Vashti Quiroz-Vega's Blog, page 23
August 2, 2017
Watch RWISA Write Showcase Tour – Author Karen Ingalls
Hello and welcome to the 2nd day of the Watch RWISA Write Showcase Tour!
Today I have the privilege of introducing award-winning author, Karen Ingalls.
Karen is sharing with us her delightful short story, A Fishy Day. Enjoy!
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A FISHY DAY
It was one of those wonderful August days when the sun was high and warm in the sky. The big cumulus clouds slowly drifted by, creating designs that filled Jim’s imagination, who at nine years could see all kinds of amazing sights. He had been playing with his model airplane in his aunt and uncle’s yard, where he spent the summers on their ranch in San Diego, California. Staying with Uncle Leon and Aunt Helen was always a special time of adventure, fun and farm work.
“Jim, do you want to go to the pasture with me? We’ll check the water trough for the cattle,” Uncle Leon asked, at the same time he took his handkerchief and wiped some perspiration from his tan brow.
“Oh, yes,” Jim responded with great excitement. He ran to the front porch and put his treasured airplane on the table next to where Aunt Helen sat in her rocking chair.
Uncle Leon walked over to the Allis-Chalmers tractor and stretched his long, thin legs up and over onto the metal seat. “All right, Jim, you can come on up now.” Jim awkwardly managed to climb up and grab hold of his uncle’s hand, who swung him onto his lap. With the turn of the key the tractor began to vibrate and the engine roared. Shifting the gears into forward, Leon yelled, “Here we go!”
The pasture was a favorite place for Jim with its rolling hills, oak trees, and green grass. It was always a peaceful place where a boy could run until he was out of breath, and then fall onto the grass and let the wind gently blow over his panting body. Many were the times that Jim would spend his days, just climbing in the oak trees pretending he was hiding from some enemy, or shooting squirrels with his imaginary rifle.
He and his uncle drove through the pasture until they came to a large trough sitting by a water pump on the top of a knoll. The cattle were grazing some distance away, but their occasional moos could be heard.
Uncle Leon helped Jim off the tractor and then sauntered up to the trough. “Not much water left so we best get this filled up.”
Jim was leaning over the trough where the top of it just reached his chest. “What can I do? I want to help.”
“Well, now, how about you pump the water in once I get it primed,” replied Uncle Leon with his usual smiling face. He was happy that Jim wanted to help, but he also knew that pumping water would be a big job for such a young lad. Once he had the water flowing with each downward motion of the pump handle, he instructed, “Okay, young feller, it is your turn now.”
Jim eagerly grabbed the handle and standing on his tiptoes, pushed it down, smiling happily when the water gushed into the trough. He repeated the pumping for as long as he could, but all too quickly his arms and shoulders began to ache. Jim did not want to admit that he was getting tired, but his uncle knew and said, “How about if I do it for a while?”
Once the water neared the top, Jim leaned over cupping some water into his hands. “This is the best tasting water I’ve ever had,” Jim thought to himself. He slurped several handfuls into his dry mouth.
Looking over at his nephew, Leon asked with a twinkle in his eye, “Did you see that fish drop into the water from this here pump?”
“What fish?”
“Why, that fish that came right out of the pump into the trough. I thought sure you would have seen him while you were drinking the water.”
“No, sir. I didn’t see any fish.” Jim wiped his mouth with his shirt sleeve and earnestly looked in the water.
“Well, he must still be in there.” Uncle Leon leaned over the trough looking for the mysterious fish. “Now isn’t that something. I can’t see him anywhere.” He peeked a look at his nephew, who now had eyes as big as saucers. “I wonder if you accidentally swallowed that poor little fish while you were drinking all that water.”
Jim stepped back from the trough and began to rub his stomach. “I don’t think so, sir.” The minutes passed and Uncle Leon continued to wonder out loud what happened to the fish. Jim began to imagine that the fish was swimming in his stomach. “I don’t feel so good,” Jim said as he stretched down on the cool grass.
Seeing that his nephew was fearful and feeling sick, Uncle Leon laid down next to him and pointed up towards the clouds. “Jim, look at that cloud up there. See the little one next to the big puffy cloud?”
