Vashti Quiroz-Vega's Blog, page 35
February 21, 2016
10 Questions for Ronovan Hester
Hello everyone! I have a treat for you today. I’m an avid reader and self proclaimed bookworm and to me as well as others like me it is always fun when a new, intriguing book is released. Do you enjoy fascinating stories about pirates? Well then you’ll love The Razor’s Adventures Pirate Tales by P.S. Bartlett. I have featured P.S. Bartlett and her books on this blog and you can check out that post here.
Today’s focus will be on the wonderful and talented Ronovan Hester since P.S. Bartlett’s recent installment in The Razor’s Adventure series, Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling is co-authored by him. This is not your typical pirate story since Ronovan puts his love of History and his 20+ years of writing experience to use in his debut Historical Adventure set in 1705 England, American Colonies, and Caribbean.
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Ronovan’s Bio:
Ronovan Hester is a writer living near Athens, Ga, home of his alma mater, The University of Georgia, where he received a B.S.Ed. in History Education. Ronovan puts his love of history and his over 20 years of writing experience to use in his debut Historical Adventure set in 1705 England, American Colonies, and Caribbean co-authored with P.S. Bartlett.
Ronovan’s devotion to history and writing sometimes competes with his love of tacos and fresh fruit. At times, all his favorite things work hand in hand in mouth during long binge writing sessions that have been known to last nonstop for over 24 hours. Rather than see a sleep disorder as a hindrance, he uses the time for creative purposes or watching old TV shows on online.
Ronovan enjoys putting elements of history, if only as nods to the past, in all of his book projects. He currently instills that love of history and learning in his son daily as he helps him through his college prep courses, meaning hours of homework every night, even while not yet a teenager–his son, not Ronovan. Now if he could find a very good mute for that trumpet his son just began learning.
One of your 10 fun facts is that you love to cook. If P.S. Bartlett arrived at your house for dinner what would you make for her?
I would go Southern. I make very good Southern Fried Chicken, biscuits, and I these potato wedges that I batter then fry, then oven bake. It’s something I created, and everyone loves them. I fry them enough to get them brown and slightly crisp, then into the oven to finish cooking over a rack to let the excess oil come out. I cover them with foil so as not to let the brown much more or burn. You end up with a crispy on the outside, completely done on the inside oven fry. You spice the batter how you like it and either make or use your favorite condiment if you want to dip them in something. There would of course be sweet iced tea. For dessert a peach cobbler, since I live in the Peach State.
Another fun fact about you is that you love the sound and feel of the ocean at night. Have you seen the movie ‘JAWS’?
I did. I also saw the Jaws 3D in the movie theaters when it first came out with some older cousins.
One more fun fact about you is that you enjoy eating lunch sitting under a tree while watching and listening to birds. If you could be any bird which would you be?
I think I’m pretty much a Robin if you look at me. I can’t escape that.
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10 Questions for Ronovan Hester
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1/ Tell me about your book
Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling is a historical adventure beginning in a sailor’s pub in 1705 London and then taking to the seas. Court-martialed due to the events in the pub, Captain Gabriel Wallace of the Royal Navy finds aide with his former crew who mutiny against the Royal Navy, just in time to avoid capture by his enemies. Wallace has more than one mission/objective during his war against the men behind his disgrace but only he is aware of it. This secret causes some problems as the story unfolds and Wallace and his men go after the biggest haul a pirate has ever attempted in the waters of the Caribbean, all in the name of revenge and loyalty.
Reads like a riveting story! And not your typical pirate story.
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2/ What inspired you to write this book?
After many conversations with PS Bartlett, the creator of the Ivory Shepard world of pirates, the discussion came around to her thoughts of a sequel to her very first pirate novel, The Blue Diamond: The Razor’s Edge. A book I enjoyed a great deal. I had the idea of her writing a prequel series of books of how her main character became a lady pirate captain, while I wrote the book that would currently be the beginning of the entire series and become known as Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling. By the way, not only does Microsoft Word object to the use of lady in this paragraph, but Ivory Shepard would as well.
Ah, ha, ha. I guess ‘female’ is the word that comes to mind then. The idea of a ‘prequel series’ telling how the main character comes to be, who she is in the original series is quite brilliant.
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3/ Why team up with another writer, instead of writing this book on your own?
