Vashti Quiroz-Vega's Blog, page 59
September 5, 2013
15 Questions for Katie Cross
It is my pleasure to present to you today the dulcet, funny, and talented writer Katie Cross. This pretty young woman is witty and charming and well worth your attention because she’s headed for big things with her writing.
In her words…
In a perfect world, my husband and I would live in a cabin in the mountains, my dogs would never have to be on a leash, and I could go trail running every morning. I’m obsessed with eating peanut butter on a spoon. I’m ridiculously attracted to my husband, and I’m madly in love with my vizslas. I weight lift because it makes me more of a girl and wear yoga pants almost everyday because they are comfortable.
My current work in progress is a YA fantasy book named Miss Mabel’s School for Girls. It will be my first book (squee!). I’m on the 8,000th round of edits and hoping to self-publish by the end of the year. Hope springs eternal, right?
I’ve written a lot of synopsis’s for it, but this is my favorite so far: mostly because it’s really short!
Fifteen-year-old Bianca starts school as a first-year student at Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, entering into a Competition to be the personal assistant to the powerful witch Miss Mabel. Years before, Miss Mabel set a curse on her family that Bianca is determined to break.
From the inside.
Fascinating story Katie!
Q & A with Katie Cross
1- What makes you laugh?
My puppy when he runs face-first into a wall, and Chuck Wendig. His blog kills me. I think I almost fractured a rib laughing at it the other day.
Wow! I’ll have to look him up.
2- What makes you cry?
Oh, I am the main reason I cry. I’m my own worst enemy, and I’m in my own head far too much.
3- What is the loveliest thing you have ever seen? (Something that touched you).
One night when my husband and I were laying in bed he thanked me for being his best friend in an offhand way, right before he fell asleep. I’ve never been the same, and I haven’t seen traditional love stories the same ever since.
Awww. That’s so moving.
4- Have you ever found true love?
Heck yes. And it’s riddled with sarcasm, dirty dishes, and slaps on the butt.
Ha, ha! I love that Katie!
5- How do you feel about being interviewed?
I like it better than the paparazzi that surround my house everyday. Just kidding. I always feel bad for the poor saps who read my interviews.
What? Why? I’m sure everyone’s enjoying your wittiness right about now.
6- What do you do for a living? What’s your day job?
I’m a nurse and writer, but I refer to myself more as fixer-of-the-always-broken-ice-maker and best-damn-cookie-eater-in-the-world. I’d also really loved to get paid to work out, because then I think I’d do it more consistently.
Ha, ha! See what I mean? Funny girl! I’ve noticed there are a lot of writers in the medical field. Hmmm.
7- Do you laugh at your own jokes?
Seriously, I’m funny. I crack myself up.
8- What was the greatest thing you learned in school?
Never allow your sixth grade teacher to call you ‘fro girl.’ It sets a bad tone for your relationship with your hair over the rest of your life.
Bad Teacher!
9- How much impact does your childhood have on your writing?
Can that be measured? It’s like asking if the first twelve years of life had any bearing on the next twelve. It all starts there, right?
You’re right.
10- Have you ever read or seen yourself as a character in a book or a movie?
Yes, and that character scared the crap out of me.
Wait a minute. You’re going to leave us hanging? Alright, lets move on.
11- Do you ever blog/write naked?
No, but great idea! I sit on a wooden chair. That doesn’t sound all that comfortable.
No. I’ll send you a chair cushion for Christmas. ;D
12- Do you consider yourself an author? Why/Why not?
Yes, but only because I force myself to acknowledge a reality that I don’t always appreciate. (Read: yes, but I’m totally in denial about it)
13- Tell us about your work in progress.
It’s a YA fantasy novel called Miss Mabel’s School for Girls. The book is about a fifteen-year-old girl named Bianca who enters a competition to win the chance to become the personal pupil to the powerful Head Witch Miss Mabel. Years earlier, Miss Mabel set a curse on Bianca’s family that has deadly consequences. Bianca hopes to win the Competition and bargain with Miss Mabel for the chance to take away the curse.
But nothing is ever what it seems.
For the record, I really hate writing summaries about my book.
That must be a writer thing.
14- How do you see your future as a writer?
Hopefully it looks a lot like it does now: me typing away on my computer with a lot of random ideas in my head.
15- Tell us one of your guilty pleasures.
Oh man, can I narrow that down? I’m going to go with almond flour chocolate chip cookies. I can eat that stuff until it comes out my ears. Or ice. I love to chew ice.
Hmmm. I’ll have to try almond flour chocolate chip cookies.
Almond flour cookies! Yum! Chomp,chomp!
Sorry Katie, I couldn’t help myself. :/
Thanks again for this chance, Vashti!
It was my pleasure Katie! xx
If you’d like to connect with Katie Cross follow the links below. Visit her blog, and be entertained with her interesting posts.
