Pamela Schloesser Canepa's Blog, page 79

#weekendcoffeeshare Full Speed Ahead and Ready for a Breather!

[image error] Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Why do the holidays come and go so fast when we get older?  Seriously, they’re almost here, and I’m nowhere near ready!  Okay, we’ll make this a brief stop.  Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by parttimemonsterblog.com!  Do you need a huge Mad Hatter’s cup or a regular size?  (I could take either one).  If we were having coffee today, I’d tell you:

I’ve kept myself a little too busy lately.  Was I just putting things on hold in November?   I feel sometimes that I am not very sociable when I have a writing project, and since those are dying down, I’ve caught up with a few people this week.  One of them is my sweet little aunt who left me a message last week, and I feel bad that it took me so long to reply.  She didn’t guilt me, though!  I was still writing this week, though; I entered a flash fiction contest here on WordPress for the first time.  I’ve looked at them before, but this time, the image struck me and a thought grew into a brief 150-word story.  I’m the kind who “writes what I want to write,” but I love the idea of this community of bloggers and the fact that no two people think the exact same way.  The variety of responses is fun to see!  Check mine out here:   https://pamelascanepa.wordpress.com/2016/12/13/a-turning-point-flashfiction-amwriting-fffaw-challenge/  It seems a little dark, but it is called “A Turning Point.”  I also prepared a presentation for an assembly of high-schoolers that I will chat with about writing, my own books, and my journey during Literacy week in January.  Yikes!  Jitters.  I’m sort of excited, though, and I should focus on that.  I’ll get there!  This is all in addition to my usual work schedule.

Holidays are upon us!  Christmas is here in a week, and I’m nowhere near done with Christmas shopping.  Amazon will save the day, but I suppose one trip to the mall will also be necessary.  Working there for 15 years of my earlier life kind of killed the joy I used to feel as a mallrat.  I guess I save much more money now, right?  Somehow I have turned anti-mall.  To be honest, you won’t find the TRUE spirit of Christmas there anyway.  A church dinner Wednesday helped get me into the spirit, and a fellow member has been needing rides to church so it’s getting me out of my temporary anti-social bubble.  After church dinner, there was a children’s play that was cute, funny, and inspiring all at once!  Well, the lady that rode with me had her granddaughter with her too, and they told me about a home with a beautiful Christmas light display, so we stopped there on the way home.  It was a beautiful departure from my usual rush-to-get-somewhere and rush-to-get-home habit.  I think that may be what will help me get into the spirit of Christmas, more things like that.  I’m going to try it!  I’ll let you know how it goes!

In going through the holidays this year, I am realizing the many people who suffer through this season with addiction/alcoholism, loneliness,  depression, etc.  We experienced a dark cloud in my family last year, but this year is so much better.  I am thankful for that, and I plan to be grateful for the love that is shared this season, rather than looking back at the sadness of last year.  I encourage you to reach out to someone who may not have that light of Christmas in their eyes. You never know what kind of difference you might make.  On that note, why don’t you take some more coffee for the road?

How was your week?  What fuels you and warms your coffee mug?  I’d love to hear from you!  Please also visit the Weekend Coffee Share host at parttimemonsterblog.com to enjoy some of the other Weekend Coffee Shares by our fellow bloggers and add the link for your own coffee share!

 

“A Turning Point,” #flashfiction #amwriting FFfAW challenge

[image error]This week’s photo prompt is provided by Maria with Doodles and Scribbles.

 

The party had been a blast.  Too much so.  But Kimberly grew tired of Brad’s advances.  She sauntered down the dark road, her mind in a fog.  Why did I take that last drink?  She pondered.  Could I even scare off an attacker, with this stagger in my walk?

It was interesting that she chose this danger over a ride home with Brad, the All-American football star.

The unknown was her choice.  She’d swiped a heavy paperweight at the party when she decided Brad would not be taking her home.  Would it protect her?

Of course, she wasn’t thinking straight; she could have asked anyone else.  Instead, she darted out the door and down the street, to greet vampires or murderers, or who knew what.

Up ahead stood a dark, shadowy figure.

If I live, I’m going to stop celebrating New Year’s Eve this way, she whispered.

 

*This brief story was part of a Flash Fiction challenge, no more than 100-150 words allowed, based on a photo prompt.  The prompt was provided as one of the weekly challenges at https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2016/12/12/fffaw-challenge-week-of-december-13-2016/   I encourage you to peruse some of the other material there, as no two minds think exactly alike.