He waited until Jim nodded his head and said, “I think so.”
“It kind of looks like a fish, doesn’t it? I wonder if that is the fish that was in the trough.”
Jim looked at his uncle, then up at the clouds, and then back at his uncle who was smiling from ear to ear. Uncle Leon laughed and began to tickle Jim’s stomach. “Or, is that fish still here? Where is that fish?”
Jim laughed and joked right back while he patted his uncle’s stomach. “No, I think that fish is right here!”
Soon they both stopped laughing and just looked at one another. “I hope I don’t tease you too much,” Uncle Leon said.
“Oh no, Sir.” Jim looked at his uncle and went on to say, “I like to tease my younger brothers. Mother is always telling me not to do it too much. She doesn’t want them to cry.”
“Well, I would never want to make you cry.” Uncle Leon put his big hand on Jim’s head. “Do you know why?” Jim slowly shook his head back and forth not wanting his uncle to remove his hand. “I love you too much to ever make you cry for any reason.”
With tears in his eyes, Jim whispered, “I love you, too.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sun, the warm breeze, and just being next to one another in the grass, watching the clouds drift by. It was a special day that Jim always remembered with a smile.
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I hope you enjoyed Karen’s sweet, heartwarming short story, as much as I did. Check out Karen Ingalls’ Amazon Profile Page where you will learn more about her and find all her books.
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Thank you for supporting this member along the WATCH “RWISA” WRITE Showcase Tour today! We ask that if you have enjoyed this member’s writing, to please visit their Author Page on the RWISA site, where you can find more of their writing, along with their contact and social media links, if they’ve turned you into a fan. WE ask that you also check out their books in the RWISA or RRBC catalogs. Thanks, again for your support and we hope that you will follow each member along this amazing tour of talent! Don’t forget to click the link below to learn more about this author:
Karen Ingalls RWISA Author Page
Tagged: author, Author Spotlight, blog tour, Karen Ingalls, Rave Reviews Book Club, RRBC, RWISA, The Writer Next Door, Vashti Quiroz-Vega
August 1, 2017
Watch WRISA Write – Showcase Blog Tour
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Hello and a warm welcome to my blog! Happy 1st day of August. This is a very special month in my family because my sisters and I were all born on this month. This year, the month of August is extra special because of the Rave Reviews Book Club’s month long blog tour dedicated to the wonderful and brilliant authors of RWISA.
RWISA stands for Rave Writers International Society of Authors and it is a prestigious organization that prides itself on including incredible INDIE authors.
For the entire month of August the various highly talented and distinguished RWISA authors will be featured and spotlighted on the blogs of many of the RRBC members. I will not be able to participate in the form of a blog post everyday because this happens to also be the month that I release my new novel, The Fall of Lilith. August 1st is actually the ‘Release Day’ for the eBook and the paperback should be available soon. So I will be very busy promoting my new book, but I will continue to support all the RWISA members as much as I can via social media – Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, Goodreads, Pinterest and StumbleUpon.
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Follow Yvette on Twitter by clicking on her picture.
The talented Author and poet being spotlighted today is Yvette M. Calleiro.
She has shared this lovely poem with us. Enjoy.
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Words
By Yvette M Calleiro
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The written word and I
Are cherished friends,
Embracing each other’s thoughts and emotions
Like kindred spirits,
Dancing on clouds.
Bosom buddies who gossip and giggle
And gasp at all the same moments.
She and I are equals,
More than that, really.
We are two parts of a whole,
Complementing and complimenting the other,
Perfect beings.
The spoken word and I
Skirt around each other’s social circles.
We stumble around awkward pauses,
Unable to pull the perfect word or phrase
From our filing cabinet of knowledge.
Ease and grace flee without a moment’s notice.
She is more skilled than I.
She whispers her intricately woven ideas into my mind,
But her delicate strength is no match for
The hills of anxiety and the mountains of insecurity
That obstruct her path to freedom.
Before her words can reach my tongue,
They unravel into shreds of confusion,
Left unspoken.
