Toi Thomas's Blog, page 86
December 13, 2013
Friday Forecast : 12/13/13
Highlighting interviewees, guest posters, my standard weekly posts, and whatever else I can think of, going into the next week.
So, here what’s happening next week:
So, here what’s happening next week:
Sample Sunday
Listography: My favorite movies as an adult.
Character Files
My Blogdom
Count Your Blessings
Friday Forecast and a possible interview with author L.A. Little.
Weekly recap and maybe another installment of my Adventures in Blogging.
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Today I’ll post another excerpt from Milton Kelly.
Tomorrow after my weekly recap, Milton Kelly will share an excerpt pertaining to networking.
No Adventures in Blogging today.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: author, blogging, interviews, life, reviews, sneak peak, try this, writing
December 12, 2013
Author Insights 10: There have been some changes.
I don’t know if any of you have noticed, but I’ve been changing things here and there on this blog. I feel as if this will always be a work in progress, but I hope to reach a settling point at some time. So, here’s what’s been going on.
The merging of my Eternal Curse Series blog with this one is still going on, so I keep having to update little things here and there. I’m slowly rolling out my new interview format, but this will take some time.
I’ve added and made changes to some of My Topics. I’ve added IWSG and Adventures in blogging. While I continue my weekly recaps on Saturday, I’ve started a weekly preview each Friday, entitled “Friday Forecast”, but both of these are logged under Uncategorized. My About Me topic has been changed to Listography-Top5-MyLife to more clearly define the articles lumped under that topic. My Memes topic has been changed to WWWWednesday-Blogdom for the same reason.
My side panel has been packed with alternating buttons for different events I’ve participated in (and will continue to do so), but I’ve added one button I plan to keep around for quite a while as an FYI. I think the ALLi button and article shared there are worth visiting by anyone who will look at it.
Then there’s my tabs; so much is going on up top. My Youtube tab replaced my Listography tab. My Spotlight tab continues to update as well as others. I’ve added Pinterest Board links to many pages. My Features tab finally has content in it. And, I’ve added three new tabs, either replacing others or using empty Coming Soon tabs. I’ve added tabs for Pre-orders, Associations, and Appearances.
Lastly, my picture under the Toi Thomas tab has been enhance with a link to a touching essay I wrote to help qualify me for The AuthorShow.com contest, “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading”.
All in all, I’ve done my best to make these changes seamless and hope I’ve kept this blog reading experience enjoyable. I’m not one to make idle changes, but if you have questions, suggestions, or comments for this blog, I’d love to hear them.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: Author Insights Tagged: blogging, change, contest, discussion, formating, information, life, promotion, reading, writing
Tea and Conversation 06: the Internet
Today I’m sharing a picture of a simple speckled tea cup from Pinterest. This is part of my personal collection.
Please do not copy this image. Click image to share on Pinterest.
Today in my meditation on the Eternal Curse, I’m writing about: Why the Internet?
I’ve never met someone online and then ended up in a romantic relationship with them. I have a few people online, whom I consider to be friends, but I have not made arrangements to meet these people in person (some of them live oceans away). I am not an advocate for internet socializing or dating, but from a networking point of view, it’s where the world is and where the world is headed.
I have had more in depth conversations with complete strangers, at times, than I have with people I’ve known for twenty years because of the Internet. I’m not an overly trusting person, but I like to connect on a certain level and the Internet makes that so much simpler. In my book, Giovanni and Mira find each other while using social media, each in search of something. I believe if you look for something long enough, you’ll find what you need.
Mira doesn’t run to the internet for comfort because she’s some sort of social outcast with no other options. She utilizes the internet for its anonymity. Giovanni, on the other hand, is a social outcast, but not because he wants to be or because he refuses to get along with others or conform to social norms. Giovanni also uses the internet for its anonymity because he knows that the world isn’t ready for someone like him.
