not stop me,

Only delay me

I will not bow to it,

Yet I know it’s there;

It sidetracked me long enough.

It won’t be easy,

But I have my Army,

And I won’t cave in.

 

“Army” could also be read as “Advil.”

#weekendcoffeeshare An Inspirational Songbird

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Welcome to the #weekendcoffeeshare, hosted by http://www.nerdinthebrain.com.

If we were having coffee today, on March 25th, I’d be gushing nonstop about who I saw in concert just Thursday night:  Stevie Nicks!  I can’t help it, it is so much on my mind and I was really impressed by it!

Never mind that the Pretenders didn’t show because Chrissie Hynde was ill.  We were there on time and waited an hour as there was no other opening band.  That was alright, though, once Stevie showed up on the stage.  Was I impressed by her music?  You bet!  She sounded just as good as she did the first time I heard her when I was either twelve or thirteen, back in the early 80’s, which brings a serious wave of nostalgia washing over me.

I got my first radio when I was about twelve.  Her songs were some of the first that I heard on that radio.  I set my morning alarm to wake me with music.  “Landslide” and “Leather and Lace” were a few of her songs I remember most.  “Stop Draggin my Heart Around” was another, which, to my delight, she sang at her concert!  I recall being an awkward 12 or 13- year-old who felt unattractive with unwanted baby fat.  I remember Mom and Dad had been split up for about a year, and I didn’t feel too great about that.  Dad married someone else, and I saw him as a betrayer for a while.  Yet, I missed him.  I have to credit him with something important, though.  He bought me a set of classic books that Christmas, including Little Women and Great Expectations which I tore into right away.  The love of reading has been impressed upon me forever and encouraging me to read such classics was such a wise move.

I hadn’t thought about these books in a little while, but Stevie Nicks took me back in my head to that time of my life.  These classic books impressed upon me the selflessness of love.  Stevie Nick’s music impressed upon me the mystery of love.  “Leather and Lace,” in my opinion, was the perfect example of true love.  One more thing I remember from that time era was the long sweaters.  A few people actually wore such sweaters to the concert.  Someone even wore a cape in true Stevie Nicks’ style.  I love it, even though I am a slave to comfort and wore a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.  I enjoyed the crowd, though; it too was very nostalgic.  I’m sure people loved digging out their styles from 1980!

In between songs, Stevie gave us some back story to what inspired her to write them and what was going on in her life at the time.  She has a sense of humor and a way with words!  She played some songs for us that she calls part of “the sad, Gothic box of lost songs.”  I feel just the same about some of my poems and writing.  It was awesome to hear these songs!  We got to hear a little about the cape she was wearing, a 35-year-old piece of nostalgia itself.  Of course, she’d be dressed in her signature style. It was endearing to hear how Hurricane Katrina and even the second Twilight movie inspired her to write verse and then songs.  Hearing of her writing process was a treasure.  I respect this woman so much after seeing this show.  I had never seen her live before.  I’m so glad I did, and thankful to my boyfriend, Kenny for suggesting it.

After seeing her show, I feel so much more encouraged to write.  To know that not everything I write will sell or be cherished by others, but I may cherish it just the same.  To imagine myself someday telling stories about how it all started out.  I am inspired!

As far as the rest of my life, it’s still going! My first self-published book is now in an independent bookstore.  I am still blogging occasionally.  I’m working on several other writing projects, but not at any urgent pace.  I really need to get more focused.  This week I responded to a prompt on Sue Vincent’s #writephoto.  It is located here:  https://pamelascanepa.wordpress.com/2017/03/20/in-the-deep-writephoto/   I’m trying to send stories to different publications to earn $100-$200 each.  It’s work, but I have to fund a concert-going lifestyle.  It has become evident that this is not the year to travel, with all that has happened in my life.  So, I’m going to invest in shorter, more frequent musical getaways.  We all need an escape!

Please visit Emily at http://www.nerdinthebrain.com/weekendcoffeeshare-the-one-where-not-much-happened-because-ive-been-sick/#comment-437 for her #weekendcoffeeshare, and to join in, leave your link in the link-up!

The Author’s Trail Part Deux #indiewriter

[image error]  Made for Me by Pamela Schloesser Canepa.

I did it!  I got my self-published book, Made for Me, a sci-fi romance, on the bookshelf at a local independent bookstore!  It is pictured with the manager, well, his arm.  He said I could post the photo on Facebook, but I didn’t tell him it would be all over the web.   So I’ve cropped this one. At any rate, I thought it would get tiring just posting photos of myself with my book and I’m trying to catch various other people with it.  But, I digress.

Made for Me is now on the Local Author shelf at The Book Nook in Jacksonville, Florida, Lakewood area!  Next stop, well I’m working on that, and I need to do more research on our other indie bookstores and maybe even Barnes and Noble.  However, this is a step up and it took some nerve to market myself, make that call, and just go in there.  Yet, I did it!  The manager was very nice and friendly and explained their consignment process.  So, this is a first in many other steps I will take as an author.

The sci-fi romance, Made for Me, is also available for order at Amazon at the link https://www.amazon.com/Made-Me-Its-chemistry-isnt/dp/1520250215.  It sells for $6.99.  You get a deal if you spend $25 or more on books there so you won’t have to pay shipping costs.  That’s how I do it, anyway.

In other news, I have been able to get the video of my author presentation mentioned in a preview post.  It was taken on my mother’s phone and she doesn’t have a Youtube account.  Yet. I’m working on that!  I had to take some time and sign in to my Youtube account from her phone, load it, wait, then edit.  I was waiting for a day off and finally found the time.  Here it is if you’d like to see it and/or have about seven minutes to spare.