If only the written word and the spoken word
Could meet…
They would live in perfect harmony.
But alas…
It is not meant to be,
Neither willing to leave her domain,
Each content to dance alone,
And I…
I am stuck in the middle,
Pulled in both directions,
Reveling in the comfort of the written word,
Needing the spoken word to survive.
But still I dream
Of the day when my words will intermingle
And a new love affair can be born.
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Thank you for supporting this member along the WATCH “RWISA” WRITE Showcase Tour today! We ask that if you have enjoyed this member’s writing, to please visit their Author Page on the RWISA site, where you can find more of their writing, along with their contact and social media links, if they’ve turned you into a fan. WE ask that you also check out their books in the RWISA or RRBC catalogs. Thanks, again for your support and we hope that you will follow each member along this amazing tour of talent! Don’t forget to click the link below to learn more about this author:
Yvette Calleiro’s RWISA Author Page
Tagged: Author Spotlight, blog tour, Rave Reviews Book Club, RWISA, The Writer Next Door, Vashti Q, Vashti Quiroz-Vega, Watch RWISA Write, Yvette M Calleiro
July 29, 2017
BOOK COVER REVEAL | The Fall of Lilith (Fantasy Angels Series)
Writing to transport you to extraordinary worlds with a touch of dark.
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“The Fall of Lilith is a compelling narrative that provides background on several well-known, supernatural figures. Though obviously religious in nature, Quiroz-Vega’s book strays far from traditional biblical text. Sea monsters, mermaids, and vampires share the stage with angels and demons. And illicit (and explicit) affairs, violent battles, and graphic injuries abound. Quiroz-Vega’s prose is incredibly descriptive.
A well-written, descriptive, and dark creation story.”
–– Kirkus Reviews
Words cannot express how happy I was when I finally received and read the review for my novel, The Fall of Lilith from Kirkus. The entire review was great but it gave away too much of the story. The excerpt above is taken from the last few lines of the review. However, if you don’t mind spoilers and you want to read the entire review, you may do so here.
Kirkus Reviews (or Kirkus Media) is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City.
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**You can read an excerpt from The Fall of Lilith here.
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Floraison by Jeff Brown | Animation by CK Dawn (Book Cover Animations)
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So, without further ado, here is the book cover for The Fall of Lilith .
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Cover Design by Damonza.com | Illustration insert by Michael C. Hayes
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Blurb:
“I merely assisted you in doing what you desired all along.”
So says Lilith, the most exquisite of the angels. The two most important pledges an angel makes to God are those of obedience and celibacy, and dire consequences await any who break their oaths.
At first, the angels are happy in their celestial home, learning and exploring together. As they grow older, though, Lilith begins to question these pledges, which now seem arbitrary and stifling. Her challenge of the status quo leads to disagreement, jealousy, and strife among her peers. As the arguing and acrimony grow, lines are drawn and sides are chosen. Is war inevitable?
Filled with robust characters, incredible landscapes, and exciting action, The Fall of Lilith is an epic tale of seduction, betrayal, and revenge.
Free Will involves asking difficult questions and making hard choices, choices that require strength and sacrifice. These decisions can tear apart friendships and cause rifts between allies.
They can even threaten the foundations of Heaven.
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The ‘Falling Angel’ illustration is by Michael C. Hayes *Click on his name to see more of his work.
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**The eBook for The Fall of Lilith is available for pre-order on Amazon! Yay! Get it here.
July 28, 2017
Haiku Friday – Fate & Make
“Only you have control of your mood. Not others. You control yourself. Not others. You make your own decisions. Not others. You have control.”
I think fate is like a river; you can allow the current to push you along and control where you end up or you can become a strong swimmer and swim against the current.
FATEby Vashti Q
Your future’s not set
Our fate’s more vast than the sea
Forge your own outcome
Reach for that spark within you
And release your inner self
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“You can’t force creatives into a box. If you try, they’ll no longer be creative. And no one will want your box.”
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Fate and Make are this week’s prompt words chosen by Ronovan Hester of Ronovan Writes.
