Vashti Quiroz-Vega's Blog, page 9
October 4, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Drink & Me
Hello, everyone! Today is National Vodka Day, National Body Language Day, and World Smile Day. So, I thought I’d combine all three in my poem. Today’s poetry form is called a Shadorma.
The Shadorma is a Spanish poetic form made up of a stanza of six lines (sestet) with no set rhyme scheme. It is a syllabic poem with a meter of 3/5/3/3/7/5.
Drink with me
Tantalize your tongue
Then kiss me
and hold me
You’re the book I long to read
A story of love
Wet your lips
with your sweet cocktail
Drink to life
Drink to love
Let your sexy body show
You want me the most
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I hope you enjoyed the Shadormas. I’m not a big drinker at all, but when I drink, I like a little vodka or brandy. What do you enjoy drinking?
I’m finally getting the hang of this new editor. Although I still have a lot to learn. At least it didn’t take me as long as the last time to put this post together, which gives me more time to write (#revising). Happy Friday, everyone!
Colleen’s 2019 Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge No. 147
September 27, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Fall & Give
Fall and Give are this week’s prompt words chosen by Colleen Chesebro ~ The Fairy Whisperer.
*The catch is that we can only use the synonyms to these words in our poems.
Colleen hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called, Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge every Tuesday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your Haiku, Tanka, Haibun, Etheree or Cinquain poem. She is an author and poet, and also does book reviews and so much more on her blog. Be sure to check it out.
[image error] Photo by Alex Geerts
Here’s my contribution to this week’s poetry challenge. I hope you enjoy my double Nonet.
Let Go The Things That Belong To The Past
The Autumn is a distinct season.
It teaches us profound lessons
about life and sacrifice.
We need to embrace change.
Every change is
for the better.
We must learn
to let
go
Trees lose their leaves, and it’s both sad and
beautiful, painful, and needed.
Yet, it lets it go without
regrets and welcomes change.
Dwelling on the past
will stunt our growth
leaving us
stuck in
life
[image error] Photo by Anthony Intraversato
I’ve had the hardest time creating this post. OMG! At one point, I wanted to scream and give up. That’s how bad it was. I’ve just started using WordPress’ new Gutenberg block editor, and it hasn’t been easy. Thank goodness I have a brilliant friend who’s figured it all out and has posted numerous tutorials on her blog. If you’re having a hard time with Gutenberg block editor, do yourself a favor and check out Natalie Ducey’s blog.
Thank you for stopping by and have a great day!
September 20, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Photo Prompt
It’s the middle of the month challenge ~ time for a photo prompt!
Colleen’s 2019 Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge No. 145 (Photo Prompt)
Apocalypse
Darkness
The sun blushes
We’ve finally done it
The star has given up on us
Humans
Only
the tallest trees
survive Mother Earth’s wrath
As the oceans swallow us whole
The end
“There are skeletons in this earth.”
–Corinne Duyvis
Thank you for visiting! I hope you enjoyed my double Cinquain!
Well, I’m off to work on my WIP. I hope you have a wonderful day!
September 13, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Enchant & Fly
Enchant and Fly are this week’s prompt words chosen by Colleen Chesebro ~ The Fairy Whisperer.
*The catch is that we can only use the synonyms to these words in our poems.
Colleen hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called, Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge every Tuesday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your Haiku, Tanka, Haibun, Etheree or Cinquain poem. She is an author and poet, and also does book reviews and so much more on her blog. Be sure to check it out.
[image error] Artist Luis Royo
Can You Hold A Burning Star?
Proud Elven Princess
dazzles with beauty and charm
She’ll capture your soul
You may think you’ve won her heart
til she swoops and slits your throat
[image error] Fantasy Artist Luis Royo
Thank you for visiting!
September 6, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Books & A Poem
Today I’d like to share my most recent reads along with my poem. This is an Etheree poem written by me for Colleen Chesebro’s Weekly Poetry Challenge.
There
are worlds
between the
covers of books
Why fly, ride or walk?
To take us lands away
there is nothing like a book
So spread out your wings untiring
get to a book store or library
good books are fun and thrilling things to own.
The first book I’m sharing is called Strange HWY by Beem Weeks.
BLURB:
f you ever find yourself on the Strange Hwy—don’t turn around. Don’t panic. Just. Keep. Going. You never know what you’ll find.
