Following Your Dreams ~ by Diana Nixon

Today we welcome Author Diana Nixon, Founder and Editor in Chief of INKS AND SCRATCHES magazine.
                                        

Hello everyone!  It’s a pleasure to be a guest of this blog.

First of all, let me tell you a bit about myself.

So… I never thought I would become a writer. Back in high school I was sure I loved Law more than anything else in the world. Six years later, I got a Master of Law degree and dived into my new job as a lawyer. Which was never supposed to last forever.

Here goes a confession – when I was a kid, I HATED reading (smiles). That’s why it took me more than a decade to realize I couldn’t live without a book in my hands. I started swallowing one story after another, until one day I knew it – I wanted to write a book too. The ideas for Love Lines were overflowing my mind, so one month later I had a manuscript of 100k words ready to see the world.

Now what? I asked myself. Needless to say, I didn’t know anything about publishing a book. Excited about the idea of becoming a super popular author, I started sending my manuscript to different publishers. Just to receive their denials weeks later…

I can’t say I was devastated or anything. Probably because it was my very first book and I didn’t expect much from it.

Then a friend of mine came to my rescue and told me to try self-publishing. Back then, it wasn’t as common as it is now. Readers often compared self-published book with those released by the well-known publishers. And it was hard to gain their approval if there wasn’t a traditional published behind your name.

I thought I did a great job by writing a book and sending it to Amazon. But I was so wrong…

And so it was time to learn my first lesson – NEVER forget about

promotion. Now I know that promotion begins even before you start writing the first line of a new book. It all depends on how well readers know what you have in that mind of yours, and the ways to keep them on the edge on their seats until the moment they can read your new story.

Over the years, I realized that choosing to be a self-published author, you need to be ready to work 24/7, 365 days a year. Because even a short break will make you start everything all over again. Readers will lose their interest in your books and you will be as down as ever to write anything new.

One day, I came across an editor of a very popular, back then, literary magazine. She asked if I wanted to feature my works in that magazine. Of course, I was all for it. Until…

I saw how much I needed to pay for that advertisement.

I couldn’t afford it. It was beyond expensive even though my books sold well. So I declined the offer.

I think that was the moment I realized I wanted to do something to help other authors who always wanted to see their names in a magazine but didn’t know how to make it happen.

I started nursing the idea of opening a literary magazine. I talked to my friends who willingly agreed to become partners in that crime (smiles). I had an amazing designer to create a cover and there was an author I really wanted to interview because I always loved her books. So I contacted Wendy Higgins and patiently wanted for her response…

A few weeks later, I published the very first issue of Inks & Scratches with Wendy Higgins’ interview in it and her picture on the cover.

It was a true victory and I couldn’t be happier about it.

After some time, more and more authors started approaching me about featuring their books in the magazine and I knew I did the right thing by giving them what they wanted – a magazine, where everyone could talk about their stories, let their readers look inside their writing lives and maybe find new fans as well.

Today, the magazine is a home for everyone who has anything to do with writing, publishing and reading. We interview authors, we review books and we talk to readers. We discuss everything that a new author might face at the beginning of their career. And I truly hope it helps those who always wanted to create a story but were too afraid to go for it. Not to mention the happy smiles I can see on our featured authors’ faces when they receive a paperback copy of the magazine with their names in it. To me, as the founder of Inks & Scratches, it’s the best reward that I could have ever hoped for…

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Diana Nixon is an International bestselling author of contemporary

Diana Nixon

and fantasy romances. A Master of Law, she never thought she would betray the world of law and dive into fiction. She has written 19 books and can’t imagine her life without her fictional characters. She never stops thinking about the new story lines that haunt her dreams. She’s married and has two daughters - her biggest source of inspiration. She loves music, traveling, coffee, and chocolate. She believes that writing is the best cure, for everything can be healed with words.

A Thread in the Tapestry of Life ~ by Joanne Jaytanie

Once upon a time, there was a girl who dreamed of becoming a professional singer. But her father informed her, she was going to college to get a degree in something ‘practical’. 

When it came time to apply for colleges, she wanted to specialize in interior design or fashion design. Much to her dismay, her father said; “no daughter of mine is going to school in New York City…You can’t make a living designing clothes. Who’s going to hire an interior designer?” 

And so, this girl decided to be a rebel – at least as much of one as she could get away with and majored in Retail Management. But she wasn’t sure she wanted to work in retail for her entire life and decided to broaden her field of study to business management with a concentration in personnel.

During her early school years, she discovered her first diary. Writing in her diary gave her a safe place to spew out her inner fears, worries, triumphs, and failures. She continued this practice during her college years and as she ventured into the working world.

She soon realized adulting was a full-time job and put away her diaries. But before long she once again started writing. This time, instead of jotting down thoughts and ideas in a journal, she tried her hand at creating a story. She cherished storytelling and it wasn’t long before it dawned on this girl that she’d been telling her story her entire life.

One day a friend invited her to learn the art of stained glass. She loved designing her pieces and working with a multitude of glass textures and colors. She enjoyed it so much that she tried her hand at running her own stained glass business, got a few sales, but reached the conclusion this wasn’t something she wanted to do full-time.