Katie’s Blog: KCross Writing
September 3, 2013
Hello Stress!
Hello! Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope everyone is enjoying his or her day. Okay, so for the last few months, my house has been up for sale. I decided to share some of that experience with you all.
When I first put my South Florida home on the market, I was told it could take up to a year to sell. Since there was no telling just how long the process would take, I didn’t want to pack away too many things. I began chipping away at the task little by little.
Little by little.
Within a few months, I had an offer from some people who lived in New Jersey. I was jumping up and down with glee – until I was told that if I wanted to make the sale, I had to vacate in three weeks.
What? Three weeks? If I had a cat she’d be surprised too!
Now, I’m talking about a large four-bedroom house, filled with all kinds of things accumulated throughout the years. I’m not a hoarder, but it is difficult for me to throw things out. I took a good look around my home and became completely overwhelmed. I didn’t know where to start.
First, I needed boxes. I bought a few at Home Depot, but my mom had a better idea. She got me as many as I wanted for free from a medical establishment that she and my dad attended. I required other supplies that couldn’t be had for free: tape, bubble wrap and shrinkwrap. With all the necessary materials in hand, it was time to start packing – but where to begin?
If you ever need some alone time, just utter these words: “I need help moving.” Family and friends will immediately scatter to the four winds. With this particular project, it seemed I was on my own.
Not Cool!
I thought I knew stress, but it turned out I had only met stress’s annoying younger cousin. Real stress is spelled m-o-v-i-n-g. At one point, I tried to convince myself that I didn’t like the rest of my stuff, just so I wouldn’t have to pack it up.
I don’t really need a bed, and I never really liked that couch it’s too cozy and everybody always wants to sit on it. They just get comfortable and never want to leave.
After two weeks of filling boxes, I was grateful to get a little help from my sister-in-law and my mom. Nevertheless, we hit a wall. What did we know about packing a dining room table and chairs, armoire, Bombay chest or television? I came to the conclusion that I needed professional help. It was time to start getting quotes from movers. Yippee!
Oh yeah! This is going to be fun, NOT!
I called a company that was highly recommended by friends and relatives. Three young guys arrived, fit for the job (if you know what I mean). They were very friendly, charming, and not bad to look at. I was delighted – until the lead man gave me his quote. It turns out moving is also very expensive!
How much?
Fortunately, the story has a happy ending. I got my stuff packed and out of there, and the deal went through.
All’s well that ends well!
Having learned a great deal from this experience and being the kindhearted person that I am, I decided to share some tips with you.
1/ Make friends with people lifting weights in the gym, before you move.
Hi! What big muscles you have. How much do you lift?
2/ Make sure the movers you hire are reputable.
Oops! My bad!
3/ Make sure you tape up your boxes well.
Yikes!
4/ Resist the urge to pop bubble wrap before packing fragile items.
One more. Okay, just one more. Oh hell!
5/ When moving furniture, never be the person walking backwards.
7/ Dolly, good. Hernia, bad.
Ugh! I should have used a dolly!
7/ It’s okay to curse at heavy furniture.
8/ It’s okay not to be completely honest with your labeling (think about it).
9/ Don’t forget to put air holes in the boxes when packing your pets. (I recall a gerbil incident growing up)
Oh…my!
10/ Don’t pack dog and cats in the same box.
Find your own box!
Okay, seriously, if you’re planning on moving any time in the future these tips will surely help you. Good luck and may the force be with you because your friends and family won’t.
Click here for real Moving Tips
September 1, 2013
Beautiful Poems
Lilith by Samantha Meglioli (deviantART)
Hello! Welcome to my blog. My name is Vashti for those of you that do not know me. I love art, creativity and beauty, and I know these come in many forms. In my quest to build my author platform I have met and befriended a group of incredibly talented individuals. Writers, poets, artists and even singers who are masterful at what they do. I feel blessed to have found them and I would be selfish if I kept the beauty, artistry and creativeness of their craft all to myself.
So from time to time I will be featuring art, writings and music along with my own work on this blog. I guarantee you will enjoy every bit of it.
In today’s post I will feature a very talented poet Dr. Archit Srivastava. The two poems featured here are powerful and will enthrall you. They are saturated in beauty and intensity. They become more pleasing every time you read them. Dr. Srivastava writes with the pen name Archwordsmith, he began writing at the tender age of ten, and is currently single.
Dr. Archit Srivastava
Dr. Archit Srivastava -
“I am a doctor by profession, still fresh in this field and a poet by
heart. I easily get affected by the ills of society and pour out my
empathy in form of words. I believe that poetry isn’t mere rhyming of
words but an energy with infinite potential to change this world.”