Ron hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge every Monday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your haiku poem. He is an author and poet and also does author interviews and much more on his blog. Be sure to check it out. Read Ron’s Haiku Prompt Challenge Guidelines for more information.
Book Cover Reveal for The Fall of Lilith on Monday 7/31/17 –– last day of the month.
Have a great day!
Tagged: fate, haiku challenge, haiku friday, poetry, RonovanWrites, The Writer Next Door, Vashti Q, Vashti Quiroz-Vega
July 25, 2017
WRITERS’ CONFERENCE & BOOK EXPO, 2017! ~ #RRBC
The Rave Reviews Book Club is celebrating their annual Writers’ Conference & Book Expo.. If you’ve been curious about the club or have been thinking about joining, attending this event will give you the opportunity to see what all the ‘hype’ is about. Let’s get together and learn from the best.
This year’s theme is: When you know better, you produce better.
This event promises to help you:
*Get inspired and get to writing
*Market your work to avid readers
*Strengthen your craft of writing
*Network with like-minded individuals
*. . . and so much more!
This (virtual) conference and expo. will have something grand in store for everyone! Follow the link and learn more.
July 21, 2017
Haiku Friday – Pink & Shell
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“She is a mermaid, but approach her with caution. Her mind swims at a depth most would drown in.”
~J Iron Word
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An enchanting mermaid swam through the oceans of the world trying to forget her past. You see, not long ago she found a young man resting on a strip of sand punctuated by palm trees, and it was love at first sight. She lured him to sea and they swam together. They kissed and caressed, as they laughed giddy with pleasure. She held him tight and plunged into the depths, failing to remember in cruel bliss that even lovers drown.
So she swam and swam, all the while the distance she created did not relieve her heartache. She came to a mystical land of pink sandy beaches. Relieved to be far from the terrain of men she rested. The ocean sighed and brought in the tide and as she breathed the salty air she felt a stir in her middle. She rubbed her belly and felt it pop. Soon after, she realized she was with child.
Although the child would be offspring to the one she had lost at sea––the one whose blinding smile still burned in her eyes––she swore to the ocean she would always care for it. But when a male babe was born in the likeness of her lost love she did not know how she would keep her promise. Every day she fed the babe and cared for him, only leaving him at night when she returned to the sea. She always left him sleeping, swaddled in palm fronds in a small trench she dug near the water.
Days turn to weeks and as the little male child grew, so did her suffering for he reminded her of the lover she held too long underwater. Finally, one night she prayed to the ocean goddess asking for help. After hours of tearful prayers she went into the sea to sleep with the coral. The next morning she awoke and swam dutifully to the pink shore to feed and care for her child.
When she arrived to the area where she had left him for the night––he wasn’t there. Swaddled in palm fronds was a large conch shell. She picked it up and examined it in her hand. It was the most exquisite shell she had ever laid eyes on. A soft, mellifluous sound escaped the shell. The mermaid lifted it to her ear and heard the voice of the ocean goddess, “This is your baby boy. He shall be easier to care for now.”
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She danced with coral
Happy as a clam with pearl
Till in love she fell
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Pink and Shell are this week’s prompt words chosen by Ronovan Hester of Ronovan Writes.
Ron hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge every Monday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your haiku poem. He is an author and poet and also does author interviews and much more on his blog. Be sure to check it out. Read Ron’s Haiku Prompt Challenge Guidelines for more information.
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Have a happy Friday, everyone!
Tagged: flash fiction, Friday, haiku, mermaids, pink, poetry, RonovanWrites, short story, The Writer Next Door, Vashti Q, Vashti Quiroz-Vega
July 17, 2017
SPOTLIGHT: Musician Mihran ‘Mino’ Kalaydjian
It is rare today for a classical musician to have mainstream appeal and simultaneously garner critical acclaim. Mihran ‘Mino’ Kalaydjian sells out symphony halls with his talent and star quality. So needless to say, I am ecstatic to have him on my blog today.
“The piano keys are black and white but they sound like a million colors in your mind.”
~Maria Cristina Mena
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Award-winning Solo pianist and composer, Mihran Kalaydjian delivers heartfelt piano melodies with a rare level of artistry and emotion.