In the visual world in which we live, a supermodel and middle school custodian may have loads of things in common: from the movies they like, the books they read, the drinks they prefer, and even the clothes they admire. Unfortunately, these two vastly different categorized public personas don’t look right next to one another, so they’ll never meet and get to know each other…But online a woman and a man can both share a pin on Pinterest for a baseball cap, rate and review the same Netflix movie a five, and “Like” a strangers post about having a bad day, because somewhere down the line, they connected.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: EC: Giovanni's Angel, Tea & Conversation Tagged: conversation, dreams, fantasy, fiction, pictures, stories, tea, writing
December 11, 2013
Sisterhood of the World of Bloggers Nomination!
I have been humbled, yet again, with a nomination for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers. Thank you ever so much, Andrea, from Review Books and More. Please stop by her page and show her some love to see what she has to share on this matter and also to learn more about this lovely award.
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To Andrea of Review Books and More…
image from Google search: http://www.businessofpt.com
If you receive a nomination for this award, would you please do the following.
-All recipients need to thank the giver.
-Post 7 things about yourself.
-Pass the award on to 7 other bloggers of your choice and let them know that they have been nominated.
-Include the logo of the award in a post or on your blog.
7 Things About Me:
1. I think I was nominated for a blog award when I first started out, but had no idea what it was and was too afraid to pursue it. I’ve come a long away.
Click here to see My Batman at Pinterest
2. I am a huge Batman fan, sometimes it can be a problem.
3. I am totally and completely mentally stable, but if I couldn’t read books or write books, I’d have to be committed.
4. Sometimes I take myself too seriously. Now that I’ve acknowledged that, I can move forward from denial and begin the healing process. 
5. I’m terrified that my book officially releases on February 18, 2014. I hope someone likes it.
6. I’m a wallflower. Many people see me standing there, but they don’t really notice me and I’m okay with that.
7. I’m a geek and proud of it.
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Here are my nominations.
This is an unofficial Author Insights post.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: Author Insights Tagged: 7 Things, Blog Award, blog hop, blogging, gratitude, nominate, Sisterhood of the World of Bloggers, thank you
Author Spotlight 2: Milton Kelly 1.1
An excerpt from
Walking In God’s Path Toward Your Destination Volume 1,
To Change Your Mindset
image provided by author
“Everyone takes a shower to get rid of the dirt on their physical bodies. So, doesn’t it only make sense to clean your mind from all of the negative garbage from the outside world? Think about that if we take a shower to clean the dirt of our body then why we can’t clean all of those negative thoughts out of our mind. Negative thoughts are nothing but dirt and poison in our mind. It clogs our mind from preventing positive things in our mind. When things especially negative things clog your mind, it doesn’t allow you to think the right things and continue through life effectively. Put things in priority and do those things first. Once that thing is done, you don’t have to think or dwell on that anymore. Keep doing that and before you know it, your mind is free and clear. When you have negative thoughts you are your own prisoners of negativity. Too bad our minds don’t have a delete button. It is very important that we need to cleanse the inner vessel because it affects our outer appearance. You are getting rid of that garbage in your mind.”
You may find this book at the following links:
Barnes & Noble Nook | Amazon | CreateSpace
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: Guest Posts Tagged: author, biography, book, Change Your Mindset, Christian, ebook, excerpt, Milton Kelly, non-fiction, sample, social networing, spotlight, Yahoo Contributors Network
Posts from the Past: EC:GA The Heroine
These are previous posts that have been dusted off, updated, and freshly presented to an audience that’s never seen them. These limited posts originate from the companion blogs I’ve written for the first two installments of the Eternal Curse Series (40 Days and Nights of Eternal Curse & EC: Battleground a Survival Guide).
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Mira is the one. She is the embodiment of humanity throughout out the story. She represents just how special human life is, with all its imperfections, weaknesses, and complete lack of supernatural power. Through Mira, the reader is reminded that even though she is, just human, she is capable of amazing feats.
Mira is a very serious character. She’s an academic and a businessperson, but she’s not cold hearted. She has morals and has compassion for her fellow man. Mira’s struggles are more emotional and psychological than Giovanni’s. Though she is quite wealthy when she’s first introduced in the story, the reader soon learns that she wasn’t always so fortunate.
While Giovanni struggles to accept and love himself, Mira struggles to feel like she really belongs somewhere. She’s constantly reaching out, many times in the wrong places, to find a sense of family or belonging she didn’t have growing up. The thing that’s most interesting about Mira is that, once you understand her struggles, as much as you want to feel sorry for her, you don’t.