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In the Deep, #writephoto

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“This sure is some prime real estate, Jack,” Erin whispered.  There was an eerie, yet reverent awe to her voice.

“We’re as far away from the front lines as we could be.  It’s safe here.” Jack hoped this was true.  The fighting had gotten dangerously close to their home, and he didn’t want the boys to live that way.

“How long?”  Erin asked.

Jack noticed a note of worry in her voice.  “I’m sorry, Erin.”

“No, don’t be, Jack.  This place is beautiful.  It is full of imagination.  It’s just, the lack of sunlight is going to get to me in a little while, maybe a few weeks.  On the plus side, it is cool down here.  Much better than it was up top.  I just don’t know how long I can stand it.  I’ll start getting weird dreams, and after a while, I won’t be able to sleep.”

“How do you know, Erin?”

“Before the fighting started, my dad was Air Force, stationed in Alaska.  We lived there with him.  You know, they have those months with no sunlight.  It got me, bad.   Then, when I was fifteen, he went to serve in the war.  So Mom and I came back here.  He never came home.”

Jack sat down and laid out their provisions, which included a soft cushion for each of them to sleep on.  Of course, they wouldn’t be staying here forever.  Erin sat beside him.

“How did it come to this?”  Erin asked.

Jack put his arm around her.  “I’m sorry, Erin.  We’ll get out of here as soon as we can.  Think of it as a camping adventure.  I know we should have evacuated when they first gave the warning.   Now our home is in the middle of a battlefield.  It’s like the Civil War or World War II out there.  I never thought we’d go back to such primitive ways.”

“At least I didn’t lose you to the war,” Erin said, as she took their youngest, Jeremiah, by the hand and changed his shirt.  He needed the longer sleeves.

“No, Erin, and you never will.  As long as you and the boys can remember what I taught you about survival, we’ll never have to be a part of their evil ways.”

Erin rested her head on his shoulder while Jeremiah ran to catch up with Stephen, who was exploring another tunnel.

“I’m glad we’re so much more civilized.  Even if it means living like this,”  Erin said.  She’d be okay, she decided right then and there.  This was a matter of survival.  Her fear was dissipating.  She’d rise to the occasion and hold it together for her family.  It would be alright.

~The End~

The #writephoto challenge prompt can be found at https://scvincent.com/2017/03/16/thursday-photo-prompt-deep-writephoto/

If you’d like to join the challenge, follow these instructions:

Don’t forget to use the #writephoto hashtag in your title so your posts can be found.  You can find all last week’s entries in the round-up. Please visit and read the stories and poems and explore the sites of their writers.

I will feature as many entries as I can on the blog during the week, but given the volume of contributions we are getting every week, that will not be all of them! All posts will be included in a round up on Thursday 23rd March.

Feel free to use #writephoto logo or include the prompt photo in your post if you wish or you can replace it with one of your own to illustrate your work.

Free download of Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes

A young woman misses her dad.  A journey with her mother to fill the space proves unsatisfying. Venturing out on her own, many discoveries are made, and rules are broken.  But that’s nothing new for Norrie.  After all, aren’t some rules worth breaking?

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Read about Norrie and her journey in Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes, which is available for free download today through 3/19. A #futuristic #scifi, coming of age novella, hailed as “fascinating and thought-provoking.” Read about Norrie, an average girl with three sets of parents, and what she learns from her search for truths about two of her fathers.

From Reader’s Favorite review:  “Reading Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes by Pamela Schloesser Canepa was a fascinating and thought-provoking look into the future. It is a great novella regarding the prospect of androids having a place in society. As I am very interested in science-fiction that is conceivable and relevant in our reality, I found this book to be a fantastic read. This story gives the reader a perspective that seems outlandish, but is it? Once thought of as far-fetched and implausible, automated machines and drones are already in use and humanoid robots are being used in experiments.”

Available on Amazon,  use Universal Link: https://bookgoodies.com/a/B01GNNCHHQ

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See things through someone else’s eyes, literally and figuratively.

The Author’s Trail #indiewriter

She breezes through town, agent by her side, dazzling us with her witty words,  leaving all spellbound with her talent and clamoring to purchase and devour her material.   That’s how the dream goes, anyhow.

Then, she is off to the next destination, a new group, new venue, ready to rock the crowd.  Wait, that would be a rock star’s job.  Well, I did tell you it was a fantasy, right?  That anyone would hail an indie author in such a way is truly the stuff of folk tales.

My author’s trail is more like a slow trek on the Oregon Trail.  Luckily I still have my day job, or someone might be starting to starve.  I should probably add that being employed full-time forces me to do a balancing act and sometimes shuffle the writing and self-promotion to the bottom of my to-do list. 

My House of Cards, #poetry

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My House of Cards  (c) 2017, Pamela Schloesser Canepa

The House of Cards had thrived on hope

And goodness, love, and light

The hope was that it was enough

to keep us safe and sound.

The House of Cards became cover

for turned heads and bitter words,

For selfishness and wrath.

But of all things considered,

at least we had a house.

The House of Cards can never beat

a beast that grows within.

For a House of Cards is still just cards,

almost paper thin.

I rid the house of one

offending sort,

and some of us remained.

There is a slightly haunted feel,

I wish it would depart.

But anywhere that I should go

a part of it would follow.

The House of Cards surrounds me now,

within a malevolent wind

I sometimes feel it will blow down

and I’ll have nothing left.

But this House of Cards is what I have

and I have made it mine.

I have sheltered others here,

even if for a short time.

And when it is all said and done,

I hope that mine will be

the House of Cards that withstood all

and always sheltered me.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.