In his words . . .
On a personal note, I love the outdoors, comedy, bbq, reading and traveling. I worked in the beer industry in college, so I love talking about good beer. I used to be a competitive runner so (like all runners) if you make the mistake of asking me, I’ll tell you about my entire career and PRs. I also spent my youth working in restaurants, so if you’ve done the same, we can swap stories.
Music is more than just notes on a page or a series of different pitches. Music is an art, and through art we are able to discover who we are in ways that we never would through anything else. Music is the desire to draw inspiration from everything we see and hear, to truly be aware of ourselves and our surroundings, and to translate atmosphere into sound.
Mihran composed the following musical piece for my poem, ‘FATHER’
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Father
by Vashti Q
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His brown eyes deepened into polished onyx, and upon them came a mist of tears.
He watched with the facade of a brave man as his baby boy entered the world.
As if his mind and body were not consumed by overwhelming fears.
What are my duties? There are no guidelines. Where do I start?
The babe in his arms felt so natural, yet so alien. A fire blazed in his chest.
“You are a father now.” The words were jolting, yet pleasing to his heart.
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His brown eyes deepened into polished onyx, and upon them came a mist of tears.
He watched with the façade of a calm man as his son toddled, taking his first steps.
As if his mind and body were not consumed by overwhelming fears.
What if he falls? What if he hurts himself? Then I would have failed as a father.
The toddler tottered to him embracing him with dulcet giggles.
As he held his son, it did not feel alien. His heart gave way for love to conquer.
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His brown eyes deepened into polished onyx, and upon them came a mist of tears.
He watched with the façade of a cool man as his son introduced him to his first girl.
As if his mind and body were not consumed by overwhelming fears.
What if he falls in love? What if she breaks his heart?
He embraced his son and slipped extra cash in his pocket.
As he held his son, it felt like love, and he rested assured his son was smart.
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His brown eyes deepened into polished onyx, and upon them came a mist of tears.
He watched with the façade of a brave man as his son grew and had sons of his own.
As if his mind and body were not consumed by overwhelming fears.
Did I raise him right? Did I teach him to be a good husband and father?
He embraced his son, and they were swathed by the love they both felt.
As he held his son, his questions were answered, and he grew calmer.
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His son’s brown eyes deepened into polished onyx, and upon them came a mist of tears.
He watched his father wear the façade of a spent man as he lay on a hospital bed.
His son’s mind and body were consumed by overwhelming fears.
Am I doing the right thing? Who am I to decide when his time has come?
His face dampened with sorrow as he embraced his father.
As he held his father’s weary body and gazed into his dimming eyes, his questions were answered, and he grew calmer.
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His brown eyes deepen into polished onyx, and upon them comes a mist of tears.
He watches with the façade of a pitiful man as his son reaches for that plug.
He is ready to leave this world and grateful his son has let go of his fears.
As his son holds his ruined body, and he feels the lifeblood drain from his eyes, he knows he has raised him right.
His mind and body are consumed with overwhelming love.
His son has given him the gift of peace, and his happy spirit travels toward the light.
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Q & A with Mihran Kalaydjian
When and why did you start playing?
I grew up in a family of musicians. My mother is a piano teacher and my father was a conductor in Jerusalem, Israel. My mother had a large influence on my musical development; she was the one who introduced me to music. Thanks to her, I was surrounded by music from the very beginning. Since childhood, I remember listening Berlioz’s “Fantastic Symphony”, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto, Chopin Etudes and many other beautiful music compositions. It was one little song that inspired me to start playing piano. I loved the song so much that I would sing it over and over. I was only Four years old, and of course I didn’t know how to read notes, so I tried to pick up the music by ear. When I sat down to play the song, it came easily. It was joy for me to be able to “perform” my favorite song and share it with my family and friends.
I started playing on my own aged around 7 or 8. At 11 I had a handful of lessons by a teacher who struggled to sight-read my Grade 2 pieces.
