 |
| hehehe |
 |
| candid |
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Meet Chelsea the New Yorker
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Nature Appreciation: Trees
It's all about trees this time ^_^
 |
| Feels good to hug a tree..they got feelings to you know? |
 |
| Tra-la-la-la-la Spring time! XD |
 |
| I just love it! it's that magical hour wherein there's perfect lighting that illuminates the trees |
 |
| On the way home..Summer lovin |
 |
| When it all FALLs down |
 |
| These are what trees are like during the winter season..stunningly lovely |
What's your nature trip like?
Friday, July 29, 2011
The Talking Palm by Esther Jno-Charles: Author Interview
Good day Everybody!My name is Kim your host for today and I would like to Welcome everyone to my very First Author Interview. I’m extremely honored and so thrilled to have our beloved guest she wrote this very lovely novel
 |
The Talking Palm : How the childhood storms of a young woman's life remained hidden until a palm fruit started talking |
Without further ado let us all welcome Esther Jno-Charles *standing ovation & applause*
*Background music : Taio Cruz-Dynamite*
Esther Jno Charles enters with a smile and a spotlight following her waves her hands in the air. Kim and Esther exchanged hugs & peck on the cheek. Kim gestured her to take a sit on a stylish black leather sofa situated at the center part of the studio where they both took a sit comfortably as the music died down.
Kim: Wow! I’ve never seen our audience get that wild before *more laugh and applause from the crowd* How are you?
Esther: I am doing great right now. I am in a wonderful place in my life because I finally have accomplished one of my passionate dreams: publish a book to share with everyone. I know that I have now stepped into my destiny, into the creative and career space God created me to be in.
Kim: Awesome! Please do tell us more about yourself and your book.
Esther: I was born in the island of Dominica, dubbed the Nature Isle of the Caribbean for its lush green beauty and its ruggedness and plush gifts of nature. It is a land, which the Kanaligo indigenous Caribs first called Waitikubuli, which means Tall is her Body. My book is set in that picturesque environment populated with coconut palms and a seductive Caribbean Sea. The sea is a few minutes' walk away from the one-roomed school, which Sheryl the protagonist attends. My book reflects a collision of natural, cultural, social and family influences in the life and development of a young girl and into her early adulthood. It is a book that shows some of the unusual storms Sheryl grappled with while growing up, some of which may be similar to what girls all over the world face at one time or another in their development and some of the critical decisions Sheryl made. The importance of this book is that it will help young women to open up and see that they are not alone, and recognize that though their backgrounds may be different, their experiences may be similar. It is a book that mothers, youth workers and immigrant women should read and share with female tweens, teens, and young adults.
Kim: I agree it’s definitely one of those must have, read and share story I would absolutely love to visit Dominica and places that surrounds the Caribbean Sea ^_^ so How did you come up with this idea for your book? Is this your first novel?
Esther: I owed LaGuardia College something grander since I won the writing contest in and about 1994. It was a non-verbalized expectation and so in 2007, while I was teaching at LaGuardia College, Dr. Cecilia Macheski, one of my colleagues who knew about me but was not seeing any work that reflected that unspoken expectation, challenged me by telling me: "Esther write that book. LaGuardia has waited long enough." I said "Yes mam" without having any idea of how to write a book or what that book would be about. So in search of an idea for my book, the only one that rushed to me was a story I had written at Smith College about a coconut called "The Talking Palm." That coconut story originally came to me as I described in my prologue. One Friday night, I was struggling for an idea for a childhood story for my class due the following week, when my brother who was living in New York but visiting his family on weekends came home late and interrupted my nonproductive writing episode. It was a distraction that provided me with a muse for writing the story because in the grocery bags my brother brought was a coconut. The coconut caught my attention because I had not used the coconut for a long time, and that ethnic food was very scarce in Northampton. Because the fruit looked so new to me, even though it was old food, it tickled my memory in very vivid ways, reminding me of wonderful times of eating I had with it in childhood.
That is the story I suddenly turned to when I went scavenging again for inspiration for the book LaGuardia was waiting for. The idea came to me to dig up more experiences I had with the coconut and free write every and anything that came to my mind. And they came. When I could not remember details, I called up family members and a few friends. Because all the details of every experience could not necessarily be one hundred percent accurate, and to protect the identity of some people, and to make the story cohesive and powerful, I decided to fictionalize some of the details and call the book fictionalized autobiography.
That is the story I suddenly turned to when I went scavenging again for inspiration for the book LaGuardia was waiting for. The idea came to me to dig up more experiences I had with the coconut and free write every and anything that came to my mind. And they came. When I could not remember details, I called up family members and a few friends. Because all the details of every experience could not necessarily be one hundred percent accurate, and to protect the identity of some people, and to make the story cohesive and powerful, I decided to fictionalize some of the details and call the book fictionalized autobiography.
Kim : Since it’s a fictionalized autobiography how many percentage would you account for fiction? And for autobio?
Esther: 90% of the book is autobiographical in that the key events are true. The next 10% include creating details, changing some character characteristics, creating and recreating conversations and so on.
Kim: Oh WOW! As you also shared to me in our previous conversations before this interview you said that the coconut/palm fruit is one and definitely top of the chart of your favorite food/fruit so besides Coconut goodies what’s next in line in your favorite food list?