The butchering goddess
She stared at her womb,
Eyes greedy; gleaming,
A smile she offered,
Inside joyously screaming,
Gleefully motioned,
To the opposite chair,
The father apprehensive,
Mother in morbid fear,
She was now a master,
She read them well,
Mind wandering to greens,
Dreamt her fortunes swell,
He spoke in hushes,
She responded in affirmation,
Planned together,
A heinous operation,
She worked out a deal,
Like a vegetable vendor,
Smiled in hell, the Satan,
As her soul surrendered,
Reached they an agreement,
The doomsday was set,
Her thirst for the blood,
Drowned her regret.
Came the day of devil,
He brought her ready,
She handed reassurances,
Her demeanor steady,
The nurse prepped up the OT,
As she put on the gloves,
The angels began wailing,
In the skies above,
She walked in to butcher,
To feast on her sin,
As the nurse shut the chamber,
Cordoning of the din,
She peaked on adrenaline,
In that house of slaughter,
Cutting of the cord,
Of yet another daughter,
And when out she stepped,
Her hands were sparkling clean,
But clean weren’t those eyes,
Bloodied, remorselessly gleamed,
The father stood relieved,
His burden was disposed,
Handed over the niceties,
Like she had proposed,
And when she returned home,
Cuddled up her daughter,
She had forgotten the blood,
Forgotten the slaughter.
Not a tear of regret fell,
Not a hint of remorse,
As she slept content with self,
Her lust screaming for more.
~Archwordsmith
Supporting by Youffie
(nami64 deviantART)
The last letter
Silent is the night,
But I fear it won’t last,
Waiting for the calm,
To be shattered by a blast,
So sad, so deplorable,
This heaven is now a hell,
I walk around clutching the death,
Waiting for dropping shells.
I look at the skies,
I feel so alone,
Thinking of you my love,
I wish I could be home,
I wish in were my arm,
Not death but my life,
I dread the fact that I may,
Never kiss you dear wife.
I walk along the fences,
The barbed wires say,
Your life is more bloodied,
Than we ever may,
And yes, you may have,
Love waiting back somewhere,
Tangled in our world of hate,
You’ll never feel that care.
I focus in the dark,
For shadows that may move,
My grip tightens on trigger,
But I still think of you,
Torn like a piece of paper,
Between this love and war,
I wish for you the smiles,
Ready to take the scars.
Oh there goes the enemy,
His canons breathing fire,
The deafening boom simply strokes,
All my hidden desires,
The sky is lightning up,
As I run to take cover,
If I come back in pieces,
Well I’ll still be your lover.
~Archwordsmith
Please click on the links below to connect with Dr. Archit Srivastava and to read more of his work.
http://archwordsmiths.blogspot.in/
http://loveizcomplicated.blogspot.in/
https://twitter.com/docsaystruth
https://twitter.com/docsaystruth
The Butchering Goddess
Lilith by Samantha Meglioli (deviantART)
Hello! Welcome to my blog. My name is Vashti for those of you that do not know me. I love art, creativity and beauty, and I know these come in many forms. In my quest to build my author platform I have met and befriended a group of incredibly talented individuals. Writers, poets, artists and even singers who are masterful at what they do. I feel blessed to have found them and I would be selfish if I kept the beauty, artistry and creativeness of their craft all to myself.
So from time to time I will be featuring art, writings and music along with my own work on this blog. I guarantee you will enjoy every bit of it.
In today’s post I will feature a very talented poet Dr. Archit Srivastava. The two poems featured here are powerful and will enthrall you. They are saturated in beauty and intensity. They become more pleasing every time you read them. Dr. Srivastava writes with the pen name Archwordsmith, he began writing at the tender age of ten, and is currently single.
Dr. Archit Srivastava
Dr. Archit Srivastava -
“I am a doctor by profession, still fresh in this field and a poet by
heart. I easily get affected by the ills of society and pour out my
empathy in form of words. I believe that poetry isn’t mere rhyming of
words but an energy with infinite potential to change this world.”
The butchering goddess
She stared at her womb,
Eyes greedy; gleaming,
A smile she offered,
Inside joyously screaming,
Gleefully motioned,
To the opposite chair,
The father apprehensive,
Mother in morbid fear,
She was now a master,
She read them well,
Mind wandering to greens,
Dreamt her fortunes swell,
He spoke in hushes,
She responded in affirmation,
Planned together,
A heinous operation,
She worked out a deal,
Like a vegetable vendor,
Smiled in hell, the Satan,
As her soul surrendered,
Reached they an agreement,
The doomsday was set,
Her thirst for the blood,
Drowned her regret.