Actually, although most people find this difficult to believe, there was never a time where I decided I wanted to become a pianist. Instead, my early passion for composing was the driving force in my decision to be a professional musician, and the pianist part just came naturally with that. Inherently, I have great angst when I compose, for I “hear” so much more than what can be created on the piano as it exists now or any other singular instruments for that matter. Having said that, the piano is truly unique and unparalleled.
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What was the first tune(s) you learned?
The Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto 2. This was a piece that I’ve always wanted to play, since high school, and I never had the opportunity to. I think it’s one of the most dramatic pieces out there, and I really wanted the opportunity to play it with an orchestra
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Is your family musical?
I grew up in a family of musicians. My mother is a piano teacher and my father was a conductor in Jerusalem, Israel. My mother had a large influence on my musical development; she was the one who introduced me to music. Thanks to her, I was surrounded by music from the very beginning. Since childhood, I remember listening Berlioz’s “Fantastic Symphony”, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto, Chopin Etudes and many other beautiful music compositions. It was one little song that inspired me to start playing piano. I loved the song so much that I would sing it over and over. I was only Four years old, and of course I didn’t know how to read notes, so I tried to pick up the music by ear. When I sat down to play the song, it came easily. It was joy for me to be able to “perform” my favorite song and share it with my family and friends.
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Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?
Mahler at first. A unique harmonious invention and a capacity to be granted no limits in language, nor at the same time to give nothing up.
Then, the composers-pianists Liszt, Scriabin and Chopin, to whom I dedicated several recordings (Complete Chopin Nocturnes, Complete Poems by Scriabin…)
Mine are Andras Schiff (I love his Hammerklavier sonata interpretation in particular, & his lyrical tone) & Wolf Harden for his Busoni Fantasia Contrappuntistica interpretation. But Busoni actually indicated breathing places in certain of his works.
So many it is difficult to pick! I love Pierre-Laurent Aimard, he is an inspiration. Argerich as well. I cannot live without her Prokofiev.
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Who was your first teacher? Other teachers?
I had always loved music and I sang ever since I can remember. My mother tells me that I started singing, quite in tune, even before I talked.
My first piano teacher’s name was Augustine Lama & Colin Stone. Because I was only four years old, Augustine Lama at 65 was older than my grandparents, and looked so old to me as to be very intimidating. On top of that, when he asked how old I was and realized I was four, he told me that I was too young to start piano lessons, and then maybe I should wait another year. I started crying so much that he said, “Okay, I will put you to the test.” He started beating very complicated rhythms that I should imitate, then he went to the piano and played a few notes, then chords, while I was turned around, looking in the other direction. I was able to go back to the piano and play exactly what he had played. When he realized I had perfect pitch, and after seeing how I had a good sense of rhythm, to my delight, he changed his mind and said, “You can start Monday.”
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How do you enjoy performing lesser known contemporary music? Is this more of a challenge as far as selling the audience of the performance?
Learning contemporary music can be a challenge because our starting point of reference is not the same. However, I think any good piece will eventually show itself to be worthwhile and of real value. I think most of us love what feels familiar, even if we don’t think we do, so communicating the unknown to any audience, takes belief, commitment and perhaps some explanation to set the scene. Let’s not forget that all music has been contemporary at some stage or another!
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Describe your first instrument.
In the beginning, like many people, there was a gradual attraction to music and playing through the years of my very early childhood.
My interest in music and playing an instrument was the result of a gradual process of experimenting and playing around with pots, pans and toy drums, dancing and writing little songs. I remember really liking the tactile aspect of playing percussion instruments. By the time I was in primary school, I became very interested in writing songs. It was strongly suggested I learn piano as a means of developing this interest, but for me, I somehow had a very strong feeling I needed to play drums. I did however, start playing guitar a little bit and wrote songs on that instrument but not with the seriousness with which I studied and practiced drums.
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What is the most unusual aspect of traveling as a concert artist?
When I travel to a distant city for a concert, sometimes I’ll stay in a hotel, but very often I’ll stay with a “host family”—a local family that is usually the patron of the concert hall I’ll be playing in or the orchestra I’ll be playing with. Living in their homes, I have developed very close relationships with these families who are like substitute parents for me when I travel. My host families have become some of my closest friends in the world.
