Authors Speak: The Gathering Table
There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island. ~ Walt Disney This Succeed and Soar series invites writers to answer questions about their artforms and special inspirations. Welcome Antwan Eady Antwan, what phrase inspires your writing and life? Start where you are. – Antwan Eady Antwan, share how these words helped your writing, your life. Start where you are. I say this often because it’s true. Sometimes you simply must start where you are. As a writer, I stood in my own way for so many years. A decade really. I wrote my first picture book in 2007. I started a novel in 2011. I wrote poetry all my life but stopped in 2011 or 2012. I was waiting for the “perfect” environment. The “perfect” desk. A new laptop. Etc. But, one day, instead of focusing on what I didn’t have or what I didn’t know, I got started. Without a writer’s desk. On an ancient laptop that was given to me (one that couldn’t hold a charge and had to be plugged in to work). I…got started. So, young dreamers, start where you are. The Gathering Table, Sample Text The air, it cools. The leaves, they change.We gather around the table where Grandpa and Grandma are honored for the family they’ve built.Spanish moss, long and gray, drapes from above. Grandpa’s beard, long and gray, drapes from below. Kirkus Review: Sumptuous and immersive—perfect for encouraging kids to celebrate their own family connections. Read more. Purchase Antwan’s Books Beautiful and inspiring Succeed & Soar art can be purchased as posters, framed, metal and canvas. Art also available as puzzles, totes, blankets, mugs, greeting cards, notebooks, phone cases, pillows, towels, clothing and more. Shop All Art HERE. Collections change. Visit often.
Authors Speak, Cryptid Bits
To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries. ~ A.C. Grayling Authors Speak This Succeed and Soar series invites writers to answer questions about their artforms and special inspirations. Welcome Jess Simms “Ascending, Mt. Ararat,” Photo [c] 2014, Sandra Gould Ford, Route 30, Pennsylvania Visit Sandra’s Fine Art America Collections Jess, what phrase inspires your writing and life? I don’t believe in being serious about anything. I think life is too serious to be taken seriously. – Ray Bradbury How have Bradbury’s words helped your writing, your life? I find that my best writing comes out of a place of joy and fun. This quote is an excellent reminder that sometimes the best way to approach a serious subject is to find a place to inject something light—even if it’s in the form of gallows humor, or even if it’s just a small moment of levity in the midst of something heavy. I also find this quote helpful in a broader, life sense. There’s no shortage of serious things happening on a daily basis, from the personal to the global level. If I let myself take all of them seriously all the time, I end up so drained of motivation and energy that it’s hard to keep moving forward. How these words inspired Cryptid Bits When I set out to write Cryptid Bits I wanted it to be fun, first and foremost. My main inspiration was to play with the thought experiment of “modern society plus fantasy creatures.” Using the modern world as my starting point inevitably meant I would have some serious topics at play, but by tweaking the world to include things like brownies and bigfoot, I could treat these real-life details with a wink instead of tackling them straight-faced. Sample Text: It must have been a full moon last Saturday because I ran into a werewolf at the night market. He was at one of the produce booths, a bag of arugula hanging from his right foreclaw and a head of romaine in his left palm. He was comparing the greens as though his paws were scales. Reedsy Review Purchase Here About Jess Simms Jess Simms is a co-founder of Scribble House and the managing editor of After Happy Hour Review. They’re the author of the micro-chapbook Shapeshifter Diaries (Rinky Dink Press, 2023) and their short fiction can be found in MockingOwl Roost, The Oakland Review, and HOOT!, among other publications. They live in an old house in Pittsburgh with two humans and four cats. Web Site: https://www.jesssimms.com/ Keep in mind, Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary. – Jim Rohn Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. COMMENT. NEXT WEEK: Heroic Hearts On Saturday, September 7, LaToya Ruby Frazier’s Monuments of Solidarity show ends at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. Her awesome exhibition includes special selections from several of her works, including “The Last Cruze,” “Flint is Family,” and “On the Making of Steel Genesis,” which presents my artistic life. Here’s a 2-minute video. The Museum of Modern Art is offering some complimentary admissions. My “Steel Genesis” tour and conversation starts at 10:30 am on Saturday, September 7. To join the Guest List, RSVP here. I’m delighted to share this precious experience with you. Sandra Gould Ford
Authors Speak, You Don’t Have to Go to Mars for Love
If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the inquisition might have let him alone. — Thomas Hardy Succeed and Soar’s Authors Speak series invites writers to answer questions about their artforms and special inspirations. Welcome Yona Harvey What phrase inspires your writing and life? “Waking up this morning, I [s/he] smile.. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me [s/he]. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with the eyes of compassion.” How have these words helped your writing, your life? This gatha by Thich Nhat Hanh inspires my writing and life everyday. It’s shockingly hard to smile at 6:00AM in the morning! How did these words inspire You Don’t Have to Go to Mars for Love? Thich Nhat Hanh’s words help my writing and life because they keep me grounded. They remind me to focus on what’s important and meaningful to write about, on what my ancestors sacrificed so I could write, on what The Divine has called me to do (rather than worrying about what everyone else is doing). Living fully in each moment allows me to write without feeling censored, without worries about publishing, without worries about criticism. I honor the words that come in the present moment. All while having a sense of humor! Sample Text: “I was seduced by the independence of his mind” after Bahiana by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier You never wear cologne. You give & you give & you give & you give. & they take from you.That’s their business. You are mine. Or so you say with a wink. I want to tell that stupid girl to shut the hell up about the sonnet. But you shrug. Just a girl, you say. You once saw seabirds in her skirt, a blue, irregular outline, a neglected island. & anyway, cologne is for boys who need a hint. Just don’t tell their young lovers too soon. Give them the feathered headdresses & coconuts they imagine, the little trees that bear chocolate fruit. Reviews: RHINO Poetry Publisher’s Weekly You Don’t Have to Go to Mars for Love is available at: Amazon Barnes & Noble About Yona Harvey Yona Harvey’s first poetry book, Hemming the Water, won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award from Claremont Graduate University. She is among the first black women writers for Marvel Comics and earned an Eisner Award for her contribution to World of Wakanda. Yona co-authored Black Panther and The Crew with Ta-Nehisi Coates. She lives in Northampton, Massachusetts where she is the Tammis Day Professor of Poetry at Smith College.. Web Site: www.yonaharvey.com Keep in mind, Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary. – Jim Rohn Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. Night Sky Featured Photo Source; Dreamstime.com Enjoy Mugs from Succeed & Soar’s “Eleanor’s Insights” Collection. Visit the Eleanor’s Insights posts. Mugs are: Ceramic Dishwasher and microwave safe Available in two sizes [11 ounce and 15 ounce] See All Mugs Shop All Art and Collections HERE. Thanks for your support!