You see, Mira is a very strong willed, confident, and attractive woman. You could take the common saying and turn it around for Mira…She’s a woman’s Woman. Everything about her, just about, makes you want to know her. She’s smart and compassionate, and knows how to relate to just about anyone, by taking the time to get to know them.
For those of you who are wondering, it doesn’t take long for Giovanni to be drawn to Mira’s body as well as her mind. She’s a 30-something black women, who’s five foot nine, and curvaceous. She is not overly sexy and top heavy, but subtly seductive and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Her skin is youthfully smooth and espresso colored. I could go on and on, but you can image the rest or just read the book.
There’s no great mystery as to why my heroine is an idealized 30-something black woman. I’m a black woman. Why wouldn’t I take an opportunity to portray such a positive image of what, I myself, aspire to be or look for in a hero. I also made a conscious effort to apply within this character, the types of attributes that make for a well-liked heroine.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: EC: Giovanni's Angel, Post of Past Tagged: angels, author, blogging, book, break down, character, demons, dreams, ebook, fantasy, fiction, good vs evil, journal, life, process, profile, purpose, stories, try this, writing
December 10, 2013
It’s @ReadTuesday today! Spread The Word. Yay #Books
Click on the fabulous READ TUESDAY image to visit the official event page. There you will be able to find links to all the authors and books being features in this sale extravaganza. Books are even separated into categories to make your online shopping experience a little smoother- oh and there are beautiful pictures of the all the participating book covers to help sway your decision.
So don’t be shy. Come on in and join the fun, but don’t forget to spread the word.
Happy Read Tuesday to you and many more to come!
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: author, Black Friday, books, Cyber Monday, discount, ebook, free, promotion, Read Tuesday, reading, sales event
Character Files from the ToiBox 39: Lilly- Psych Test
Rorschach Test
This is not a real Rorschach test , but simply a fun little additive to the whole character profile motif.
Subject EC:B 4-Lilly describe test image #1 as:
A very scary and very sad monster in search of something, “beware of those in search of something.”
This subject comes off as a sweet little old lady, and maybe she is, but she knows more than she lets on. She is considered harmless, but remains under observation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: Character Files, EC: Battleground Tagged: angels, being overwhelmed, blessings, character, cultural study, demons, fiction, profile, spec-fic
December 9, 2013
Author Spotlight 2: Milton Kelly 1.0
image from Amazon
Milton Kelly was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY in the section of Bedford Stuyvesant. He currently resides in Jersey City, NJ. Milton had worked for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter for the past 18 ½ years until late 2007. Then he took the opportunity to work with Primerica Financial Services for 3 ½ years as a former Independent Representative. He is a member of the BDPA-NY and the Gospel Music Workshop of America National Convention. Milton is an affiliate with the Association of Independent Authors (AIA). Milton believes in networking by building solid relationships. He is an expert on how to create a great relationship by networking. He is currently the creator of Create Your Own Opportunity Network Group on Facebook. He is also a Freelance Writer with The Yahoo Contributors Network. You can check at Milton on his blog: http://www.miltonkelly.wordpress.com/
Here is a list of other helpful links to learn more about this wonderful author:
Create Your Own Opportunity Network
Amazon Author Central: Milton Kelly
Milton Kelly Facebook Fan Page
Yahoo Contributors Network
HubPages: Milton Kelly
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: Guest Posts Tagged: author, biography, book, Christian, ebook, Milton Kelly, non-fiction, social networing, spotlight, Yahoo Contributors Network
Top 5: 06 Websites
This is a list of my top five something. Most of the time my lists are pretty static, but sometimes I do change my mind. While I do try to apply some logic to my choices, sometimes I pick things that make no sense and for no good reason other than “I like it.”
Feedly
Websites I Visit Daily
1. Google (associates and affiliates)
2. Feedly
3. WordPress
4. Pinterest
5. Amazon
-Honorable mention- Dictionary.com
I don’t think these need any explanations, but I can explain them if you want me to.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: About Me Tagged: author, biography, likes, personal, resources, top 5, websites 