You’ll see magic at the fingertips of an autistic young man,
•A teen girl’s afternoon, a lifetime of loss.
•A winged man, an angel? Demon—?
•Mother’s recognition, peace to daughter.
•Danny’s death – stifled secrets.
•Black man’s music, guitar transforms boy.
•Dead brother, an open confession.
•First love, supernatural?—family becomes whole!
You can exit the Strange Hwy, and come back any time you want.
See, now you know the way in, don’t be a stranger.
MY REVIEW:
Strange HWY brings together 18 of Author, Beem Weeks’ strange and wonderful coming of age stories about the madness and sadness, courage and vulnerability of youth.
This collection of eclectic short stories explores a vast range of topics including, suicide, cancer, prostitution, mental illness and even the paranormal. My favorite stories are Alterations, Constant of the Day, Demons, Songs of the Lost, and Looking for Lucy but to be honest, I was captivated by each well-written story in this book.
Author, Beem Weeks is a talented writer that’s very attuned to detail. His writing style is unique but also fun and easy. He seems to see the world as a reason to create with his straightforward, unusual, traditional stories.
The stories in this book are meant to be read slowly and savored and are filled with lovely and disturbing moments that will stay with you for some time to come. I highly recommend it.
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Connect with Author, Beem Weeks on Social Media!
The Indie Spot! (Blog)
Amazon Author Page
The next book I’m sharing is a short story called Open, Shut by Nonnie Jules.
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BLURB:
Darcy Lynn has a few problems: her sister, Lola, killed by a drunk driver, leaves her with an eerie message right before her death; her parents are atheists; her father drinks a little too much, and her brother, Bud, is just annoying. But, her most pressing issue is that things are mysteriously opening and closing around her and she hasn’t a clue as to why…or how.
In this short “sad but uplifting story with a wonderful message,” as one reader tags it, Author, Nonnie Jules flexes her writing chops once again, by introducing her readers to a normal, everyday family, whose lives are altered, not once, but twice by unexpected and unusual circumstances.
If you came into this story only believing in things seen with your own two eyes, and things heard with your own two ears, you walk away with a new and refreshing added sense…the ability and the courage to change, based on where your heart leads you.
MY REVIEW:
Open, Shut by Nonnie Jules is a poignant short story about a seemingly happy and normal family who experience the death of a loved one.
Darcy Lynn’s parents were atheists and prayer and reading the Bible were strictly prohibited in their household.
However, Darcy’s older sister, Lola was curious about Christianity and began secretly studying the Bible. She was caught once by her mother, who had a fit but that didn’t deter her from continuing her secret Bible studies and prayers. Lola also received visits from an angel who seemed to be preparing her for something.
Later, Lola became ill. During the course of her illness, she continued to pray and read her Bible, even in the presence of her mother who no longer made a fuss about it.
On one of Lola’s better days, she walked to school with Darcy and their younger brother Bobby. When she stepped off the sidewalk to cross the street she was struck by a car.
After her sister’s death, Darcy began to feel a presence in her room and strange things began to happen. She would come home to find her bedroom door and windows, closet door and dresser drawers opened when she knew she had shut them prior to leaving for school.
One day Darcy walks into her sister’s bedroom which her mother kept intact and finds Lola’s diary. While reading Lola’s diary, she learns a lot about her sister. Her sister’s words opened her eyes to many things hidden from her and changed her life.
What I enjoyed most about this short story was the author’s writing style which was believable, easy, and captivating.
Overall, Open, Shut is a worthwhile, easy short read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading Christian stories.
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Author, Nonnie Jules is president of the Rave Reviews Book Club of which I’m a proud member.
Rave Reviews Book Club is a friendly and helpful community of talented writers and avid readers.
Learn more about the club here.
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Connect with Author, Nonnie Jules on Social Media!
Watch Nonnie Write! (Blog)
Amazon Author Page
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In the spirit of sharing, I’d like to share a poem by the late Julia Donaldson called
‘I Opened a Book‘
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Photo by Fabiola Peñalba on Unsplash
I Opened a Book
By Julia Donaldson
I opened a book and in I strode.
Now nobody can find me.
I’ve left my chair, my house, my road,
My town and my world behind me.
I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring,
I’ve swallowed the magic potion.
I’ve fought with a dragon, dined with a king
And dived in a bottomless ocean.
I opened a book and made some friends.