I looked at it as a two-fold thing. One, I would be helping PS Bartlett get one more book out in her series. In this book, I could give a different perspective, a different voice than that of Ivory Shepard. There needed to be that different voice. Second, I’m a historian and love research. Thus, I saw this as a challenge of sorts. Just as I challenged myself to write a Southern Romance, completely out of my comfort zone, I did this, which was a new genre for me. I do historical fiction more around WWI and WWII.
Although not a historian I share your love of research. I’m happy you took this on and wish you continued success.
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4/ Which is your favorite character in the book? Why?
I would have to say Gabriel Wallace is my favorite because I put so much of me into him. Some of that’s been taken out because of the collaboration, but I know where I show up. People that know me will know what I wrote and not. The styles mesh but my personal character is different from some of what Wallace ends up as. Gimby, the helmsman is a good one too.
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5/ Which character in the book would you not get along with? Why?
That’s a tough one. There are times, due to circumstances a couple of people are difficult to deal with. One is somewhat obvious when you begin reading the book, and the other grows into someone less than a joy to know.
Very diplomatic answer.
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6/ Finish these statements:
-If I wasn’t afraid I would move to a better climate part of the world with a beach and a nice ocean view, although I’m not really afraid of much.
Florida awaits!
-Someday, I want to be successful enough at writing to pay the bills and maybe help form some sort of foundation to fight some children’s problem.
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7/ You have multiple personalities, describe some of them.
First, I’m not sure how you knew that. Second, I’m a workaholic one minute and a total veg the next. That might be part of some health issues though. I have the funny guy side, then the serious the next. Yes, I’m a Gemini.
I pay attention, Ron.
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8/ List 5 adjectives to describe yourself?
Hopeful
Romantical (My creation of a word.)
Caring
Idealistic
Inquisitive
Yes! I agree with all five. I’ve come to see all of these in you and your writing.
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9/ How have your physical problems affected your writing?
That’s a big one. I could make a long list of negative things, but I look to the end result being I use the time I have to write as much as I can, which at times is a lot. If I had normal health I wouldn’t have a book out right now. I see this as one of those things where God took an extreme bad thing and used it for an extreme good in my achieving getting a book published which can show others anything can happen if you work at it.
That’s a very positive and inspiring way to look at a traumatic experience in your life. I love your outlook.
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10/ How is Captain Gabriel Wallace like or unlike Captain Jack Sparrow?
The two are about as opposite as you can get. Wallace is a trained captain in the Royal Navy, member of the upper class of society, actually a member of the House of Lords, well educated, and has a certain level of morality that dictates a lot of his actions. He doesn’t mind fun and jokes but his focus is his mission and the well-being of his crew. Wallace is not really a pirate, but more a soldier at war with a given enemy.
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Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon.com
Amber Wake; Gabriel Falling on Amazon.UK
Amber Wake; Gabriel Falling on Amazon.CA
Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon.IN
You may connect with Ronovan through:
Amazon Author Page: Ronovan Hester
Amazon UK Author Page: Ronovan Hester
Personal Blog: RonovanWrites.WordPress.com
Author Site: RonovanHester.com
Book Review Site: LitWorldInterviews.com
Twitter: @RonovanWrites
Goodreads Author: Ronovan Hester
Facebook: Ronovan Writes
Google+: Ronovan Writes
LinkedIn: Ronovan Hester
About.me: Ronovan
Pinterest: RonovanWrites
Synopsis
The autumn of 1705 brings Royal Navy Captain Gabriel Wallace to face off against an enemy within the ranks of the Admiralty itself that threatens his career, his reputation, his family, and something even more far-reaching in its plot.
Court-martialed and with Admiral Chambers, the mastermind fearfully known as the Chambers of Hell, out for his destruction, Wallace finds he has allies willing to face the might of the mightiest power on earth, with some allies in the most unlikely of places. The crew of his former command, the Majesty’s Venture, mutinies from the Royal Navy. With capture by his enemies close behind, Wallace agrees to become captain once again.
With a ship at his command, Captain Gabriel Wallace sets out to fulfill his mission, the completeness of which only he knows.
Now a pirate by situation, Wallace sets out for the Colonies and the Caribbean. Will his crew remain loyal as they leave the rule of the Royal Navy behind? Will his lifelong friend, Miles Jacobs, follow Wallace blindly without knowing the whole story? Finally, will the young Lieutenant Maddox Carbonale stay under the command of Wallace or have plans to lead instead?
