Sunday, March 11, 2018

Our Guest Today is Author Sandra Bouquet Carslick #OurAuthorGang

Welcome, Sandra! We're so glad you could join us today.


I never thought of sharing my creative ideas until the universe made it very clear to me it was time.   After more than 30 years in healthcare helping others through, it was now time for me to experience illness and my own healing journey.   I realized I had been living on autopilot and had conveniently tossed any feelings that arose into my ‘emotional closet’.  Lying in bed, experiencing incredible pain and unable to use my arms, these emotions started bubbling to the surface one-by-one.  I could no longer hide or stuff them away as I had done in the past.  It was time for me to experience them.  This process was incredibly painful both physically and emotionally, but something amazing happened in the process. I began to feel lighter. I began to have less pain. I realized that by acknowledging these emotions and feeling them, I was releasing them from my body.  I had opened my heart and I had given myself permission to feel again!  The gift I was given through this journey was that moment of awareness in which my Body, Mind and Spirit was given permission to start the process of deep healing. 

In This Moment…the little book of emotions came from this experience. 

My passion for helping others on their healing journey has now continued in a much different
way than before.  I have private CranioSacral Therapy and Energy Medicine practices in Brunswick, Maine and Tucson, Arizona.   It was through this work that I was introduced to my co-author, Vicki Norton Remsen, who just happened to be a former English teacher!  I’m still amazed how the universe guides us along our way.  She was the missing link needed to finish and polish this project.





Sandra loves hearing from her readers and can be reached at:

Website:  www.lonelotus.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LoneLotus/
Instagram:  in_this_moment_book
Email:  sandra@lonelotus.com





In This Moment…the little book of emotions

This book was created to help you acknowledge and witness your emotions.  Acknowledging feelings, without judging them, gives them a voice.  Calling upon the pages of this book in times of need will help facilitate the shift that allows you to release these emotions and move forward in this moment.  


photographs in this post are the property of Lone Lotus

Thursday, March 8, 2018

dragon mythology 1


Dragons are a common thread in many different countries' mythology. Each type of dragon is unique to the area where they originated. India, for instance, has serpentine dragons no arms or legs, and some have multiple heads.

While other dragons are much more familiar to most like a Wyvern. This dragon originates in Europe and dates back to the medieval period. It is serpent-like with two legs and wings. Wyvern or Wyvern type dragons can be found all over Europe. They were used as battle standards, on shields and coat of arms.


A common problem for many people at least here in the States is that people don’t realize that the Wyvern earned the title of European Dragon. It’s diversity and spread throughout the country far outpace its cousin the Welsh Dragon.

Most people think of the Welsh Dragon when they hear European Dragon. It's more reptilian with four legs and wings. I think for us Hollywood has defined this as a proper dragon.

Welsh Dragons have their own long, rich history though. Merlin told the Welsh King Vortigern that the red dragon defeating a white dragon in his dream represented the English defeating the Saxons. A red Welsh Dragon was also believed to grace King Arthur’s battle standard. King Henry VII even used a red dragon to support his royal coat of arms.  While Welsh Dragons aren’t European Dragons, they certainly are English dragons.

If you’ve read my other posts you know I like my writing as accurate as possible. However, when I wrote my dragon shifter series Dragons of the North, I used Welsh style dragons that admittedly moved from Europe ages ago. They even admit they were European dragons. It was written primarily for the American market, and I had to go with the flow. This was one of those times I had to sacrifice reality for art.

Catch my next post in the series on March 27, 2018


Enter a fantasy where devastatingly handsome men become dragons at will. Split into four territories, their power struggles put the women they love in danger. Its the last mistake their enemy will make. A dragon will always protect their mate. After all. when you fall in love with a myth you're guaranteed a fairytale ending.

With 4 novellas and 5 sexy dragons in this set there's plenty of action and steamy romance. All of the stories have adult themes and are intended for adults. Book 3 is an MFM ménage.
Available at most major retailers

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Inspired by #comicbooks part 1 by Toi Thomas #OurAuthorGang

Being a female, multi-genre, independent, author who sometimes writes about religious themes, there are 5 questions I frequently get asked?

1) What made you decide to be an independent author?
2) Is it difficult to be a female author of speculative fiction?
3) Why don’t you just write Christian Fiction?
4) Is it difficult to break out as an author of color?
5) Why don’t you write books exclusively about black characters?

My answer to all these questions is the same. Whatever else I am, I’m also a geek and I express that in my writing. Yes, I’m a Christian. Yes, I’m black, Yes, I’m a woman. And yes, I’m self-published, making me an independent author. But, I’m also a geek, and as a geek, I can be all of these things and more. As a geek, I have many interests beyond what I am and beyond things that only affect me.

Aside from my childhood dream of running off to Neverland to become a lost boy, it has been the adventures, political statements, and diversity of comic books that have constantly inspired me to be a better writer and more openminded person.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love books and probably read more of them in a year than I do comic books (except for this year when I did a graphic novel read-a-thon in the month of February), but it’s still the world of comic books and graphic novels that make a lasting impression on my desire to create characters and worlds in the face of turmoil, stress, adversity, and so much more.

In this series, I’ll be writing about how comic books and comic book characters have helped shape me as a writer and have helped to inspire me when creating new characters and worlds.
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Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

#geekculture, #specfic, #blackwriter, #Pinterest 
COMMENTS

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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Toi Thomas shared her love of comics and graphic novels, and how they shaped her writing career in the first of her new series of posts.
 
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Ruth de Jauregui

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Oh yes, comic books! And then came graphic novels. For a while, I collected comics, but then there was this broken pipe in my house and I lost about 2/3 of my collection. It kinda took the heart out of me. But I still love them! Thank you for sharing!
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I would be quite sad if I lost 2/3 of my collection.

Susan Gourley

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I'm so thrilled with all the superhero movies that are out. I hope they inspire readers and writers everywhere.
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Me too.

Joe Bonadonna via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today on A Small Gang of Authors, Toinette Thomas talks about being an indie author, and about comic books as one of her creative inspirations.
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Toi Thomas via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today I start a new series all about how comic book and comic book characters help shape me as a writer.
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Joe Bonadonna

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Well done and well said, Toi! Bravo!
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Thank you.
 
+Toi Thomas -- you're very welcome!

Erika M Szabo via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
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Erika M Szabo

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I grew up on European comic books :)
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I only recently began to dive into indie and foreign comics; so far, I find they all much the same in that they are really cool.

Mary Anne Yarde

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Wonderful post!
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Thank you.

Grace Au

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Comic book inspiration! I love it!!! I'm a Superman and Wonder Woman girl...always have been! Thanks for the walk down memory lane....
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I'm only getting started. Glad you're along for the ride.

Chris Weigand via Google+

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Read Toi's post and find out how comic books can inspire.
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Chris Weigand

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I didn't have the privilege of reading comic books as a kid, but my children are big fans of comic books and even though I am a little late to the game and I still don't read a lot of comic books they do inspire me. And I can safely say that thanks to my children I can qualify as a geek.
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Yay! It's never to late to go geek.

Rich Feitelberg

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I grew up reading comic books. It is probably why I write fantasy novels now.
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So cool. Isn't great how much inspiration comes from comic books?

Rebecca Tran

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
See what great things happen when you're inspired by comic books like author Toi Thomas on Our Author Gang.
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Thanks for sharing.

Nikki McDonagh

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
If you are a Geek, Toi, more people should be too. Great post and I love that you get inspiration from comic book characters.
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Thank you. I was a geek before it became chic and I agree, more people should go geek.

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