I shared their tears and laughter
And followed their road with its bumps and bends
To the happily ever after.
I finished my book and out I came.
The cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
But I have a book inside me.
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Photograph by David Lezcano
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August 30, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Character & Wild
I’m sure some of you know by now that there’s a hurricane in the Atlantic headed for Florida. Well, Hurricane Dorian is headed northwest right now toward Florida’s northern east coast but there’s a pressure system that is predicted to push the hurricane southwest to make landfall anywhere from central Florida to the Keys and I’m somewhere in the middle.
We stocked up on water, batteries, and all the other stuff – better to be safe than sorry. I’m hoping the pressure system turns out to be weaker than the meteorologists are predicting and won’t have the strength to push Dorian over land but instead, it continues north on the Atlantic Ocean, missing the east coast of Florida.
Changing the subject, I’m excited about Colleen Chesebro’s prompt words this week, Character and Wild because I was reminded of Lilith, the main character in the first book of my Fantasy Angels Series, The Fall of Lilith.
**I would like to give a little more insight into her and answer a few readers questions.
I’ve been asked, why did I decide to make Lilith both main character and villain in The Fall of Lilith?
My original thought was to make Michael the protagonist and Lucifer the antagonist but then I thought of all the books in existence with the same exact concept and the more I thought about it the more the idea bored me. So I thought, why not make the villain the main character and why not make that character female? I was thrilled to write this story because it was original.
A few readers complained that Lilith never changed but remained evil throughout, never learning her lesson.
Firstly, Lilith did change throughout the story, because she began as a mischievous but not evil young girl. Her goal early on was to please God. As she grew into a teenager, she began to understand that her lofty goal of being first in God’s eyes was not going to be met and began to feel resentful of others who God favored instead.
She became more and more dissatisfied with her position in Floraison (Heaven’s lowest realm) and also began to feel stifled by the laws the angels had to live by in Floraison. Soon, she realized she had natural psychology and was able to influence the other angels. When she managed to influence the most powerful angel and God’s right hand, Lucifer into rebelling against God and starting a war, she became drunk with her own power.
Even after losing the war in heaven and being exiled to Earth she made excuses as to why her plans failed – it was Beelzebub’s fault – Lucifer failed to do his part . . . She became more rebellious, angrier and vengeance, after going through many bad experiences on Earth, became her ultimate goal.
The bottom line is that Lilith never repented and never learned her lesson because like Narcissists she could never admit that she was wrong or that anything was her fault. Everything she did, no matter how bad, was done for good reasons. Also, she was on her way to becoming a demon and demons don’t feel remorse or regret, they just become worse – more evil and perverse.
In Son of the Serpent Lilith is the villain and a full-blown demon-witch. Does she get her comeuppance? You’ll have to read to find out. 
August 23, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Photo Prompt
It’s Colleen’s Middle of the Month Photo Prompt Poetry Challenge!
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I wrote a Cinquain today. I hope you enjoy it.
Secret
message in a
bottle thrown out to sea
whoever finds it will find me,
a nymph
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Have a wonderful day!
August 16, 2019
Conversations With Colleen: Meet Author, Vashti Quiroz-Vega, @VashtiQV
via Conversations With Colleen: Meet Author, Vashti Quiroz-Vega, @VashtiQV
August 9, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Instagram
I’m Vashti Quiroz-Vega (Vashti Q).
Let’s talk about Instagram. I joined Instagram a while ago but I created the account, managed to post some pictures and then never looked at it again for months. There was a lot going on in my life at the time and I couldn’t handle another social media site. I’ve gotten a lot more involved on Instagram in the last few months and I plan to stick with it, because it’s actually a great site. Now, I’m not claiming to be an expert. I’m still learning and making mistakes left and right but I’m beginning to catch on. I just discovered how to do an Instagram story and I’m having some fun with that.
I love photography and art, so at first, I had joined Instagram to look and share beautiful and interesting photos and art. Now, I realize that Instagram is a lot more than just a gallery for pretty pictures.
Did you know that Instagram has been around for about 9 years already? Did you know that influencers are charging up to $100,000 for a sponsored post?