Came the day of devil,
He brought her ready,
She handed reassurances,
Her demeanor steady,
The nurse prepped up the OT,
As she put on the gloves,
The angels began wailing,
In the skies above,
She walked in to butcher,
To feast on her sin,
As the nurse shut the chamber,
Cordoning of the din,
She peaked on adrenaline,
In that house of slaughter,
Cutting of the cord,
Of yet another daughter,
And when out she stepped,
Her hands were sparkling clean,
But clean weren’t those eyes,
Bloodied, remorselessly gleamed,
The father stood relieved,
His burden was disposed,
Handed over the niceties,
Like she had proposed,
And when she returned home,
Cuddled up her daughter,
She had forgotten the blood,
Forgotten the slaughter.
Not a tear of regret fell,
Not a hint of remorse,
As she slept content with self,
Her lust screaming for more.
~Archwordsmith
Supporting by Youffie
(nami64 deviantART)
The last letter
Silent is the night,
But I fear it won’t last,
Waiting for the calm,
To be shattered by a blast,
So sad, so deplorable,
This heaven is now a hell,
I walk around clutching the death,
Waiting for dropping shells.
I look at the skies,
I feel so alone,
Thinking of you my love,
I wish I could be home,
I wish in were my arm,
Not death but my life,
I dread the fact that I may,
Never kiss you dear wife.
I walk along the fences,
The barbed wires say,
Your life is more bloodied,
Than we ever may,
And yes, you may have,
Love waiting back somewhere,
Tangled in our world of hate,
You’ll never feel that care.
I focus in the dark,
For shadows that may move,
My grip tightens on trigger,
But I still think of you,
Torn like a piece of paper,
Between this love and war,
I wish for you the smiles,
Ready to take the scars.
Oh there goes the enemy,
His canons breathing fire,
The deafening boom simply strokes,
All my hidden desires,
The sky is lightning up,
As I run to take cover,
If I come back in pieces,
Well I’ll still be your lover.
~Archwordsmith
Please click on the links below to connect with Dr. Archit Srivastava and to read more of his work.
http://archwordsmiths.blogspot.in/
http://loveizcomplicated.blogspot.in/
https://twitter.com/docsaystruth
https://twitter.com/docsaystruth
August 22, 2013
Author Interview: Darkness, Suspense and Vashti Quiroz-Vega! Oh, My!
Reblogged from Dropped Pebbles:
Today we have a real treat! We get to chat with YA suspense, thriller and horror writer, Vashti Quiroz-Vega, whose book, The Basement: Robbie's Rite of Passgae, will be released tomorrow! For those of you who don't know this amazing writer, Vashti has a love for all the arts (music, writing, drawing, etc.) and features artists from various disciplines on her
Hello! I was interviewed by the lovely and talented author Dyane Forde. The interview was a great success so I thought I'd share it with my fans and followers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed being interviewed by Dyane.
August 19, 2013
It’s A Celebration!
My first novel, The Basement, will be released today! This post is a celebration. I wanted to celebrate this fantastic day with my fans and followers. It is still a bit surreal that my high school short story (which I later expanded into a novel) is now a published book!
Lets Celebrate The Release Of My First Novel!
In honor of this day, I am going to interview a significant person in my life. I’ve come to know him very well, and if it weren’t for him, none of this would have ever come to pass.
I speak of a young boy who goes by the name of Robbie. He is the main character in my newly released novel, The Basement. Some of you have already gotten to know him quite well, others are in the process of getting to know him, but there are still many that have never heard of him.
Whether you’ve read The Basement already or have not had the chance to yet, Robbie is a boy worth getting to know, and this interview will reveal things that I don’t even know. So there will be surprises even for me.
I expect Robbie will be here at any moment.
(The sudden resonating echo of knuckles rapping on a door.)
Oh! That must be Robbie now.
(The clicking of high heels resound on the floor as Vashti, who dressed up for the occasion, walks to the door and opens it.)
Robbie’s here! I’m trembling with excitement. He is a handsome boy with eyes that reflect wisdom beyond his eleven years, along with a bit of sorrow. He has a dulcet smile. I can tell he’s nervous because he’s tugging on his checkered shirt, and his big brown eyes have not yet settled on one spot. Hmmm, I think we should get started before he changes his mind.
Robbie
Vashti: Hi Robbie, how are you?
Robbie: Great!
Vashti: Lets have a seat and get comfortable so that we may start.
Robbie: Okay. (He looks around and sits with his hands together, rubbing them slightly.)
Vashti: Robbie, are you nervous?
Robbie: Um, yeah! (He giggles.)
Vashti: Well, don’t be nervous. I’m just going to ask you a few questions, and I want you to be as honest as possible with your answers. Your fans want to get to know you better. What do you think about that?
Robbie: That’s really cool.
Vashti: Who brought you to the interview?
Robbie: My mom.
Vashti: Oh, good! I’d like to meet her.
Robbie: I’m pretty sure she wants to meet you, too. You should go talk to her after this.
Vashti: I will certainly do that, Robbie. Now, lets get started.