Esther: Good question. Umm. Let me see. What's next in line? I think to eventually open up a boutique featuring coconut foods of all types and allowing the coconut aroma and goodies to draw in artists like writers and other creative people. My other favorite food is believe it or not, grapefruits. Big absolutely juicy grapefruits. I love their bitter sweetness. Grapefruits also have a human story to tell because when I was in my early to mid teen, I used grapefruit to try to lose weight because although I was not fat, almost everybody told me I was big-boned or simply big, and that made me feel big and unattractive. So I stopped eating food for a while, and since my father was a huckster, that is, he bought grapefruits from around the island to sell in the neighboring French island of Guadeloupe, I had continuous access to those luscious succulent fruits. Knowing that grapefruits help people "reduce," I fed on grapefruits for my three meals for months and months. The result was that since I was already taller than most of my peers and nonpeers, my neck elongated itself above my body and that of those around me because I had lost so much weight, and so sometimes I had to use a bath towel to hide what I called my "giraffe neck." Pretty pathetic, isn't it?
Kim: No,Not at all..Congratulations putting off all that weight! that took a lot of willpower! that’s a very interesting fact and completely changed my mind set about grapefruit I will surely rush to the nearby grocery and buy those amazing grapefruit products after this so how long have you been writing novels? And how long did it take to finish The Talking Palm?
Esther: I first self-published and registered with the Library of Congress about three books, anthologies depicting the artistic work of children of Ada Comstock Scholars. (Ada Comstock scholars are mature students at Smith College in Northampton Massachusetts) from 1998 to 2000. They were not novels but works that reflected where my heart was; works that brought me absolute joy; works I could do over and over and over. So that was my "putting materials together into a book format" early training. Before that, I won LaGuardia Community College's first student creative writing contest, a win which revealed to me a passion and ability I had not yet fully acknowledged was sitting within me, dormant. Incidentally, one of my teacher colleagues in Dominica once told me that I wrote well, commenting on my daily preparation of work, which teachers had to submit for class. But I did not understand what that meant. I did not translate "write well" with any bigger ambition since I thought that as a Dominican woman, I could only be a teacher, nurse, secretary or office worker. It was the LaGuardia win that made me realize, to my shock, that more than just the ordinary was possible for me. I took about one year to write the manuscript and to get some feedback from my college students and about two years editing. The two years included hiring editors, dealing with serious and disruptive personal changes and relocations that caused me to put the book aside for a few months, and finally, the grand old challenge of designing the interior of the book myself, a task that took six long months. But thank God, here I am with a finished product, and I am glad to finally hold a book that looks like any other book..
Esther: Good question. Umm. Let me see. What's next in line? I think to eventually open up a boutique featuring coconut foods of all types and allowing the coconut aroma and goodies to draw in artists like writers and other creative people. My other favorite food is believe it or not, grapefruits. Big absolutely juicy grapefruits. I love their bitter sweetness. Grapefruits also have a human story to tell because when I was in my early to mid teen, I used grapefruit to try to lose weight because although I was not fat, almost everybody told me I was big-boned or simply big, and that made me feel big and unattractive. So I stopped eating food for a while, and since my father was a huckster, that is, he bought grapefruits from around the island to sell in the neighboring French island of Guadeloupe, I had continuous access to those luscious succulent fruits. Knowing that grapefruits help people "reduce," I fed on grapefruits for my three meals for months and months. The result was that since I was already taller than most of my peers and nonpeers, my neck elongated itself above my body and that of those around me because I had lost so much weight, and so sometimes I had to use a bath towel to hide what I called my "giraffe neck." Pretty pathetic, isn't it?
Kim: No,Not at all..Congratulations putting off all that weight! that took a lot of willpower! that’s a very interesting fact and completely changed my mind set about grapefruit I will surely rush to the nearby grocery and buy those amazing grapefruit products after this so how long have you been writing novels? And how long did it take to finish The Talking Palm?
Esther: I first self-published and registered with the Library of Congress about three books, anthologies depicting the artistic work of children of Ada Comstock Scholars. (Ada Comstock scholars are mature students at Smith College in Northampton Massachusetts) from 1998 to 2000. They were not novels but works that reflected where my heart was; works that brought me absolute joy; works I could do over and over and over. So that was my "putting materials together into a book format" early training. Before that, I won LaGuardia Community College's first student creative writing contest, a win which revealed to me a passion and ability I had not yet fully acknowledged was sitting within me, dormant. Incidentally, one of my teacher colleagues in Dominica once told me that I wrote well, commenting on my daily preparation of work, which teachers had to submit for class. But I did not understand what that meant. I did not translate "write well" with any bigger ambition since I thought that as a Dominican woman, I could only be a teacher, nurse, secretary or office worker. It was the LaGuardia win that made me realize, to my shock, that more than just the ordinary was possible for me. I took about one year to write the manuscript and to get some feedback from my college students and about two years editing. The two years included hiring editors, dealing with serious and disruptive personal changes and relocations that caused me to put the book aside for a few months, and finally, the grand old challenge of designing the interior of the book myself, a task that took six long months. But thank God, here I am with a finished product, and I am glad to finally hold a book that looks like any other book..
Kim: Very well done! I must say all your hard work paid off and worth it.I think your book is really unique and one of a kind that really differ to other books out there truly EPIC! I highly recommend it! who are your major influences when it comes to your writing career? Any favorite authors & books come to mind?
Esther : Jamaica Kincaid's The Autobiography of my Mother was one of the first most significant literary influences on my writing. First, her book was set in Dominica. That alone caught my attention when I first read it at the end of my college years at LaGuardia in 1996. Then her simplicity of language but the depth of meanings those simple sentences held was profoundly impressive to me. She took one sentence and developed that sentence into different sentences that analyzed her first topic sentence to the bare bone. I loved that joyous process I gleaned from that technique. I also love the spirit of freedom that emanated boldly from her form of writing, in that she ignored some grammatical conventions and used run-ons at free will or used her circular form of sentence development. I felt she was fighting back at the British empires' insistence that English was superior to our Caribbean language, and I loved that fire in her craft and the freedom to control her own gifts while seeming to not care what others thought about her techniques. Freedom of expression and freedom of breaking out of the mold of others is so critical to creative originality to me. That is a gift I have adopted in my writing as you may notice a lot of fragments. But it was not deliberate revolt against the convention of writing. The fragments show the preferred thinking pattern of the protagonist.