Yes, this was challenging!  What do you all think?

Inspiration, When it Comes Knocking… #amwriting

Featured on http://www.kathycecala.com/

[image error]Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

If you’re one of those who sometimes wonders why you ever published, or you feel you are in an endless loop of writing, then trying to get your writing noticed, then writing more, rest assured, you’re not alone.  I feel that at times.  But two years ago, the writing bug hit me, maybe because of hard times at home and the desire to escape;  I decided I was going to write, finish what I started, and stop being afraid to show people what I wrote.  After all, I am a grown up.  I’m also not getting any younger. To this day, I don’t regret that decision.

Christmas Memories: No, I’m no Angel, but Sometimes My Prayers are Answered. #advent #faith #christmas memories

This time of year brings back all kinds of memories. I volunteered to take a Bible verse and write a devotion to go in my church Advent devotional.  The memories were easy; the challenge was training my thoughts around a scripture as well.  Here’s the result.

Christmas Memories

Scripture- Psalm 16:11 “You show me the past of life.  In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” 

Advent season is a time for many memories.  Opening the door to the past, I think of my first Christmas memory.  Mom gave me a new red, velvety dress and pressed my hair in curls.  I was seven and we lived in Virginia.  Well, she dressed me up all pretty but it seems I caused her some embarrassment, plugging my ears and yawning a lot during the musical service.  Maybe I just wanted to be in the nursery with my little brother.   Despite my lack of decorum, we went home and Mom, Dad, and my little brother spent time listening to the record player together as I fell asleep watching the candles flicker, waiting for morning.  As close as I am to Mom, it’s odd that this is my first Christmas memory!  Yet what matters is that we enjoyed our time together as a family, my immature behavior was forgiven, and the occasion was still joyful.

Then there is the memory of two years later being allowed to go into the ICU on Christmas Eve to see my dad through the glass.  *He’d had surgery on his esophagus and was in critical condition, but ultimately, lived.  It was a rough Christmas, but friends and neighbors all over shared their Christmas joy and cheer with us for the weeks he was hospitalized.  I was overwhelmed; we’d only known many of them for just one year.  Years later, as an adult, Dad said he saw me look through that window, and it felt as if he was visited by an angel giving him assurance.  Being told this made me feel really special.  I didn’t realize I could be so important to him.

While I recall many who have given over the years to share their joy and Christmas spirit with my family and with me, it is as deeply rewarding to do this for others.  I had a few opportunities to do so when I worked in retail.  I missed church service working late one Christmas Eve, and was anxious to get home to give three-year-old Austen his new tricycle.  Yet, I found joy in making one customer so happy when I found her a sought after TV in the stockroom, that she hugged me, saying, “God bless you.”   This was two minutes before closing time.  I talk about how retail zapped my Christmas spirit year after year, but this woman’s happiness and relief truly warmed me spiritually, and my son was still happy when I got home!

 

Prayer:  Lord, when I look back, please help me to see the good in all that I have endured, the lessons learned, the moments when I was someone else’s light in the dark whether I knew it or not, the many times that I was shown how much I was loved.  Help me to share that love and joy with others, for there is no greater pleasure.  Please help me to see that the goodness you have bestowed on me all my life will continue, for with faith in you, dear Lord, comes the knowledge and assurance that I will always be loved.

*Addendum:  If you were wondering, my father’s esophageal issue was due to a history of binge drinking and alcoholism.  He sought sobriety and finally, it stuck, after he stayed in a 30-day rehab when I was 20.  Almost thirty years later, he is still firm in his recovery.

Light at the end of the tunnel.  Photos courtesy of Pixabay.

 

Anxiety, The Phantom #poetry

One of my early WordPress posts…

pamelascanepa

By Pamela Schloesser Canepa
Anxiety, The Phantom copyright, 1.05.16

A windy night brings it. Bam!

The back porch door slams

And I’m left to wonder what is there

What glowing eyes in the night will glare?

I am like a child, four years old again,

My fear and imagination bends.

What hoodlum or phantom lurks here?

I sense something evil crouching near.

Gone is all hope of sleep.

I must be ready in case he leaps.