Like Facebook and Twitter, hashtags are also used on Instagram and posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6% more engagement. As authors, we know the importance of engagement. And speaking of authors, Instagram is now the new social media place for writers. It’s a place where creativity and bookworms abound. So here are:
10 Instagram Tips for Writers | Jane Friedman
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Book cake from the launch party of ‘A Touch of Gold‘ by Annie Sullivan
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Also check out, 25 Instagram Facts That You Want To Know – PastBook
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As authors, it is extremely important for our work to be seen. What’s the point of writing books if no one knows about them or reads them? I believe we can gain visibility, followers, and increase sales by being active on social media and my favorite sites right now are Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
If you haven’t joined Instagram yet, give it a try.
Check out my Instagram and follow if you like.
UPDATE:
I’m done with the first draft of The Rise of Gadreel! Yay! I’m busy doing my first round of edits. I’ll probably do one more round of edits after this one, before I send it to my beta readers.
Here’s today poem for Colleen Chesebro’s Poetry Prompt Challenge. It’s the first challenge of the month, so it’s ‘Poet’s Choice of Words’.
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BOOK
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See me, read me, please!
I was written in her blood
for your enjoyment.
Unread I am not a story
Reading me will make me live.
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I’d like your opinion on my WIP’s title, The Rise of Gadreel. What do you think? Is the title interesting, intriguing? You can be completely honest.
August 5, 2019
Celebrating Short Stories!
Today I will share two short stories I read recently. The first, Voodoo or Destiny: You Decide was written by Jan Sikes. The second, Red Eyes in the Darkness was written by D. L. Finn. Both of these authors are extremely talented storytellers, skilled writers, as well as great supporters of the indie community and overall wonderful people. I truly enjoy their work.
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Author Jan Sikes
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Bio:
Multi-Award winning author, Jan Sikes, weaves stories in a creative and entertaining way. She has been called a magician and wordsmith extraordinaire by her readers and peers.
Jan self-published a series of four Biographical Fiction books with a musical twist. They chronicle the life of Texas musician, Rick Sikes, a pioneer in the Outlaw Music movement before it ever had a name. She also released a music CD of original songs which match the time period of each story.
Her newest self-pub is a unique book of poetry and art, which combines heartfelt poetry with pen-and-ink drawings.
Jan has written songs, poetry, short stories, screenplays, and novels.
She is passionate about her writing projects and is driven to tell a story with the hope that it might touch someone’s heart or life in a positive way.
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Only 99¢! Click to purchase on Amazon.
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My Review of Voodoo or Destiny: You Decide:
Claire’s husband asked for a divorce after confessing he was in love with another woman. Devastated she turned to her friend Jade who remained by her side to console her.
After polishing off two bottles of red wine, Jade, whose grandmother was one of New Orleans Voodoo Queens, convinces Claire to perform a mock Voodoo ritual ceremony. They dressed the part, lit red candles, and Claire even made a Voodoo doll from yarn, fabric from one of her husband’s shirts, spare buttons, and her husband’s blond hair, retrieved from his comb. Then, she stabbed two pushpins right through the doll’s heart.
The next morning Claire received an alarming phone call which made her and her friend rush out of the house. What happens next will surprise you and you’ll have to decide, was it Voodoo or destiny?
I’d recommend this story to anyone who enjoys fun, quick reads.
Connect with Jan Sikes on Social Media:
BLOG
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
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[image error]
Author D. L. Finn
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Bio:
D. L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include children’s books, adult fiction, a unique autobiography, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.
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Click on image to get your 99¢ copy on Amazon.
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My Review of Red Eyes in the Darkness:
This well-written short story hooked me from the beginning and kept me at the edge of my seat with its perfect amount of delectable tension in every page.
Cass and her husband, Will were wrongfully accused and arrested for the murder of her sister. In time, they were released for lack of evidence but the damage had already been done. Family and friends no longer wanted anything to do with them and kept away.
During a visit to Cass and Will’s home, Ronald, Cass’s brother-in-law confessed to having killed her sister and threatened to do the same to them.
Cass and Will immediately called the police and informed them of everything Ronald told them but the police didn’t believe them. Ronald was a well-liked and respected individual and he had already gone to the police to tell them awful lies about the older couple. He was the one who framed them and spread rumors about them to family and friends.
Cass and Will were in a terrible predicament but they were not alone. Someone was helping them and it wasn’t the police.
I recommend this riveting short story to lovers of the supernatural.
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Connect with D.L. Finn on Social Media:
BLOG
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
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**For more information on the authors click on their pictures or social media site. For more information on their books click on the book image or Amazon Author Page.
Enjoy the week, my friends!