I also love Edwidge Dantica'ts style of writing, particularly in her book Breath, Eyes, Memory because again, she exhibits a freedom in writing stories or scenes that may make people blush but draws critical attention to important and serious issues facing women in her culture. For instance, I applaud her graphic and bold description of the "virginity test" in that book, an issue that gripped the hearts and triggered animated discussions among my LaGuardia students.
Most importantly, my mother was the first and primary influence on my writing because when I was a child, and as I acknowledge in my book, she always sang and recited poems and rhymes. She made words sound so musical. I remember as an eight-year old or so, being angry at my mother and even jealous that an old lady like her knew my rhymes much better than I did, especially while I was struggling to learn mine. Even as an adult, whenever I hear or read words well placed together, something tickles my soul deep deep down. Often, when my children say certain words, they trigger an automatic song from me.
Esther : Jamaica Kincaid's The Autobiography of my Mother was one of the first most significant literary influences on my writing. First, her book was set in Dominica. That alone caught my attention when I first read it at the end of my college years at LaGuardia in 1996. Then her simplicity of language but the depth of meanings those simple sentences held was profoundly impressive to me. She took one sentence and developed that sentence into different sentences that analyzed her first topic sentence to the bare bone. I loved that joyous process I gleaned from that technique. I also love the spirit of freedom that emanated boldly from her form of writing, in that she ignored some grammatical conventions and used run-ons at free will or used her circular form of sentence development. I felt she was fighting back at the British empires' insistence that English was superior to our Caribbean language, and I loved that fire in her craft and the freedom to control her own gifts while seeming to not care what others thought about her techniques. Freedom of expression and freedom of breaking out of the mold of others is so critical to creative originality to me. That is a gift I have adopted in my writing as you may notice a lot of fragments. But it was not deliberate revolt against the convention of writing. The fragments show the preferred thinking pattern of the protagonist.
I also love Edwidge Dantica'ts style of writing, particularly in her book Breath, Eyes, Memory because again, she exhibits a freedom in writing stories or scenes that may make people blush but draws critical attention to important and serious issues facing women in her culture. For instance, I applaud her graphic and bold description of the "virginity test" in that book, an issue that gripped the hearts and triggered animated discussions among my LaGuardia students.
Most importantly, my mother was the first and primary influence on my writing because when I was a child, and as I acknowledge in my book, she always sang and recited poems and rhymes. She made words sound so musical. I remember as an eight-year old or so, being angry at my mother and even jealous that an old lady like her knew my rhymes much better than I did, especially while I was struggling to learn mine. Even as an adult, whenever I hear or read words well placed together, something tickles my soul deep deep down. Often, when my children say certain words, they trigger an automatic song from me.
Kim: I will surely look up for their works! I agree with you about mothers and that automatic nostalgia that just rushed to you whenever you hear song way back which are overly familiar as if they were sang yesterday haha! Who inspires you in your everyday life and to write this beautiful novel?
Esther: When I wrote the Talking Palm, I was going through a hurricane-type implosion in my life where my soul was crying out for basic freedom, believe it or not, and a platform to speak. When I created the children's art program at Smith College, my passion was to give children a free public space to speak through whatever gifts or means they so choose because the children of students were behind the scenes supporting us, their mothers, but nobody on campus, including us their mothers, recognized the tremendous sacrifice our children were doing to help us pursue our dreams. A strong desire to give the children public recognition sparked the idea to design a program. That desire for freedom of speech, I think, stems from my childhood's inability to voice my opinions freely due to my father's brutality.
It was cultural belief he took to the nth degree that children were seen but not heard. He silenced my voice a lot through his physical violence and his verbal abuse. I know how it feels to have that happen. To see other people see me humiliated but feeling scared to say something for myself or fight back. It is stifling. So as my book emerged and I read one story called "The Skerrit," and I saw how scared Sheryl was when she believed that a man had the power to kill her in front of an entire class or an entire village, and she believed that nobody could help her because she deserved such cruel punishment for her truancy, I literally cried. In 2010. I was stunned that I was crying. I cried because for the first time, after I read what had gushed out of my bowels, I pictured that little frightened voiceless eight to nine year old, and I remembered the terror of her mind. Strangely, I felt like Sheryl again, a little child, in all of us at one time or another, as you so aptly mentioned in your review of The talking Palm. I decided Sheryl needed a voice. So the voiceless people of society influence me, touch my soul and give me the urge to give them a voice, a public voice.
Therefore, the book took on an important urgency for me. It became like a movement in my heart, an important purpose to spread Sheryl's stories so as to give her a powerful voice, because now she can tell her stories, now she can speak far and wide and nobody can stop her, not even her father.
Kim: I’m greatly touched, moved and truly inspired by Sheryl, your novel..I believe that cruelty and such is one of those cycles that needs to be stopped once and for all! Now that Sheryl’s words are immortalized thru this book it’s no match to the skerrit nor her father she’ll continue to live and carry on ^_^ Any Advice to aspiring writers/authors?
Esther: Write. Write. Write. Write blogs. Keep journals. Write comments on blogs/and writers' forums. Tweet. Write daily. Set your own time or pace and stick with it. Four hours of writing a day. Two pages a day. Five sentences a day. Make your plan. You are in charge.