“He” is my fear of things unseen,

Politicians and terrorists threatening me,

Bills, undone tasks, that won’t let me free,

Narrow minded people judging me

Worry for my son, in his melancholy

TV news feeding branches of my anxiety.

Things that make me think I have no weapon,

Realities that happen, with or without mention.

My canine detects no offending thief,

And only morning daybreak brings relief.

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#weekendcoffeeshare. November’s Over, and Now….

Welcome to the weekend coffee share, hosted by parttimemonsterblog.com.  I so enjoy being a part of this blogging community!  If we were having coffee, you’d get to know a bit of who I am.  I’d tell you-

Now that November’s over, I am giving myself a writing break until the Christmas holiday.  November was such a writing crunch!  There was not enough time for reading.  So, the start of December is giving me time to continue reading a novel, The Step, about a woman who was part of the Apollo space program, and to watch my favorite new Netflix show called “Glitch.”  It’s mysterious and weird, and involves a lot of the history of a town come back to haunt them (almost literally); that’s why I love it.  There are sure to be many plot holes, but it does get me to thinking.  Considering, I am an avid fan of The X-Files and The Twilight Zone. 

A November to Remember. On Losing Graciously, yet Victoriously, in NANOWRIMO. #amwriting

My NANOWRIMO bio photo.  I think it reflects a serious writing face, and it appropriately features my favorite coffee cup.

#RRBC #sci-fi #amwriting An Interview with My Main Character, Norrie

Norrie is a main character in one of my sci-fi novellas.  We saw her grow up in Made for Me, a sci-fi romance, and now, she is a star of its sequel, the sci-fi coming of age novella, Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes.  Norrie is now twenty-two years old and is a Master’s student of Ethics in Robotics.

Interviewer:  Good morning, everyone!  We’re here in the home studio, and I am interviewing Nora Jensen.

Norrie: Norrie.  Call me Norrie.  Please. ( Forces a smile).

I (for interviewer): Oh, no problem, Norrie.  Welcome.  As I was saying, Norrie mysteriously teleported here from the future and is willing to sit and chat with us. Thanks so much for being here, Norrie.  Have some tea, and help yourself to some of those cookies on the platter.

Norrie: It’s my pleasure being here.  Yes, I’ll have some cookies!  (Smiles more genuinely this time).

I: So, I hear you are quite an activist for equal rights and ethics in technology.  Tell us, have you ever been arrested?

Norrie:  Not yet.  Well, I was thrown out of a national symposium.  That was an honor.  (Winks).

I: What do you feel most passionate about?

Norrie:  I believe man has to be responsible to his creations.  If you create something to be just like you, then you should not treat it like dirt on your shoe.  Similar to the cruelty against animals clause.  They are another living thing and deserve the good treatment you’d want for yourself if they were the ones holding the leash. Some would argue a creation of man is his to do with as he pleases. Well, not when you are using living DNA.

I:  As far as activism, what do you think of the Women’s March on Washington coming up in January?  Are you familiar with this?

Norrie:  Oh yes.  If I could stick around, I’d be there.  There are so many ways that humans try to oppress each other, and the oppression of any woman for any reason is totally unconscionable.  I do think the new president should be shown that. There is power in numbers, and we have to stick together. But my time here in 2016 is limited, so I will have to be there in spirit.  Things are much better for women in 2054, well, unless you’be been branded as lesser.  There’s always a battle, I suppose.  I’m trying to fight against that.

I: So, are you interested in politics?

Norrie: Not really. I think politicians are all greedy.

I:  Are there any other current world affairs that still are an issue in 2054?

Norrie:   Oh, yes.  Take global warming, for instance.  We humans have done that to ourselves, and yet, many of mankind will refuse it exists in order to keep the oil business going.  Oil has gotten much more scarce in my time, by the way.  So the oil conglomerates charge a horrendous amount for those that are proud enough to pay it and own that status symbol:  a car.  It’s really unnecessary where I’m from.  I am part of a task force through the university that is trying to make the powers that be accountable.  It pains me though, because I can see where this is leading.  It is sure to lead to more wars.  We will be our own downfall.  (Shakes her head).

I: On a lighter note, this question was sent in by a potential reader:  Do you have a love interest?