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Do you play any other types of music other than solo?
I love playing chamber music. Chamber music encourages interactive collaboration as a value that every musician should learn to have. Being a pianist can be a solitary pursuit; chamber music is broadening the ways in which one thinks about and expresses oneself as a musician. It also opens the door to more performance opportunities, rather than pursuing a career purely as a soloist. A chamber performance uniquely offers the musicians the opportunity to cooperate with each other while simultaneously communicating intimately with an audience in a manner that would not be possible in larger performance situations. As a solo pianist, you spend most of your time practicing alone in a room with just your instrument for company. But with a trio, you have to be in tune—literally and figuratively—with two other musicians. The three of you have to find a common interpretation of the music, or you’re not really a trio—you’re just three people who happen to be playing at the same time.
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What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current projects.
Composing is, for me, an inner necessity: music is a fruit of the spirit that can sometimes lead us to the Absolute. When you compose, it becomes possible to fulfill the desire to create a world of your own, a personal microcosm where you set the rules and also make their exceptions.
Make music that I love and be happy.
My current projects are moving me in two directions, which sometimes overlap. First, I am recording the words of Granados, whose works, including the complete version of “Goyescas,” are not really as well-known as they should be.
I have fallen in love with his works’ distinct Spanish flavor, color, and rhythm. In preparing the music, I immersed myself not just in Spanish music but also in Spanish art and literature; the music is very dramatic.
I will keep enjoying my collaboration as soloist, Composer recording for the music publication ‘Pianist Millennium Production’; a tour in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, New York for Christmas Melody, Texas, at the end of the year with other concert activities as usual; and learn more Rachmaninov pieces!
In the opera version, two men meet a woman, flatter her, and fall in love with her. But eventually love turns into a duel to the death between the suitors, and the woman’s true love dies in her arms.
The second direction is finding ways to bring classical music to more listeners though the connections I have established with several world-renowned brands.
Dolce & Gabbana has supplied my concert gowns, and I have performed for Breguet, the distinguished Switzerland’s watchmaker, at the Frick Collection in New York. Right now, I am touring the showrooms of Roche Bobois, the leading French retailer of modern furniture.
While my music can be used to help these brands, I see these relationships as a great opportunity to bring classical music to new audiences.
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What advice would you give to anyone serious about being a classical musician?
Everyone in every business talks about the need to network and socialize. I realize that’s true, even in the arts; I see frequently that aspiring artists are overwhelmed by the business side of things and neglect their artistic developments.
But you can never let these roles take too much time away from the time you spend on your art itself. You should never lose sight of your dream!
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Tell us about your website/blog. What will readers find there?
http://www.mihrankalaydjianpiano.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MihranKalaydjianPianoMelodies
And finally, a few fun questions…
A favorite movie? Lawrence of Arabia
A musical instrument? Piano
A composer? Magnus Lindberg
A book? The Black Swan of Nassim Nicholas Taleb
A city? London
A song? Bohemian Raphsody by Queen
A TV Series? Juncal
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“I’m an interpreter of stories. When I perform it’s like sitting down at my piano and telling fairy stories.”
~Nat King Cole
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Connect with Mihran on Social Media
Google+
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“I am still more and more aware of the true purpose of music and the people who play it: to heal and unite the planet.”
~Mihran Kalaydjian
Tagged: Mihran Kalaydjian, musician, pianist, piano, quotes, spotlight, The Writer Next Door, Vashti Q, Vashti Quiroz-Vega
July 14, 2017
Haiku Friday – Amuse & Irate
“If your work isn’t exciting, doesn’t stir the emotions, where’s the challenge? Where’s the progress if you always play it safe?”
~Michael Douglas
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All pictures are from my ‘Dream Writing Spaces‘ Board on Pinterest
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I’m a writer of horror, thriller and epic/dark fantasy. From the time I was a young kid, writing has been my passion. I’ve always been a writer—I just didn’t know it until much later. For me, it is easier to express my thoughts on paper than through the spoken word. I enjoy making people feel an array of emotions with my writing. I like my audience to laugh one moment, cry the next and clench their jaws after that.