Before I wrote the book, I wrote a lot. First, during my devotion every morning, especially since I was going through traumatic emotional changes in my life, the only way to keep sane was to explode on paper. I noticed that when I sat down to write, and as I went internal and questioned experiences I was having and seeking solution to and spiritual guidance for, I wrote everything down that came from inside. The questions and the answers. Sometimes I never reread them. They were too painful. But I wrote.
Second. Since I did the anthologies at Smith College, there was a deep seated gnawing in my belly, a cry to write and a desire to see my words in print and in public. When I saw my children's work on public display at Smith and saw some of my captions, it felt so right, so true to my soul. So that hunger to have my words be publicly viewed was strong, but I was still so scared of putting it out en masse. However, I wrote religiously 4 hours every day. I simply sat at my computer and free wrote any and everything that came to my mind about my experiences.
That continuous writing taught me a lot about myself and my writing ability. I started seeing connections between ideas and started recognizing how my ideas flowed and in what areas I struggled. I also learned the depth of my love for writing because when I was in the writing zone, my hands simply became a vessel through which words gushed out. I discovered I had a true passion for writing.
The urge to write grew stronger as I discovered that the writing brought me so much cleansing and peace so that I decide to get an MFA in 2004. The MFA program forced me to write more structurally and regularly and with a purpose since I was given different tasks and asked to imitate certain author techniques and submit my work at set times. That formal training helped me develop the art of managing my words. That was really important, and I would urge aspiring writers to take a formal training class. It does not have to be a degree. But meet with other writers and experts to learn the art of plotting, setting, voice and structure etc, to get feedback and to see how different people react to the same material in different ways. You learn about tone. You discover your writing style. You discover your strengths and weaknesses. You see how your words can influence readers.
Read the work of authors you admire and figure out what about the authors' work you like. I also used to go to the book stores and visualize my books on the shelves. In addition to helping me work harder since I so envied those featured authors, I would visualize my books on the shelves to help me overcome my fear of doing what I then really wanted to do. Publish. I was still afraid of people criticizing my work, my baby. I remained scared until I published The Talking Palm. Then I held it in my hand and the fear gradually ran away.
With social media, I am discovering the importance of putting my words and name and voice out on writers' and readers' discussion forums. You learn about yourself and your writing styles and peculiarities when you simply write.
Esther: When I wrote the Talking Palm, I was going through a hurricane-type implosion in my life where my soul was crying out for basic freedom, believe it or not, and a platform to speak. When I created the children's art program at Smith College, my passion was to give children a free public space to speak through whatever gifts or means they so choose because the children of students were behind the scenes supporting us, their mothers, but nobody on campus, including us their mothers, recognized the tremendous sacrifice our children were doing to help us pursue our dreams. A strong desire to give the children public recognition sparked the idea to design a program. That desire for freedom of speech, I think, stems from my childhood's inability to voice my opinions freely due to my father's brutality.
It was cultural belief he took to the nth degree that children were seen but not heard. He silenced my voice a lot through his physical violence and his verbal abuse. I know how it feels to have that happen. To see other people see me humiliated but feeling scared to say something for myself or fight back. It is stifling. So as my book emerged and I read one story called "The Skerrit," and I saw how scared Sheryl was when she believed that a man had the power to kill her in front of an entire class or an entire village, and she believed that nobody could help her because she deserved such cruel punishment for her truancy, I literally cried. In 2010. I was stunned that I was crying. I cried because for the first time, after I read what had gushed out of my bowels, I pictured that little frightened voiceless eight to nine year old, and I remembered the terror of her mind. Strangely, I felt like Sheryl again, a little child, in all of us at one time or another, as you so aptly mentioned in your review of The talking Palm. I decided Sheryl needed a voice. So the voiceless people of society influence me, touch my soul and give me the urge to give them a voice, a public voice.
Therefore, the book took on an important urgency for me. It became like a movement in my heart, an important purpose to spread Sheryl's stories so as to give her a powerful voice, because now she can tell her stories, now she can speak far and wide and nobody can stop her, not even her father.
Kim: I’m greatly touched, moved and truly inspired by Sheryl, your novel..I believe that cruelty and such is one of those cycles that needs to be stopped once and for all! Now that Sheryl’s words are immortalized thru this book it’s no match to the skerrit nor her father she’ll continue to live and carry on ^_^ Any Advice to aspiring writers/authors?
Esther: Write. Write. Write. Write blogs. Keep journals. Write comments on blogs/and writers' forums. Tweet. Write daily. Set your own time or pace and stick with it. Four hours of writing a day. Two pages a day. Five sentences a day. Make your plan. You are in charge.
Before I wrote the book, I wrote a lot. First, during my devotion every morning, especially since I was going through traumatic emotional changes in my life, the only way to keep sane was to explode on paper. I noticed that when I sat down to write, and as I went internal and questioned experiences I was having and seeking solution to and spiritual guidance for, I wrote everything down that came from inside. The questions and the answers. Sometimes I never reread them. They were too painful. But I wrote.
Second. Since I did the anthologies at Smith College, there was a deep seated gnawing in my belly, a cry to write and a desire to see my words in print and in public. When I saw my children's work on public display at Smith and saw some of my captions, it felt so right, so true to my soul. So that hunger to have my words be publicly viewed was strong, but I was still so scared of putting it out en masse. However, I wrote religiously 4 hours every day. I simply sat at my computer and free wrote any and everything that came to my mind about my experiences.
That continuous writing taught me a lot about myself and my writing ability. I started seeing connections between ideas and started recognizing how my ideas flowed and in what areas I struggled. I also learned the depth of my love for writing because when I was in the writing zone, my hands simply became a vessel through which words gushed out. I discovered I had a true passion for writing.