Norrie:  Wow, that was quite a switch.  Okay.  It’s like this. I love with all my heart: my family, my friends, my work.  I’ve been through a few breakups, and my mother is sometimes concerned about that.  I’ve gone through a few boyfriends lately.  But  I won’t compromise my principles for another pretty face.  Yes, I do have a current love interest, but I am not committing to anything except spending some of my time with him.  And I will drop a guy in a heartbeat if he tries to make me go against my principles.

I:  Tell me about your family.  You have said that they influenced you in many ways.

Norrie:  My parents were happily married.  They were a wonderful example.  Well, you know, they were my adoptive parents.  But they were the ones who parented me and have influenced who I am today.  They have made me the confident, warm-hearted person I am today.  I have met my biological father.  I’ll tell you more about that some other time.

I: What about your bio mother?

Norrie:  No idea.  Not currently.  That may be a future chapter in my life.  Although, I seem to have a lot to keep me busy right now, but I won’t rule it out.  Either way, it won’t change my respect and love for my mother, Abrielle Jensen.

I:  What’s keeping you busy in your life right now?

Norrie:  I am fighting against the latest technological nightmare of mankind which involves their goals to leave something of us behind that is immortal.  So, in other words, we might find a way to always maintain our dominion over the earth, and I totally disagree with it.  I’m sorry,  that’s all I can say about it right now.  I am part of a research group and activist’s group to try and stop it, and I may have to go into hiding.  So, yeah, that’s where I am right now.  (Smiles warmly, almost ironically).

I: Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes is a sci-fi, coming of age novella.  Why is it not a romance?  And what do you learn in this story?

Norrie:  There are some hints of romance, but it certainly does not follow a romance formula.  Romance for me is, hit or miss.  I am just learning what or who is right for me.  I suppose that takes several years?  If I am with a nice guy but it doesn’t work out, it’s because it wasn’t meant to.  But in this story,  I learn many things about myself, my boundaries, my family and heritage, and what I truly believe.

I:  Who is Sampson?

Norrie:  Sampson was, is, my father.  My adoptive father, and the only real father I knew.  He taught me that love sees no distinctions in class or status, among many other things.

I:  Well, Norrie, you do sound like you have an incredibly busy, fulfilling life!  Thanks so much for taking time out from your schedule to transport yourself here and answer my questions.

Readers, I do hope you will read more about Norrie, her mother, and Sampson’s legacy in Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes!  You can download it here for Kindle or Kindle Unlimited:

http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Through-Sampsons-Eyes-anothers-ebook/dp/B01GNNCHHQ

#weekendcoffeeshare Giving Thanks, 2016

Hello, friends and fellow bloggers!  Weekend Coffee Share is a weekly blog challenge hosted at parttimemonsterblog.com.  It goes like this, if we were having coffee, I’d tell you:

I’m grateful; after all, it is Thanksgiving week.  I’m grateful for these things:

 Even though I am not with my entire family, I am grateful that everyone got where they were going safely.  With recent ‘traffic’ events in my family, I am grateful any time we get somewhere safely.
I am also grateful that I had time with my boyfriend Kenny, a good bit of his family, my son, and my dog for Thanksgiving day.  The food was great, and even though I had some heartburn, all it took was  a Coke to give me a good burping. :)  Sorry if you consider that gross, raising a boy has made more open about bodily, um, functions!
I am grateful I no longer work in retail.  Which leads to my gratitude for the internet.  I can shop online all day long and go nowhere near the retail mess.  Seriously, it makes people crazy.
I am grateful I have the guts to get my words out there.  I have published 2.5 novellas this year!  There was a book trailer contest on Thanksgiving day, and many of my friends helped me out by sharing and tweeting my post. I am working on a full-length novel now, as part of NANOWRIMO, but I am not NANOWRIMO’ing to get the 50,000, no, I have eased up on myself because it has been a struggle.  However, I have now reached 31,500 words, woot-woot!  This is the most I have written in one month! So, I won the competition with myself.  There you go.  I’m just determined to make my own rules, ya’ll.  I let myself get old to have this privilege!
I am grateful for my dog, as he loves me unconditionally.  I am grateful for my boyfriend, as well, and we could call this loving me unconditionally.  Let me define it as this:  I could wear superhero t-shirts and sweatpants day in and day out and he’d still see me as beautiful.  I go months without a pedicure and he doesn’t notice!  He’s seen me through a 15-pound weight span, up and down and in between, and still appreciates whatever it is I do to ‘keep in shape.’  I told him he was low maintenance, and he found it a compliment.  Seriously!  You don’t get that in your 20s or 30s, so, life is just getting better!