(Robbie swallows hard and fidgets around a bit.)
Vashti: Robbie, do you enjoy school?
Robbie: Sometimes…um most of the times.
Vashti: When do you not enjoy school?
Robbie: Ah, there are, um, kids that pick on me sometimes.
Vashti: Why do they pick on you?
Robbie: I don’t know. I guess because I’m smaller than they are, and like, I get good grades and they don’t.
Vashti: Yes, you are an honor student. Your parents must be very proud.
Robbie: My mom is. (He lowers his head.)
Vashti: Your mom? How about your dad?
Robbie: (He shakes his head.) He doesn’t care. He’d rather I be an athlete like he was before he hurt his knee. He thinks I’m a wimp. I guess I am.
Vashti: Why, because you don’t play sports? That does not make you a wimp!
Robbie: My dad sure thinks so. He doesn’t care that I get straight A’s. My mom does care and we celebrate, just the two of us, on report card day.
Vashti: That’s very nice. How do you and your mom celebrate?
Robbie: We go to a bookstore in our neighborhood, and I get to pick out any book I want, and then we go for ice cream! (His face lights up.)
Vashti: That sounds like fun.
Robbie: It is.
Vashti: Robbie, do you think your father loves you?
Robbie: (His eyes fall to the ground, and he slumps a bit.) I guess he has to because he’s my dad, but he doesn’t like me. He wishes Nathan, Nestor or even Freddie were his son instead of me, I’m sure.
Vashti: Tell us — who are these people you mentioned?
Robbie: Oh! Nathan is one of my best friends, and he’s a very nice guy. We know Nestor from church. He’s a youth leader. All the kids look up to him. We call Freddie Spiderman because he’s the strongest teen in the neighborhood, and he does “Daredevil” stuff that no one else dares to do.
Vashti: What makes you think your father would rather have one of them as his son instead of you?
Robbie: My dad doesn’t yell at them or call them names like he does me. He puts his arm around them and pats them on the back when they do something that pleases him. I guess I never make him happy because he never does that to me.
Vashti: Tell me about Natasha.
Robbie: (He turns beet red and giggles.) What do you want to know about her?
Vashti: What is she like?
Robbie: She’s the most beautiful girl I know. She’s really smart, and she’s athletic too. She always beats me in a race. She and Barney are my very best friends. (Big grin.)
Vashti: Tell me about Barney. Do you think your father would want him as a son?
Robbie: Nah! Barney is too much like me. He’s a nerd, too! (He giggles.)
Vashti: Robbie, I’ve heard some disturbing news about something your father wants you to do. Could you tell me about that?
Robbie: Um. He… he wants me to go down to our basement at night. He thinks that if I go down there in the dark and kill the mice that nest there, I will prove to him and the neighbors that I’m a real man.
Vashti: What? You’re only eleven years old!
Robbie: I know! I told him that, but he says I have to do it anyway.
Vashti: Will you do it? Will you go down to the basement? At night?
Robbie: I have to! If I don’t, my father will go on believing that I’m a wimp and a scaredy cat. He’ll continue to call me names and embarrass me in front of my friends. I have to do it!
Vashti: Have you ever been down to your basement before?
Robbie: No, but everyone knows that there are creatures living in that basement.
Vashti: Creatures? What kind of creatures?
Robbie: No one knows for sure, but Barney’s cousin saw one. It nearly killed him!
Vashti: That’s terrible! Surely your father doesn’t know about the creatures. Otherwise he wouldn’t be sending you down there.
Robbie: He’s heard the rumors, but he doesn’t believe them. Anyway, he’s too drunk to care whether it’s true or not. I guess tonight I will find out unless my dad changes his mind. (Robbie stares straight ahead and tugs on his shirtsleeves.)
Vashti: Okay! Well, that is the end of our interview. Thank you so much for stopping by, Robbie. It was a real pleasure having you. Oh, and tell your mom to wait for me a moment while I wrap this up.
Robbie: Thank you. Bye!
(Robbie smiles faintly and walks away.)
Oh, I’m sure his father will reconsider and not make him go down to that scary basement. If not, surely his mother will not allow it, right? Of course! Robbie will be alright. Won’t he?
The Basement main character Robbie
Robbie’s dulcet smile
It’s A Celebration! – The Basement Release Day
My first novel, The Basement, will be released today! This post is a celebration. I wanted to celebrate this fantastic day with my fans and followers. It is still a bit surreal that my high school short story (which I later expanded into a novel) is now a published book!
Lets Celebrate The Release Of My First Novel!
In honor of this day, I am going to interview a significant person in my life. I’ve come to know him very well, and if it weren’t for him, none of this would have ever come to pass.
I speak of a young boy who goes by the name of Robbie. He is the main character in my newly released novel, The Basement. Some of you have already gotten to know him quite well, others are in the process of getting to know him, but there are still many that have never heard of him.