The urge to write grew stronger as I discovered that the writing brought me so much cleansing and peace so that I decide to get an MFA in 2004. The MFA program forced me to write more structurally and regularly and with a purpose since I was given different tasks and asked to imitate certain author techniques and submit my work at set times. That formal training helped me develop the art of managing my words. That was really important, and I would urge aspiring writers to take a formal training class. It does not have to be a degree. But meet with other writers and experts to learn the art of plotting, setting, voice and structure etc, to get feedback and to see how different people react to the same material in different ways. You learn about tone. You discover your writing style. You discover your strengths and weaknesses. You see how your words can influence readers.
Read the work of authors you admire and figure out what about the authors' work you like. I also used to go to the book stores and visualize my books on the shelves. In addition to helping me work harder since I so envied those featured authors, I would visualize my books on the shelves to help me overcome my fear of doing what I then really wanted to do. Publish. I was still afraid of people criticizing my work, my baby. I remained scared until I published The Talking Palm. Then I held it in my hand and the fear gradually ran away.
With social media, I am discovering the importance of putting my words and name and voice out on writers' and readers' discussion forums. You learn about yourself and your writing styles and peculiarities when you simply write.
Kim: Indeed I won’t forget those great advice so what’s next for Esther Jno-Charles?
Esther: What is next for me? I want to populate the earth with my voice, my written voice. I want to influence people, to give people access to information that can help them if they so choose to use it. I want to empower people to pursue their dreams no matter how late or how scared they are because I strongly believe, as I have discovered when I finally had the first copy of my book in my hands, that career fulfillment comes from doing something that you love. And what you love, you were created to do and need to do. It is a gift. I also want people to know they have a voice and that they can choose to share that voice. So I will be writing until I cannot write anymore. Right now, I have two other titles that I will soon be resurrecting from my journaling and a picture book version of The Talking Palm for younger audiences. I want The Talking Palm to take off so that I can give the Sheryls of this world a powerful voice and I can return to crafting those other titles and more.
The boutique I mentioned earlier is another consideration as well.
I also love to meet people and sign books and facilitate discussions triggered by my books and have people share their opinions and get sudden aha moments.
Esther: What is next for me? I want to populate the earth with my voice, my written voice. I want to influence people, to give people access to information that can help them if they so choose to use it. I want to empower people to pursue their dreams no matter how late or how scared they are because I strongly believe, as I have discovered when I finally had the first copy of my book in my hands, that career fulfillment comes from doing something that you love. And what you love, you were created to do and need to do. It is a gift. I also want people to know they have a voice and that they can choose to share that voice. So I will be writing until I cannot write anymore. Right now, I have two other titles that I will soon be resurrecting from my journaling and a picture book version of The Talking Palm for younger audiences. I want The Talking Palm to take off so that I can give the Sheryls of this world a powerful voice and I can return to crafting those other titles and more.
The boutique I mentioned earlier is another consideration as well.
I also love to meet people and sign books and facilitate discussions triggered by my books and have people share their opinions and get sudden aha moments.
Kim: Written word world domination how exciting! Any Message to your fans and endorsement for everyone to buy your book. Tell them where they can reach you.
Esther: Help Sheryl Speak Loud and Far Movement
In “The Skerrit,” little Sheryl thinks she is going to die in the ocean and thinks that she deserves such cruel punishment for her truancy. She also believes that no one, not even her mother, can rescue her from the tragedy that awaits her. So she stands alone, scared, powerless and silent before a powerful adult her culture has led her to believe has the absolute right to hurt her.
Like Sheryl, thousands of girls around the world are led to believe that they deserve to be ill treated, dream-deprived, uneducated and silenced. Let us reverse that legacy for the silenced girls of the world by helping Sheryl speak loud and far. Make her voice reach at least one million people. We can do it. Together. With your help, Sheryl will no longer face the world alone. With your support, Sheryl’s voice will be heard.
You help broadcast Sheryl’s voice when you tell 5 people or more to get The Talking Palm. Then tell each of the five or more to tell 5 others and so on.
On behalf of all silenced Sheryls of the world, I thank you.
Print: https://www.createspace.com/3557955 Discount code 2U7BHZ97 is $1.00 off only at that site.
Print/kindle version also at Amazon.com
Coming soon to Smashwords (for epub, pdf, Apple, Kobo, Nook etc)
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/633...
Follow me on twitter: @thetalkingpalm
Facebook: facebook.com/esther.jnocharles.
Join the movement. Share your own stories and how the book influenced you at http://www.estherjno-charles.blogspot.co... and check me on goodread.com: http://goodreads.com/estherjnocharles
Esther: Help Sheryl Speak Loud and Far Movement
In “The Skerrit,” little Sheryl thinks she is going to die in the ocean and thinks that she deserves such cruel punishment for her truancy. She also believes that no one, not even her mother, can rescue her from the tragedy that awaits her. So she stands alone, scared, powerless and silent before a powerful adult her culture has led her to believe has the absolute right to hurt her.
Like Sheryl, thousands of girls around the world are led to believe that they deserve to be ill treated, dream-deprived, uneducated and silenced. Let us reverse that legacy for the silenced girls of the world by helping Sheryl speak loud and far. Make her voice reach at least one million people. We can do it. Together. With your help, Sheryl will no longer face the world alone. With your support, Sheryl’s voice will be heard.
You help broadcast Sheryl’s voice when you tell 5 people or more to get The Talking Palm. Then tell each of the five or more to tell 5 others and so on.
On behalf of all silenced Sheryls of the world, I thank you.