*I’m a blue jeans/sweatpants kind of girl.  They’re perfect for lounging or walking the dog.  He would rather sooner than later!  (Hence, the look on his little face)!

6. I am grateful for my faith community.  I started going to this particular church five years ago.  While preaching, the pastor one day told something so personal and it struck such a nerve that I WEPT in church that day.  I thanked him for his sermon.  I am learning that I am loved by God no matter where I have been or what kind of past I have had.  I am learning to stop hiding my fire or feeling ashamed of myself for my past.  What matters is what I do today, and each day, I am growing more and more fearless of doing just what I need to do.  I have been writing since I was eight, my friend.  Eight! So much of what I’ve done has been hidden and lost before ever being revealed or shared.  I don’t want that to happen anymore.  I have been through some things that, if processed and shared, might help another human deal with hurt in his or her own life.  Part of it was that I grew up in an alcoholic home, where you learn not to tell people about Daddy’s sleeping all day on a weekend, because that would make him look bad.  Secrets are unhealthy for a child’s growth.  I’m working on channeling my experiences into my writing, to give it some meaning underneath the entertainment.  While I still love the far-out genres and prefer escaping reality, there is still a message underneath.  My purpose for writing is slowly becoming clearer.  Anyway, being part of my faith community is giving me avenues for speaking up.  And I plan to keep doing so until I have clearly articulated all that I want to say to the world.  I want to make a difference to someone.

Well, there you have it in a nutshell.  My gratitude list covers a good bit of everything that is most important to me.  Whew.  I suppose we didn’t get into reading, yoga, and the beach.  We’ll save that for another day!  Go check out the Weekend Coffee Share at http://parttimemonsterblog.com, and share your link.  Also, feel free to tell me about your week in the comments.  Are you also a blue jeans/sweatpants person?  Do you have a patient dog and/or significant other who patiently awaits while you put your creative juices to work?  I do hope so!

A heart with angel wings?  Seems appropriate!  Photos courtesy of Pixabay.com, except for the one of my dog, that is!

#RRBC Holiday Train Book Trailer Party. Fun, Prizes, and a chance to help an indie author!

Come, join the fun!  Help an independent author (that’s me) spread the news of her publication!  Welcome to the  Rave Reviews Book Club’s HOLIDAY TRAIN “BOOK TRAILER” BLOCK PARTY.  You are encouraged to participate by viewing my book trailer for my sci-fi ebook Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes on Youtube, liking the video, and leaving a comment.

Prizes I’m giving away today, 11/24:  By commenting and interacting at my video link, you will have a chance at winning a prize.

1st place:  A $10 Amazon gift card.  This will be sent to you through e-mail.

2nd place:  A free e-book download of Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes.  The link will be sent to you through e-mail.

Perhaps viewing the book trailer will make you interested in reading the book and sharing this news with others.  It is also possible for you to download the e-book on Amazon as a gift for a friend!

Your chance at these prizes ends at the close of the day on 11/24.  Please feel free to share this blog post today.  The more interaction on my book trailer, the better my chances in this contest and as an indie author.  Start by clicking the book trailer link below:

Link for Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes book trailer:                                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQuKD6LUZGY&t=2s  (For a chance to win,  like and comment on this video using your Youtube account).

Amazon link to preview the e-book or download Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes, available on Kindle Unlimited and on Kindle at 1.99 for a limited time:   http://goo.gl/nFLmqH

“An imaginative and thought-provoking read.” -Amazon reviewer

Blurb and description:  Seeing Through Sampson’s Eyes, a futuristic sci-fi, coming of age novella, tells the tale of Abrielle and Norrie, both on a journey to find what was lost of their loved one, which quickly becomes an individual journey for each of them, with many lessons in store.  *This is the second in a series, yet also reads well as a stand-alone.

Blurb:  Who knows what secrets lie behind one’s eyes? You have no idea until you walk in their shoes. In a technologically advanced, yet socially regressing society, Norrie, daughter of Sampson and Abrielle, is about to learn what it’s like to be considered less than human. She is now twenty, curious, confident, and unstoppable. Embarking on a journey together, Norrie and Abrielle set out to discover what remains of their beloved Sampson, yet each ends up pursuing her own individual end goal. Walk with Abrielle and Norrie to see what they will find.