Whether you’ve read The Basement already or have not had the chance to yet, Robbie is a boy worth getting to know, and this interview will reveal things that I don’t even know. So there will be surprises even for me.
I expect Robbie will be here at any moment.
(The sudden resonating echo of knuckles rapping on a door.)
Oh! That must be Robbie now.
(The clicking of high heels resound on the floor as Vashti, who dressed up for the occasion, walks to the door and opens it.)
Robbie’s here! I’m trembling with excitement. He is a handsome boy with eyes that reflect wisdom beyond his eleven years, along with a bit of sorrow. He has a dulcet smile. I can tell he’s nervous because he’s tugging on his checkered shirt, and his big brown eyes have not yet settled on one spot. Hmmm, I think we should get started before he changes his mind.
Robbie
Vashti: Hi Robbie, how are you?
Robbie: Great!
Vashti: Lets have a seat and get comfortable so that we may start.
Robbie: Okay. (He looks around and sits with his hands together, rubbing them slightly.)
Vashti: Robbie, are you nervous?
Robbie: Um, yeah! (He giggles.)
Vashti: Well, don’t be nervous. I’m just going to ask you a few questions, and I want you to be as honest as possible with your answers. Your fans want to get to know you better. What do you think about that?
Robbie: That’s really cool.
Vashti: Who brought you to the interview?
Robbie: My mom.
Vashti: Oh, good! I’d like to meet her.
Robbie: I’m pretty sure she wants to meet you, too. You should go talk to her after this.
Vashti: I will certainly do that, Robbie. Now, lets get started.
(Robbie swallows hard and fidgets around a bit.)
Vashti: Robbie, do you enjoy school?
Robbie: Sometimes…um most of the times.
Vashti: When do you not enjoy school?
Robbie: Ah, there are, um, kids that pick on me sometimes.
Vashti: Why do they pick on you?
Robbie: I don’t know. I guess because I’m smaller than they are, and like, I get good grades and they don’t.
Vashti: Yes, you are an honor student. Your parents must be very proud.
Robbie: My mom is. (He lowers his head.)
Vashti: Your mom? How about your dad?
Robbie: (He shakes his head.) He doesn’t care. He’d rather I be an athlete like he was before he hurt his knee. He thinks I’m a wimp. I guess I am.
Vashti: Why, because you don’t play sports? That does not make you a wimp!
Robbie: My dad sure thinks so. He doesn’t care that I get straight A’s. My mom does care and we celebrate, just the two of us, on report card day.
Vashti: That’s very nice. How do you and your mom celebrate?
Robbie: We go to a bookstore in our neighborhood, and I get to pick out any book I want, and then we go for ice cream! (His face lights up.)
Vashti: That sounds like fun.
Robbie: It is.
Vashti: Robbie, do you think your father loves you?
Robbie: (His eyes fall to the ground, and he slumps a bit.) I guess he has to because he’s my dad, but he doesn’t like me. He wishes Nathan, Nestor or even Freddie were his son instead of me, I’m sure.
Vashti: Tell us — who are these people you mentioned?
Robbie: Oh! Nathan is one of my best friends, and he’s a very nice guy. We know Nestor from church. He’s a youth leader. All the kids look up to him. We call Freddie Spiderman because he’s the strongest teen in the neighborhood, and he does “Daredevil” stuff that no one else dares to do.
Vashti: What makes you think your father would rather have one of them as his son instead of you?
Robbie: My dad doesn’t yell at them or call them names like he does me. He puts his arm around them and pats them on the back when they do something that pleases him. I guess I never make him happy because he never does that to me.
Vashti: Tell me about Natasha.
Robbie: (He turns beet red and giggles.) What do you want to know about her?
Vashti: What is she like?
Robbie: She’s the most beautiful girl I know. She’s really smart, and she’s athletic too. She always beats me in a race. She and Barney are my very best friends. (Big grin.)
Vashti: Tell me about Barney. Do you think your father would want him as a son?
Robbie: Nah! Barney is too much like me. He’s a nerd, too! (He giggles.)
Vashti: Robbie, I’ve heard some disturbing news about something your father wants you to do. Could you tell me about that?
Robbie: Um. He… he wants me to go down to our basement at night. He thinks that if I go down there in the dark and kill the mice that nest there, I will prove to him and the neighbors that I’m a real man.
Vashti: What? You’re only eleven years old!
Robbie: I know! I told him that, but he says I have to do it anyway.
Vashti: Will you do it? Will you go down to the basement? At night?
Robbie: I have to! If I don’t, my father will go on believing that I’m a wimp and a scaredy cat. He’ll continue to call me names and embarrass me in front of my friends. I have to do it!
Vashti: Have you ever been down to your basement before?