With these questions in his thoughts, Gabriel Wallace wages war on Chambers and goes after the largest haul in the history of the Spanish Main. Whom does Wallace meet along the way? To whom are his loyalties to: vengeance or something more powerful?
If you love tales of adventure, of the sea, of the struggles of men, and nods to history, this is your book. Read Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling and you’ll have a new appreciation for all of The Razor’s Adventures Pirate Tales.
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I hope you’ve enjoyed this author Spotlight/Interview. Be sure to check out some of the links.
Enjoy the weekend!
Tagged: 10 Questions for Ronovan Hester, Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling, Author Interview, Book, P.S. Bartlett, pirates, RonovanWrites, spotlight, The Writer Next Door
February 19, 2016
Haiku Friday – Milk & Smooth
Hi everyone! Happy Friday! Today’s prompt words are Milk and Smooth. They were provided by Ronovan Hester of Ronovan Writes.
Ronovan 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 a writer 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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Paradise Lost
by Vashti Quiroz-Vega
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Eyes bright diamonds
Flesh smooth and white fresh cream
Original sin
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Milky arms reach out
Rhapsodic sapphire eyes gaze
At smooth dulcet fruit
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Have a great weekend!
Tagged: haiku, haiku friday, John Milton, original sin, Paradise Lost, poetry, RonovanWrites, The Writer Next Door
February 16, 2016
Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Short Stories
It’s the middle of the week and that means it’s time for Writer’s Quote Wednesday. Welcome everyone! I love short stories. I enjoy writing them and reading them as well. I have written several short stories for this blog, although it has been a little over a year since I wrote the last one. That’s because I’ve been so busy working on my Fantasy Angels Series and what little free time I have left after working on my series I use to work on my blog posts, social media, and blogging.
I haven’t had the time to write short stories in a while and that makes me sad because I love doing it. Anyway, I have gotten several new followers since I posted my last short story, so I decided to post the links to some of these stories. That way, those of you that have not read them can check them out, if you like.
A Town’s Perception
Murder She Wrote, Part 2, Finale
Raven’s Masterpiece
A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance, Part 2, Finale
The Cursed Tree, Part 2, Finale
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“I would also suggest that any aspiring writer begin with short stories. These days, I meet far too many young writers who try to start off with a novel right off, or a trilogy, or even a nine-book series. That’s like starting in at rock climbing by tackling Mt. Everest. Short stories help you learn your craft.”
~George R.R. Martin
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“A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick – a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.”
~Neil Gaiman
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“I love short stories because I believe they are the way we live. They are what our friends tell us, in their pain and joy, their passion and rage, their yearning and their cry against injustice.”
~Andre Dubus
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“I find it satisfying and intellectually stimulating to work with the intensity, brevity, balance and word play of the short story.”
~Annie Proulx
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Colleen Chesebro is a writer, poet, and book reviewer. She hosts an inspiring event every Wednesday on her blog, Silver Threading, called Writer’s Quote Wednesday. Anyone can participate by choosing a quote by a favorite writer and posting it on your blog.
Ronovan, from Ronovan Writes and Colleen have joined forces! He has been linking his #BeWoW blog share (Be Wonderful on Wednesday) now to include: Be Writing on Wednesday. If you would like to combine both posts feel free to do so and link them to Colleen’s post. She will make sure and add you to the quote wrap-up she does each Tuesday. Please make sure and check out Ron’s blog for more writing inspiration and motivation!
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Enjoy your day! And don’t forget to read one of my short stories.
They will haunt you . . .
Tagged: #BEWOW, quotes, Short stories, short story, Silver Threading, The Writer Next Door, Vashti Quiroz-Vega, Writers Quote Wednesday
February 12, 2016
Haiku Friday – Gem & Flame
Happy Haiku Friday! Today’s prompt words were provided by RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge and they are Gem and Flame. Gem + Flame = Women ;)
Ronovan hosts this challenge every Monday and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your haiku poem. He is a writer and poet and also does author interviews and much more on his blog. Be sure to check it out. Anyone can participate in this challenge. Read Ron’s Haiku Prompt Challenge Guidelines for more information.
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Girl-Power!
by Vashti Quiroz-Vega
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All women are gems
Worthy, spirited and strong
Believe in your spark
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If you want my love
You need only whisper it
For you are a gem
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Enjoy the weekend!