Print: https://www.createspace.com/3557955 Discount code 2U7BHZ97 is $1.00 off only at that site.
Print/kindle version also at Amazon.com
Coming soon to Smashwords (for epub, pdf, Apple, Kobo, Nook etc)
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/633...
Follow me on twitter: @thetalkingpalm
Facebook: facebook.com/esther.jnocharles.
Join the movement. Share your own stories and how the book influenced you at http://www.estherjno-charles.blogspot.co... and check me on goodread.com: http://goodreads.com/estherjnocharles
Kim: Spread the word! Grab a copy! Thank you so much Esther you’ve been very kind and generous to share all these great things.Keep up the good work! For sure we’ll hear and read a lot more of your astonishing works in the future and Of course to everybody who patiently read/stay tuned all the way thru this interview Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy as much as we did^_^
Kim Talking Palm Book Review:
Q&A Portion on the Talking Palm:
Nature Appreciation: Flowers
Time for some Nature Appreciation..Flowers are everywhere especially during Spring time, a greenhouse would be nice but I don't have much of that green thumb awesomeness for me to grow and tend to it all year round so I'll just post here my Top Three Ultimate Favorite Flowers:
| White Lily |
 |
| Kermit Mums |
| White Rose |
What's your favorite? ^_~
Thursday, July 28, 2011
What do you want?
You always hear it in everyday life,certain occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, everywhere really...what do you want? Hmm..If you ask me what I want materialistically speaking Oh my! a got a bucketful of reply hahaha! but what I truly-really want inside is something intangible I can't share it coz most of the time that ruins it it's like busting myself before something happen hahaha! some of my plans never push through because of that but hopefully they will soon enough.Everything might be on hold for now but for sure they'll be all in full blast activation mode.I'm giving myself more time and space it's been awhile though so I might enjoy this while it last. ^_~
Do you know what you want?What is it?
Do you know what you want?What is it?
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
You Deserve These ^_^
Thank you so much MissGennD I can't believe I nailed six awards WOOHOO! \\_//\\_// cheers to that!
Rules for these awards:
- Link back and thank the person who tagged you.
- Post seven things about yourself and answer the list of favorite questions.
- Pass these awards to 15 bloggers.
- Notify the lucky bloggers who got these awards.
7 Facts about me:
- I love anything Japanese!
- I'm caught in the HALLY-U WAVE
- I'm ASTIG! (for I got astigmatism lol)
- I used to suck at drawing/cutting anything straight but due to summer bootcamp/rehab initiated by MissGennD(scrapbooking,everything diva extraordinaire) heck I can do it without any ruler/guide anymore I bet even blindfolded lol O_O
- I'm currently exploring reading all sorts of genre when it comes to books, rekindling my long lost passion
- I'm no good telling english jokes :|
- When I made a bond/pact it last forever no matter what happens.
The Favorite Questions:
- Name your favorite colors:
- Red,Green,Pink,Black,Gray
- Name your favorite song:
- December by Collective Soul
- Name your favorite dessert:
- Buko Pandan
- What pisses you off:
- Long waiting hours,No food,Liars, Pretentious bitches,Plastic,Back Stabbers,Social climbers, & Gold diggers..
- When your upset you:
- Curse, Sleep,Write on my journal,Play games, anything to keep my mind off the matter.
- Favorite pet:
- I don't have here right now but I love Cats(kitty,stray) and Dogs [Mutt(field dog),Labrador,German Shepherd]
- Black or White:
- Black
- Your biggest fear:
- The Ocean
- Best feature:
- My Eyes and Smile :)
- Everyday Attitude:
- Be Positive,Keep Moving forward!God won't give me anything I can't handle through him,in him and with him everything is possible A-ja!FIGHTING!
- What is perfection:
- GOD
- Guilty pleasures:
- Massage,Books,Food,Grand vacations...
There you go...some facts and favorites about me. Hope you can share a bit of yourself too~
Lucky bloggers who'll get to have this 6 wonderful awards (Kreativ, Top 10, Versatile, Lovely, Stylish, Butterfly). I'm passing these because I'd really like to know you well and be friends with all of you. And of course you deserve to have all of these awards!
*Drumroll*
Award Winners:
Summer~Red Star Pixie
Coral Russell ~Alchemy of Scrawl
Barbara~ Basia's Bookshelf
Angelica~Telepathy
Karla~Karla Reads
Bekah~page317
Cameron~Nightwatchreviews
Melannie~Books Are Vital
Ottilie Weber~Ottilie Weber
Michelle~Fabbity Fab Book Reviews
Kwesi~OldFashionedReader
Tricia~I write therefore I am alive
Shera~Book Whispers
Megan~Hardcover Feedback
Cassandra~Book & Movie Depository
*Drumroll*
Award Winners:
Summer~Red Star Pixie
Coral Russell ~Alchemy of Scrawl
Barbara~ Basia's Bookshelf
Angelica~Telepathy
Karla~Karla Reads
Bekah~page317
Cameron~Nightwatchreviews
Melannie~Books Are Vital
Ottilie Weber~Ottilie Weber
Michelle~Fabbity Fab Book Reviews
Kwesi~OldFashionedReader
Tricia~I write therefore I am alive
Shera~Book Whispers
Megan~Hardcover Feedback
Cassandra~Book & Movie Depository
Immortalized
It's tough to break through a cycle you've been used to since forever but a single step and change will immediately come its way.Time,everybody has it but not everyone is using it wisely as I often asked myself the same thing am I really?.Now,there are things I don't want to forget but in it's due course eventually expires in my case somewhat a simple yes escapes to such a reply hopefully somebody would be able to pick it up,remember or glue it's pieces back together,hold it dearly,read,experience,know and share the word or a simple reminder would do whatever it may be at least its somewhere out there along its way is inevitability..as I share and continue to write..a piece of me left coincidence?I think not there's no such thing as they use to say but who knows really...In life I believe all we want is the same thing HAPPINESS AND TO BE REMEMBERED acceptance(for some) its definitely a plus.There's lots of ways to be happy like enjoying simple things,being thankful of what you have,cherishing every single moment of your life,coffee with a friend etc. being remembered may not or may take a different toll but usually capturing a moment either with a camera,video,in a book(writing or creating one),being part of somebodyelses life the breakdown..good or bad,what you did,what difference you made,lives you touched,inspired and changed the list goes on.