Robbie: No, but everyone knows that there are creatures living in that basement.
Vashti: Creatures? What kind of creatures?
Robbie: No one knows for sure, but Barney’s cousin saw one. It nearly killed him!
Vashti: That’s terrible! Surely your father doesn’t know about the creatures. Otherwise he wouldn’t be sending you down there.
Robbie: He’s heard the rumors, but he doesn’t believe them. Anyway, he’s too drunk to care whether it’s true or not. I guess tonight I will find out unless my dad changes his mind. (Robbie stares straight ahead and tugs on his shirtsleeves.)
Vashti: Okay! Well, that is the end of our interview. Thank you so much for stopping by, Robbie. It was a real pleasure having you. Oh, and tell your mom to wait for me a moment while I wrap this up.
Robbie: Thank you. Bye!
(Robbie smiles faintly and walks away.)
Oh, I’m sure his father will reconsider and not make him go down to that scary basement. If not, surely his mother will not allow it, right? Of course! Robbie will be alright. Won’t he?
The Basement main character Robbie
Robbie’s dulcet smile
August 16, 2013
Missed Opportunities
Photographed by Marcin Laskarzewski (losesprit – deviantART)
Hello! Welcome to my blog. I’ve been asked many times why I write. I’m going to take a moment to answer this question. Firstly, I write because I love it. I have a very active imagination; my mind is bursting with stories, characters and worlds waiting to spill out onto paper. Finally, I write to entertain…myself as well as others, and if along the way I can inspire or teach: it would be icing on the cake. I love icing. ;D
Now on to today’s post. I ran across this piece of writing on twitter, and it moved me to tears. It doesn’t have a title, or a writer’s name attached to it, but I thought it worth sharing. I hope you enjoy it.
***
Remember the day I borrowed your brand new car and dented it?
I thought you’d kill me, but you didn’t.
And remember the time I dragged you to the beach, and you said it would rain, and it did?
I thought you’d say, “I told you so.” But you didn’t.
Do you remember the time I flirted with all the guys to make you jealous, and you were?
I thought you’d leave, but you didn’t.
Do you recall the time I spilled strawberry pie all over your car rug?
I thought you’d hit me, but you didn’t.
And remember the time I forgot to tell you the dance was formal and you showed up in jeans?
I thought you’d drop me, but you didn’t.
Yes, there were lots of things you didn’t do.
But you put up with me, and loved me, and protected me.
There are lots of things I wanted to make up to you
when you returned from Iraq.
But you didn’t.
~Anonymous
My Love
I wrote this for you, my love
For your gentle, verdant eyes
For your dulcet lips
For your sparkling, sincere smile
I wrote this for you
Because you loved me so tenderly
You forgave me so easily
You understood me so well
I love the way you
Gladly gave me what’s yours
Showed compassion to all living things
Always put my needs first
I wish I would have
Been more appreciative
never exploited your generosity
Told you how much I really needed you
It is too late now because you’re gone.
I’ll never have the chance to love you the way you deserved to be loved.
~ Vashti Quiroz-Vega
Don’t Wake Me
I saw your smile in my dreams
I didn’t want to wake
I reminisced gazing into your eyes
I saw the soul of an angel
Your kindness astounded
even the most skeptical side of me.
You taught me to love, to feel
when I was but an empty shell.
I assumed you’d always be here,
but one morning I woke to find
your arm was not draped over me.
~ Vashti Quiroz-Vega
Don’t put off telling someone you love exactly how you feel. You may not get the chance later.
August 13, 2013
Happiness Is A Thing To Be Practiced, Like A Violin.
Hello! Welcome to my blog. I love art, creativity and beauty, and I know these come in many forms. In this post I would like to introduce to you a record-breaking German classical and crossover violinist and recording artist David Garrett.
He gets his first violin at age four and makes his first appearance with the Hamburg Philharmonics at the early age of ten. At age thirteen he is the youngest artist to be awarded an exclusive contract with the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. In 1999, at the height of his career, the shooting star redirects his energy, deciding to leave his predetermined path as a classical violinist and move to New York – not to take a time-out but rather to place his musical proficiency on a theoretical foundation and perfect his technique. He enrolls at the prestigious Julliard School, studying musicology and composition.
Instruction with Itzhak Perlmann lends his performance completely new facets. David Garrett’s particular enthusiasm for studying composition earns him a distinction in 2003 when he wins the renowned Composition Competition of Julliard School with a fugue composed in the style of Johann Sebastian Bach. In doing so, he lays the foundation for what have become legendary arrangements. His highly esteemed American composition teacher Eric Ewazen has said of him “As a violinist, his spectacular, heartfelt and expressive playing already dazzled – even when he was a student – those of us who had the great pleasure of teaching him, and we recognized his extraordinary gifts and his amazing talent.” http://david-garrett.com/us/about/
I hope you enjoyed!