Tagged: gem, girl power, haiku, haiku challenge, haiku friday, poetry, RonovanWrites, The Writer Next Door, women
February 10, 2016
Writer’s Quote Wednesday – I Like Nonsense . . .
Illustration by George Miltiadis for ‘The Fall of Lilith‘
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“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”
~ Dr. Seuss
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“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don’t we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we’re partisans of liberty, then it’s our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”
~ J.R.R. Tolkien
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“Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.”
~ Terry Pratchett
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“Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.”
~ Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
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“The best fantasy is written in the language of dreams. It is alive as dreams are alive, more real than real … for a moment at least … that long magic moment before we wake.
We read fantasy to find the colors again, I think. To taste strong spices and hear the songs the sirens sang. There is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us, to the child who dreamt that one day he would hunt the forests of the night, and feast beneath the hollow hills, and find a love to last forever somewhere south of Oz and north of Shangri-La.
They can keep their heaven. When I die, I’d sooner go to middle Earth.”
~ George R.R. Martin
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Colleen Chesebro is a writer, poet, and book reviewer. She hosts an inspiring event every Wednesday on her blog, Silver Threading, called Writer’s Quote Wednesday. Anyone can participate by choosing a quote by a favorite writer and posting it on your blog.
Ronovan, from Ronovan Writes and Colleen have joined forces! He has been linking his #BeWoW blog share (Be Wonderful on Wednesday) now to include: Be Writing on Wednesday. If you would like to combine both posts feel free to do so and link them to Colleen’s post. She will make sure and add you to the quote wrap-up she does each Tuesday. Please make sure and check out Ron’s blog for more writing inspiration and motivation!
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Have a great day!
Tagged: #BEWOW, quotes, Silver Threading, The Writer Next Door, Writers Quote Wednesday
February 4, 2016
Haiku Friday – Star & Child
Happy Haiku Friday everyone! Today’s prompt words were provided by RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge and they are Star and Child. These words made me think of one thing . . . my dog Scribbles. He’s my writing buddy, my protector (or so he thinks), and a ‘superstar’ in his own right. I love this little guy. He’s my inspiration for today’s haiku.
Ronovan hosts this challenge every Monday and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your haiku poem. He is a writer and poet and also does author interviews and much more on his blog. Be sure to check it out. Anyone can participate in this challenge. Read Ron’s Haiku Prompt Challenge Guidelines for more information.
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Scribbles
by Vashti Quiroz-Vega
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Twinkle little star
With one look you stole my heart
My fury baby
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Enjoy the weekend!
Tagged: haiku, haiku friday, poetry, puppy, RonovanWrites, scribbles, star, The Writer Next Door
February 3, 2016
Writer’s Quote Wednesday – HORROR – Scare Me Happy
Welcome everyone! It’s Writer’s Quote Wednesday! I’m a huge fan of Horror, so instead of having one quote today I’ve decided to post several quotes from some of my favorite writers in these genres. I hope you enjoy. :D
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I grew up reading Stephen King novels. He’s still one of my favorite authors. It started one day when an older cousin had finished reading one of Stephen King’s books. She put it down beside her and called her friends and proceeded to gush about how great it was on the phone. I became curious about it, because she seemed so excited.
I picked up the book and turned it in my hand gazing at the front and back covers. My cousin quickly took it from me and told me that I was too young to read it. Well, I rolled my ten-year-old eyes dramatically and that was it, from that moment on, all I wanted was to read that book.
Later on, I managed to sneak the book out of my aunt’s house and take it home with me. I had to hide it from my parents, because I knew they would never allow me to read a ‘Horror’ novel. I read the book from cover to cover in record speed––I couldn’t put it down.
Did it scare me? YES! Of course it did, but more than that, it taught me to have courage and to not be afraid to feel certain feelings. Horror books helped me confront the scary things of childhood, because––don’t fool yourself parents––childhood is frightening. Kids are so vulnerable and powerless in a world full of bad things. Horror provides a place in which children can move with their fears in a safe way that can teach them how to survive monsters and be powerful, too. Stephen King scared me happy!
When I returned the book to my cousin she didn’t even know it was missing. I told her I had read it and enjoyed it. She was surprised but let me borrow a couple more Stephen King books. That’s how I became a Stephen King and Horror fan.
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“The charm of horror only tempts the strong”
― Jean Lorrain
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“Alone. Yes, that’s the key word, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn’t hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym.”