The years flew by, and still, she wrote. It was a creative outlet, something she kept bringing back into her life. That’s when she finally understood her passions always revolved around the arts. Then one day her first story went out into the world. It was thrilling, humbling, and a bit scary knowing that others would read her words.

Do I still wish I could’ve made a profession from being a singer? Yes, but that doesn’t mean I have to give it up. I sing daily; in the car, making dinner, the times I’m stuck on my work in process, and in the shower - cause doesn't everyone sing in the shower? I sometimes wonder what it would’ve been like to be a fashion designer or interior designer. But, if I chose even one different path, I wouldn’t be where I am now or have the family and friends I cherish. 

Living each day means making choices. Each turn we make leads us on our life’s journey. Choose wisely and embrace the threads that make up the tapestry of your life. 

Until next time...
Joanne 

Bramhacharya: Right use of energy ~ by Cynthia Land, LMP, RYT

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I gave myself a blog assignment months ago in the hopes that I could impart a valuable aspect of the 8 limbs of yoga.  What I found was perhaps one of my biggest hurdles.  I wanted to share something about Bramhacharya, one of the restraints in the first limb.  However, I discovered that because I am still in the throes of finding my own way through this idea I am having a difficult time writing about it.  Successful authors say you should write about what you know and so I can only write about my struggles with this concept.

Bramhacharya is one of the yamas, and guides us to properly use our energy.  In past times this might have included a vow of celibacy to reserve sexual energy.  Some still choose this path but others might instead choose to raise families. The over-riding message however is to use your energy wisely.  Along those lines, the Western culture, for the most part, teaches us to study hard, get a good paying job, buy a house, find a lifetime partner, have kids. You know, the 2.5 kids and a couple of cars in the garage life.  Oh, don't forget to save up for the vacations.  There is nothing wrong with this picture, if this is what you WANT.  

However, if you are running yourself ragged and are getting NO JOY from this path, then yoga offers you an opportunity to look at life differently.  I want to be clear that there is nothing wrong with going for these ideals, but yoga can offer ways of going after them with a little less urgency and stress.  We can take a pause and contemplate how we approach our goals with a little more space and breath.

For such a long time, I chased these ideals and made some good headway.  But at the end of the day, I often felt "less than" and underwhelmed by my advances.  I was comparing my insides to others outsides and that is never a winning combination.  I used alcohol and food to cover up how I felt and that of course just made things worse.  I was eventually able to find help but yoga is what really made the difference for me and I'm talking Yoga with a capital "Y".  Along with learning how to do the asanas (yoga poses), I learned how to meditate, create and monitor my energy with pranayama (breathing exercises) and find a community of like-minded people to practice with as well as gain a greater understanding of the 8 limbs.  

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Right use of energy still catches me up.  I go through phases of getting organized, you know, buying one of those planners where you write down your goals and break them down into tasks and then schedule the tasks to accomplish your goals.  They're great but they take constant grooming and I find that I fall off the wagon...  I'd like to blame it on being a Pisces and getting sidetracked on some other shiny object but honestly, I think I just lose interest.  This is where discipline comes in and alas, where I struggle. 

Who determines what is the right use of one’s energy? If someone sets a goal of earning a six figure salary, they may have to use their energy working long hours, spending time convincing others of their ideas. This may feel right, good and satisfying. I believe if you fall on your pillow at night, satisfied by your effort, you have used your energy well. If you are replenished by the work you do, you are right where you need to be. 

If however, you find yourself working countless hours, have sleepless nights and are receiving no return for your energetic investment, you are only injuring yourself. Some will see this injury manifest as emotional hurt such as resentment, some will see it as physical injury and others may suffer from more serious mental anguish. This is not a good use of your energy and should be amended ASAP.  This is a place where going on a nourishing retreat can make all the difference in the world.  I'm also a big proponent of yoga nidra, a powerful tool to restore energy and help get you on track with your deepest purpose in life. 

I'm certainly no expert on this subject, merely another trekker on the journey.  I recognize how valuable your energy is.  Do not squander it on mere trifles and yet DO stop and smell the roses, gaze up at the beautiful crescent moon and listen to the sound of children laughing.  

Looking Forward to 2019 ~ by Shannon Binegar-Foster

   
In my last post I talked about my “word” of the year. It took me several weeks to decide on my word for 2019. I didn’t feel like I chose wisely for 2018 as it was anything but “Limitless." 

I feel like I completely missed the mark on that one. Even though I published my second book and launched several new items to my product line, the sales were not there. 

I have been in a creative funk since the first part of November. Thankfully, I started creating again last week. I refuse to give up, 

so once again I chose very boldly. My word for 2019 is…

Something about that word empowers me and gets me excited about what great things are ahead in the new year. I am going to do my best to live up to my chosen word for 2019. 

I am close to finishing my 3rd Coloring Journal. In my personal life I began my wellness journey in January of 2008. There have been so many ups and downs in the past 10 years. I am armed with much more knowledge than I had then. 

I truly feel that 2019 is my year. I will be 49 on 4/19 so I just feel that 2019 holds great things for me. If you haven’t picked your word for the year take the next few days and reflect on 2018. Then chose your word and share it in the comments below. I can’t wait to see what you pick. 


On that note I wish you all a very Happy New Year.