August 8, 2013
Awards
Hi! I’m Vashti! Welcome to my blog. Thank you for stopping by. In the last couple of months awards have been raining down on me like blessings from Heaven! (I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I write this). Words cannot express how grateful and honored I feel to know that my writing and blog are enjoyed by fellow bloggers and writers that I like and admire. In the next few weeks I will be posting different awards. Please do not take this the wrong way. I am not boasting. Yes, I am proud to have gotten these awards, but I’m even more excited about forwarding the love by honoring other deserving bloggers and writers.
I was presented with this award by these awesome and talented people. Please visit their sites. They all have a lot to offer.
* Sunni - Surviving Life
* Katherine Vucicevic - Write Stuff, an Author blog by Katherine Vucicevic
* Michelle Bowles
* Oliver Saak - OliverSaak71Sides
* April - 100lb Countdown
* Yolanda I. Regueira Marin - Love, Pain and Other Catastrophes
The rules for the Liebster Blog Award:
1- List eleven random facts about yourself.
2- Nominate eleven other bloggers for the Liebster Award.
3- Notify these bloggers.
4- Ask eleven questions that the bloggers must answer upon accepting the Liebster Award.
5- Answer the eleven questions that you were asked when you were nominated.
6- Link back to the person who nominated you.
Eleven Random Facts About Me:
1. I’m a writer of Fantasy, Suspense and Thriller.
2. My first novel “The Basement” will be released August 20th, 2013.
3. I can speak, read and write Spanish fluently and some Italian.
4. I love to try things that scare me.
5. I would love to live in North Carolina.
6. Sometimes I daydream about going back in time and meeting some of my favorite people in history. (Hey! Einstein proved time travel in theory!)
7. I love to laugh.
8. The word cinnamon still twist my tongue.
9. When I was a kid I wanted to live on a farm (instead of the concrete jungle NYC)
10. I’m a huge Stephen King fan.
11. I can be pretty silly at times.
QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES (via Seumas)
1. What was the funniest movie you have seen?
2.What’s your earliest memory?
3. What was your favourite school subject?
4. Have you EVER had a need to use algebra away from a school environment? (No, seriously!)
5. Do you understand modern art (or even know if it’s hanging the right way up?)
6. Most enjoyable book?
7. Ever spent money to buy something you really wanted, although you could hardly afford it at the time?
8. Apart from when you were a child, have you ever danced in the rain?
9. What country would you like to visit that you have not yet been to?
10. What makes you grumpy?
11. What’s your ’Go To’ switch to make you feel better on a gray day?
My Answers:
What was the funniest movie you have seen? There’s quite a few. A Night At The Roxbury, Hangover, The Waterboy, The Watch, The Campaign, Hall Pass, Bridesmaids…I could go on and on.
What’s your earliest memory? Getting lost at a carnival when I was five. (I wasn’t really lost. I just lagged behind for a minute)
What was your favorite school subject? Reading, Writing, Science… (Nerd Alert)
Have you EVER had a need to use algebra away from a school environment? Nope.
Do you understand modern art? I understand some, but I don’t fall for it. I believe real skill lies in traditional art.
Most enjoyable book? I’m a big fan of Stephen King. I loved reading The Eyes of the Dragon, It, Misery and so many more.
Ever spent money to buy something you really wanted, although you could hardly afford it at the time? I’m a very sensible person, but come on, I’m a woman, of course I have. Ha, ha!
Apart from when you were a child, have you ever danced in the rain? Yes, I have. I love the rain, and in Florida it is bright and sunny one moment, and the next it’s pouring rain during certain times of the year. I’ve been caught outside many times in the rain. I love watching the rain, listening to the rain and I love the feel of it coming down on me. (I run for shelter if I hear thunder or see lightning though)
What country would you like to visit that you have not yet been to? Japan, Thialand, Australia, Chile. I love to travel.
10. What makes you grumpy? I tend to get a bit cranky when I’m tired, hungry or when I haven’t gotten enough sleep.
11. What’s your ‘Go to’ switch to make you feel better on a gray day? Read a good book, watch a funny movie, dessert, music, play with my dogs, call a friend.
And now for the moment we’ve all been waiting for, drum roll please…my nominees are:
Kerry Connelly – Author Kerry Connelly
Ashwin Kumar - My World…My Words
Urvashi Vasishtha - Urvashi’s Den
Mak Lind - Beautiful Freaks
Debra Alamond – Love & Pain Collide
Laura Hebbeln – Diary of Laura
Dyane Forde – Dropped Pebbles
Rebekkah Ford – Wandering Thoughts of a Writer
Peter Licari – The Deliberate (Belligerent) Literate
Robert Price – From A Clogged Mind
AJ Long – AJ Writes / Hub Pages