What's your story?Do you want to be immortal?
What's your story?Do you want to be immortal?
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Depression and Mid Life Crisis
I'm in that certain age or bracket to simply put where people are in crisis all their life (like identity crisis and such) that is nowhere near solve and people who are dragging other people in their own life crisis/mid crisis.
It's becoming more of a trend NOT the coolest one that ever surfaced but people should definitely NOT follow! the mortality rate is rising up fast. We all need to act!
They say "People who are rarely alone are in fact the most loneliest and depress people " I believe in that simply because due to unexpected turn of life events and odd occurrences some people are used to be in a crowd/structure and when left alone by themselves more likely they don't know what to do next. It's all in state the mind it's hard at first but always remember that you'll get by,it will all pass, stay positive and that God will never give you obstacles you can't hurdle.
So what should you do?in case your face with such...
Pray
-Even when you don't need anything pray,if you don't know how to pray just talk to him as if your talking to a friend,family member etc.Lift all your fears,anxiety,doubt,everything to God he's always there watching,listening,loving us unconditionally,forgiving us for all our sins.He always dreams a better dream for us.Believe! have faith!
Call for Help
-Talk to somebody,anybody,dial 911 or if you suspect a friend/love one whom you think is having some suicidal idealition/issues/problem call them stall for some time while contacting the suicide hotline.
Be there for somebody
-People are always like "I'm always here when you need me" when in fact they are mostly not there when you need them. So if ever you've been through that certain situation in your life where you don't know what to do you might / you needed somebody but they weren't there and you see a pal of yours going thru the same problem you did be an awesome friend go ahead and ask them How there day was or even if they don't appeared troubled at all a simple question like that a mere presence that you're there is highly appreciated.
Support Group
-A good strong support group like your family/friends/community/church/special groups are available everywhere.
-Surround yourself with positive people that will make you better and lift you up.
-Be gutsy enough to step out and say/admit to yourself you have a problem and talk about it to others you'll be shock at the results. You might always thought you're the one but really you're not! SO SPEAK NOW!
Emotional Management
-Know where and when to vent your emotions whether you're angry, feeling good/bad/happy/sad it's all perfectly normal to feel all these emotions we're human afterall.
-Journal or Blogs are great way to Divert yourself to keep you preoccupied plus jot down all the crazy things that's been going through inside your head.
Keep moving forward
-No go backs! follow your dreams and do things that makes you happy!know your aspirations,note that things you would like to accomplish now or somewhere in the near future.Write a letter to yourself,save it and open it in time when you need some reminding,scratch out the things you've already done.It's really nice you'll find yourself laughing whenever you see your old handwriting thinking what the hell you're thinking way back then when you wrote that.
I hope you find these tips useful if you got anything more to add/react/share comment away ^_^
It's becoming more of a trend NOT the coolest one that ever surfaced but people should definitely NOT follow! the mortality rate is rising up fast. We all need to act!
They say "People who are rarely alone are in fact the most loneliest and depress people " I believe in that simply because due to unexpected turn of life events and odd occurrences some people are used to be in a crowd/structure and when left alone by themselves more likely they don't know what to do next. It's all in state the mind it's hard at first but always remember that you'll get by,it will all pass, stay positive and that God will never give you obstacles you can't hurdle.
So what should you do?in case your face with such...
Pray
-Even when you don't need anything pray,if you don't know how to pray just talk to him as if your talking to a friend,family member etc.Lift all your fears,anxiety,doubt,everything to God he's always there watching,listening,loving us unconditionally,forgiving us for all our sins.He always dreams a better dream for us.Believe! have faith!
Call for Help
-Talk to somebody,anybody,dial 911 or if you suspect a friend/love one whom you think is having some suicidal idealition/issues/problem call them stall for some time while contacting the suicide hotline.
Be there for somebody
-People are always like "I'm always here when you need me" when in fact they are mostly not there when you need them. So if ever you've been through that certain situation in your life where you don't know what to do you might / you needed somebody but they weren't there and you see a pal of yours going thru the same problem you did be an awesome friend go ahead and ask them How there day was or even if they don't appeared troubled at all a simple question like that a mere presence that you're there is highly appreciated.
Support Group
-A good strong support group like your family/friends/community/church/special groups are available everywhere.
-Surround yourself with positive people that will make you better and lift you up.
-Be gutsy enough to step out and say/admit to yourself you have a problem and talk about it to others you'll be shock at the results. You might always thought you're the one but really you're not! SO SPEAK NOW!
Emotional Management
-Know where and when to vent your emotions whether you're angry, feeling good/bad/happy/sad it's all perfectly normal to feel all these emotions we're human afterall.
-Journal or Blogs are great way to Divert yourself to keep you preoccupied plus jot down all the crazy things that's been going through inside your head.