― Stephen King
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“Which is the true nightmare, the horrific dream that you have in your sleep or the dissatisfied reality that awaits you when you awake?”
― Justin Alcala
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“There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand.”
― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
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“Horror fiction shows us that the control we believe we have is purely illusory, and that every moment we teeter on chaos and oblivion.”
― Clive Barker
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“I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.”
― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
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“Read. Read. Read. Just don’t read one type of book. Read different books by various authors so that you develop different style.”
― R.L. Stine
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“You know how sometimes you tell yourself that you have a choice, but really you don’t have a choice? Just because there are alternatives doesn’t mean they apply to you.”
― Rick Yancey, The 5th Wave
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“Here is a list of terrible things,
The jaws of sharks, a vultures wings
The rabid bite of the dogs of war,
The voice of one who went before,
But most of all the mirror’s gaze,
Which counts us out our numbered days.”
― Clive Barker, Days of Magic, Nights of War
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“We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.”
― Stephen King
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5 Reasons Horror in Children’s Literature Is a Good Thing
10 Novels That Are Scarier Than Most Horror Movies
Required Reading: 30 of the Best Horror Books
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Colleen Chesebro is a writer, poet, and book reviewer. She hosts an inspiring event every Wednesday on her blog, Silver Threading, called Writer’s Quote Wednesday. Anyone can participate by choosing a quote by a favorite writer and posting it on your blog. Check out her weekly wrap-up every Tuesday and be inspired by all the quotes.
Ronovan, from Ronovan Writes and Colleen have joined forces! He has been linking his #BeWoW blog share (Be Wonderful on Wednesday) now to include: Be Writing on Wednesday. If you would like to combine both posts feel free to do so and link them to Colleen’s post. She will make sure and add you to the quote wrap-up she does each Tuesday. Please make sure and check out Ron’s blog for more writing inspiration and motivation!
Tagged: #BEWOW, author quotes, Book, Clive Barker, horror, quotes, Scary, Silver Threading, Stephen King, The Writer Next Door, Writers Quote Wednesday
January 29, 2016
Haiku Friday – Trill & Final
It’s Haiku Friday! I hope everyone is enjoying their day. Today’s prompt words were provided by RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge and they are Trill and Final. These words conjured up images of horror and the paranormal for some reason, so I went with it.
Ronovan hosts this challenge every Monday and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your haiku poem. He is a writer and poet and he also does author interviews and much more on his blog. Be sure to check it out. Anyone can participate in this challenge. Read his Haiku Prompt Challenge Guidelines for more information.
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No Place for Children
by Vashti Quiroz-Vega
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Haunted orphanage
Trills of children’s laughter heard
Babies’ final stand
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Abandoned and lost
In a world of phantasm
Evil orphanage
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Have a great weekend!
Tagged: children, final, ghosts, haiku, haiku friday, haunted, orphanages, poetry, RonovanWrites, The Writer Next Door, trill
January 26, 2016
Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Live In The Moment
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Quote by Thomas S. Monson
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Do you live in the moment?
Colleen Chesebro is a writer, poet, and book reviewer. She hosts an inspiring event every Wednesday on her blog, Silver Threading, called Writer’s Quote Wednesday. Anyone can participate by choosing a quote by a favorite writer and posting it on your blog. Check out her weekly wrap-up every Tuesday and be inspired by all the quotes.
Ronovan, from Ronovan Writes and Colleen have joined forces! He has been linking his #BeWoW blog share (Be Wonderful on Wednesday) now to include: Be Writing on Wednesday. If you would like to combine both posts feel free to do so and link them to Colleen’s post. She will make sure and add you to the quote wrap-up she does each Tuesday. Please make sure and check out Ron’s blog for more writing inspiration and motivation!
Tagged: #BEWOW, live in the moment, quotes, Silver Threading, The Writer Next Door, Writers Quote Wednesday
January 21, 2016
Haiku Friday – Style & Fresh
Ronovan is a writer and poet and he also does author interviews and much more. You can read some of his poetry and fiction pieces on his blog. He also hosts RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge every Monday. Anyone can participate. Check out his Haiku Prompt Challenge Guidelines for more information.
This week’s prompt words are Style and Fresh.
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Words torn from the gut
A virgin sheet of paper
The birth of genre
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(Style = Genre / Fresh = Virgin)
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Have a great weekend! :D
Tagged: genre, haiku, haiku friday, poetry, RonovanWrites, The Writer Next Door, words