Authors Speak, The Things We’ll Never Have
Our libraries are an essential resource for our children, our communities, and our future. ~ Danielle Steel Authors Speak This Succeed and Soar series invites writers to answer questions about their artforms and special inspirations. Welcome Hilary Hauck Hilary, what phrase inspires your writing and life? Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. ― Neil Gaiman, Coraline How have Gaiman’s words helped your writing, your life? Growing up I struggled tremendously with the feeling I was the only person who didn’t fit in. This sense of unworthiness was my dragon. I journeyed for many years before I believed in myself which is why my characters tend to be on a formidable path to beat their dragons. My dream would be to inspire readers to discover their own inner amazing, feel comfortable in their own skin, and totally rock this single chance we get at life. How these words inspired The Things We’ll Never Have The Things We’ll Never Have is the story of three women who have suffered the loss of a man they love. When their paths cross, they uncover a shocking truth that makes a mockery of how they’ve lived their lives for the person they lost, not for themselves. They must each face their inner dragons if they’re to pursue the lives they truly want and deserve. Sample Text: “Yet in my weariness, I settle for contemplating how odd it is that you don’t notice the world around you. The everyday, the sights we take for granted. We regret yesterday and how we did things, we worry about tomorrow, but when we do we give time to today?” Kirkus Review Autographed copies of Hilary’s books can be purchased HERE. About Hilary An Italian speaking Brit living in the US, Hilary Hauck is a bestselling, award-winning author of historical and fantasy fiction featuring characters struggling to find their inner amazing. Her books include From Ashes to Song, The Things We’ll Never Have, and Trevor Made Christmas stories. Through Radiant Tree Books, SucceedandSoar.com, and her Fine Art collections at SandrasArt.Pixels.com, Sandra Gould Ford creates and presents art for healing and high achievement, to lift hearts and spirits, awareness and humanity. Until midnight EST, June 1, Succeed and Soar’s first “12 Paths to Joy” series is 25% off. “Illustrated Wisdom” is Contemplative Art that is guided by the heart. It can open peaceful and inspiring spaces while: * Clarifying choices * Offering important insights * Relaxing body, mind and spirit Three versions of the beautifully illustrated, 60-page sketch journals can be previewed here: 8×10, Standard Print, Soft Cover. Regular $32.50. This week: $24.00 Preview here. 8×10, Economy Print, Soft Cover. Regular Price $21. This week: $15.50. Preview here. 5×8, Economy Print, Soft Cover. Regular Price $15. This week $11. Preview here. Shop All Books
Authors Speak: MusicMaster
Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light. ~ Vera Nazarian Succeed and Soar’s “Authors Speak” series invites writers to answer questions about their artforms and special inspirations. Welcome Barbara Jean Miller Barbara, what phrase inspires your writing and life? “I don’t know. It’s a mystery.” from Shakespeare in Love How have these words helped your writing, your life? Writing for me remains a mystery. My subconscious thinks of the things I forget and brings each book to a conclusion that amazes me. How these words inspired Barbara Jean Miller’s novel MusicMaster. Though I did not know what MusicMaster was about when I started, the theme revealed itself as how to make the difficult choices in life. Sample Text: “I would trade everything to have my father back again. And he is back. It’s a miracle. Why don’t you even want to speak to your mother?” … Maddie stared into his eyes. She saw the joy mixed with his sympathy for her and his total lack of understanding. “A mother’s love should be unconditional.” Leighton bent his head toward her with that hard stare he used so seldom. “So should a daughter’s.” GoodReads Review Music Master is available at The Wild Rose Press or Amazon books. SPECIAL: Check out Barbara’s short story “Locked Police Station – 1” free! About Barbara Jean Miller Barbara Jean Miller is an author, nature observer and educator who taught in the Seton Hill Writing Popular Fiction Program from 1999 t0 2023. Web Site: https://barbarajeanmiller.substack.com Photo: Barbara riding Grey Dawn with her foal Spyder. Keep in mind, Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary. – Jim Rohn Succeed and Soar! See Succeed and Soar’s Beautiful, Inspiring Posters Sizes from 8”x6.5” to the popular 30” x 23.5” Four Shape Options: Natural, Vertical, Horizontal and Square Printed on acid-free paper with archival inks Includes 1” white border to allow for future framing and mounting View All Posters Shop All Art and Collections HERE. Thanks for your support! Cloud Photo [c] Sandra Gould Ford