Keep moving forward
-No go backs! follow your dreams and do things that makes you happy!know your aspirations,note that things you would like to accomplish now or somewhere in the near future.Write a letter to yourself,save it and open it in time when you need some reminding,scratch out the things you've already done.It's really nice you'll find yourself laughing whenever you see your old handwriting thinking what the hell you're thinking way back then when you wrote that.
I hope you find these tips useful if you got anything more to add/react/share comment away ^_^
Monday, July 25, 2011
Telescope
There's this moment in my life wherein I would list and plan the things I would to have/own someday one of which is a beautiful telescope though I'm not really an astronomer but whenever I looked at the sky it's one of those unexplainable feeling I want to explore,see and capture such magnificent colors through my lenses plus I'm really inspired by NASA their photography about planets and stars are superb! the mere thought of a super nova,black hole, discovering something and naming it after you wow! that's really priceless and exciting. So I saw this review about the best beginner's telescope out at the market.Check out these awesome stuff they're all amazingly brilliant! http://telescopes.toptenreviews.com/telescopes-for-beginners-review/?cmpid=space470
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Choosing the right technology/gadget
For me, I always consider specifications,features,hardware and affordability of course I also got those list of questions in my head like do I really need it? do I really have to buy it now? do I just want it because (inserts why),but I usually go both ways or be patient enough to wait for the price to get any lower. Then the where can I buy it questions and what do I really want? well... for example when it comes to cell phones I want it to be multi tasking, mp3,radio,expandable memory card slots, at least 3.2 megapixels for pictures and video, then the basic call and text the other features for me are just a plus. It's very important for you to know what you want and need and there's a great difference between the two.Since technology and innovation has been in non-stop boom! where every second,hour,day,month or year something good or better is offered to people in which we might all think we actually need but more likely we don't practically speaking. It's better to choose wisely when it comes in making good investment in technology go for the basics if you don't know anything on what you want to buy or where to invest go ask your family,friends,people whom you know knows a lot about it,go ask anybody if you don't know anyone,go look for reviews,search through the internet pages,just go out there and start asking.If you really want it there's lots of ways but if you don't then that's where the excuses come along. Just take your time in every decision that you make for every step is essential and life changing ^_^
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Swallow
My favorite bird I'm quite fascinated by this creature since fifth grade there's something about it besides it's very unusual tail..I'm really happy whenever I see one flying in the sky.It's like a dream come true the very first time I saw them brings back memories...
Friday, July 22, 2011
Sonic boom & Refractive Error
Yesterday was one of the worst and best day of my life. Worst, because of the very unpredictable weather hot and cold which then triggers my migraine I'm not really sure if that was it or a refractive error or is it because I'm just hungry, low sugar circulating in my system either way my head is pounding like crazy,it was so terrible good thing I still managed to get out of the house nothing but fresh air.It was the Best, due to I've heard the sonic boom as the last spacecraft mission ended and landed safely by dawn then we went to the nearby beach in the afternoon,fresh breeze,bonding with my folks with a large italian spicy pizza,chicken wings, a liter of coke ah very refreshing as we watched over the sunset and walk on the shore it was really revitalizing before I knew it whatever it is I'm feeling terrible about inside suddenly subsides.We went home like Cinderella just before twelve midnight I'm so tired but I have to do and fix something can't barely speak and move yet I put all my power to have a couple of friendly conversations some ended up unexpectedly...I should really be getting more enough sleep these couple of months has been quite a rush so many things happened and severe stress taxed my body.My body clock timezones are all whacked but I'm lucky enough to have my family and friends on my side hopefully all goes well Oh year of the rabbit be nice to me..now it's time to focus! ~_~
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Tweet tweet tweet
| click to tweet |
Finally! I made my twitter account a sure legit way to stalk people haha! read all the latest and juiciest story from me here and there Oh yeah!Follow follow ^_^
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.
So what's next???more brain storming I guess but as of now it's just storms I'm getting haha!so any suggestions?
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Note: You may notice quite a lot of Pandas here I made this one from scratch via Paint app. such doodle art since I already burned and transferred my files on external hard drives this is the only one left ~_~
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Playing With Fire Anthology of Horror by Various Authors (ebook by Coral Russell)
| www.smashwords.com Ebook Price: $0.99 USDUse the code SSWSF at checkout to get this book for FREE during our site-wide promotion! (Offer good thru July 31, 2011) |
Format: ebook
Category:Fiction » Anthologies » Horror
Fiction » Literature » Ghost
Words: 55133 (approximate)
Pages: 122
Language: English
Short Description:
Scare easily? Are you often frightened out of your sleep? Does the mere mention of ghosts prickle your skin? These seven author's imaginations are fired up by the scariness of the unknown. Find a comfy spot, sit back and enjoy nine tales to tickle your taste for terror.
Extended Description:
Susan Evelyn – Best Served
Revenge is sweet they say. But is Anna going to be able to hold the right ones accountable?
3197 Words... (Read more)
My Review: 5 stars Are you afraid of the dark?
I love horror stories though I'm a number one scaredy cat it took all my guts just to finished reading Playing with Fire.These stories has a shake,rattle and roll concept for me.Shake meaning the first couple of stories is spine chilling and would make your senses numb with horror.Rattle, is nerve racking! that will make you scream,breathless,gasp and say RUN!GET OUT!DON'T GO THERE! as you read through the pages.Oh and Roll,is the panic mode you don't know which way to go,you're obviously helpless most probably hiding somewhere in a fetal position,with a flashlight or under the comfort of your own blanket.All the stories are really great,some might bore you in the beginning or will get you running from the start surely and definitely this will get your adrenalin pumping til the very end it's best to be read under the moonlight or for a bedtime story or during a camp fire.I'm glad I took the risk and read the whole thing...Stay Safe ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)