When I write I feel alive. I feel like I am being my true self. I love to entertain with my writing and stir the soul and for some reason a lesson or two will always creep up at the end for my readers to learn.
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#WritersLife
by Vashti Q
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I write to amuse
I write to touch and change moods
Sometimes I provoke
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“I will not be a common man. I will stir the smooth sands of monotony.”
~Peter O’Toole
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Amuse and Irate are this week’s prompt words chosen by Ronovan Hester of Ronovan Writes.
Ron hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge every Monday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your haiku poem. He is an author and poet and also does author interviews and much more on his blog. Be sure to check it out. Read Ron’s Haiku Prompt Challenge Guidelines for more information.
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Happy Friday and great weekend everyone!
Tagged: haiku friday, Pinterest, poetry, RonovanWrites, Vashti Q, Vashti Quiroz-Vega, writing
July 10, 2017
SPOTLIGHT: Teagan’s Books | Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene
“Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”
~Native American Proverb
Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene, is a true storyteller with a vivid imagination. She enjoys interacting with the readers on her blog and her readers take part in the creation of her serial stories. A southerner by birth, she was “enchanted” by the desert southwest of the USA when she moved there. She had always devoured fantasy novels of every type. Then one day there was no new book readily at hand for reading — so she decided to write one. And she hasn’t stopped writing since.
Her work is colored by her experiences in both the southern states and the southwest. Teagan writes many types of fantasy, from what she likes to call “quest type” fantasy, to urban fantasy, to fantasies with a dash of mystery. Her blog, Teagan’s Books contains serial stories written according to contributions from viewers.
Teagan’s major influences include Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, and Charlaine Harris.
The novella version of the serial that helped establish her blog is now available.
The Three Things Serial Story is a spontaneously written (“pantser”) story. Everything in it — characters, setting, plot, was driven by “things” left by readers of the blog Teagan’s Books, episode by episode. Each week readers left three more things. The story evolved according to what those random things inspired. The serial began with oscillating fan, which brought me the vision of the 1920s setting. The era and narrator continued in two more serials that followed. While it was not great literature, it sure was a fun ride! Here’s a trailer to put you in a Roaring Twenties mood.
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“Creativity takes courage.”
~Henri Matisse
Check out Teagan’s other books here.
Connect with her on Social Media
Amazon Author Page
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Be sure to visit Teagan’s blog, Teagan’s Books. It’s one of the most creative, colorful and fun blogs you’ll ever visit.
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Have a wonderful week and join me on Friday for ‘Haiku Friday’!
Tagged: author, Novel, readers, spotlight, storytelling, Teagan Riordain Geneviene, Teagan's Books, The Writer Next Door, Vashti Q, Vashti Quiroz-Vega
July 7, 2017
Haiku Friday – Ocean & Shore
“I want to be a mermaid. Mermaids don’t drown.”
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Illustration by Matty Lasuire (DeviantArt – PeculiarDork)
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“I am a siren, and for my adoration of mankind, have been caught in fishing nets one time too many. And in those fishing nets I have learned too many unfavorable things about human intentions and the lack of trust and goodwill; I’m not going to allow myself to be caught, anymore. Sirens do well at singing the sirens’ song and dragging vile people to their deaths, and for good reason!”
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Illustration by Waldemar-Kazak on DeviantArt
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Gadreel’s Song
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I sang my sweet song
Where ocean waves lapped the shore
Still no mermaids came
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“I must be a mermaid. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living.”
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Ocean and Shore are this week’s prompt words chosen by Ronovan Hester of Ronovan Writes.
Ron hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge every Monday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your haiku poem. He is an author and poet and also does author interviews and much more on his blog. Be sure to check it out. Read Ron’s Haiku Prompt Challenge Guidelines for more information.
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Have a happy Friday and great weekend!
Tagged: Fantasy_Angels_Series, Gadreel, haiku, haiku friday, mermaids, poetry, RonovanWrites, The Writer Next Door, Vashti Q, Vashti Quiroz-Vega
