Testimonials for Live Your Now & S.S Blake

Last year was probably filled with the single most amazing, craziest, uninhibited, outstanding, trying & unbelievable times I've ever experienced in my life. But along that journey, I was introduced to a whole new side to the world. The wonderful world of personal development. See before that I believe I just existed. Existed in the way my circumstances & environment had molded me to become. I had no inclination of the power that comes from mastering yourself nor of the way in which it strengthened the bonds you had with family and friends or how good it made you feel. 

It was through this that I learned about a key concept called Edification.

Now the dictionary defines the word Testimonial as: n. a formal statement testifying to someone's character and qualifications.

And I would like to use this opportunity to give testimony to two unique and powerful souls that I've had the distinct pleasure of working with, 

Savannah S. Blake & Richie from the Live Your Now initiative. They have both participated in the Inspire Tag posts that I run here on the blog, in which they share epic answers that are sure to inspire you. Read all about them by clicking on the links below:

• Inspire Tag: Live Your Now
• Inspire Tag: S.S Blake 

Let's begin in order, shall we?

Meet Richie

Live Your Now, run by Richie, an almost reluctant "coach" who embarked upon the journey to bring mindfulness to others, because basically it needed doing. Facing his own "am I good enough to do this?" fears, he now encourages others to live mindfully and presently, after spending the majority of his own life hiding the grip of anxiety and locked in his own thoughts, now with the attitude of "Heck, if I can do this, anyone can!" A universal calling, rather than something he would have predicted, he's now submitted entirely to this path in service to bringing peace to people and our world... hopefully... or giving it a good go anyway!

The First Exclusive Interview with Live Your Now

#MindFulTrain

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This weekend I got to attend the National Achievers Congress, VIP style thanks to In Africa N Beyond who will be featured in this weeks #TravelTuesday Travel Tag so look out for that. 

While at the congress I learned that "Thoughts are real forces" from the one & only Robin Banks who I got to take a selfie with the last time I met him haha. He talked about how it all starts with a thought, how there's three states of the mind. Conscious, Unconcious & Subconscious. How what we think, we become. Anxiety, doubt, depression & stress plague us all and if we focus on only those thoughts, guess what happens? They become Real! How about if we focus on the positive ones?

That being said, Richie & I had been talking for awhile on social media so recently when I had a bout of anxiety over an unbelievable opportunity I had been offered, he was the first one I went to for guidance. The opportunity itself was something I never planned for or even imagined would ever come my way so naturally I had doubts & reservations. 

The first thing I was taken by was Richie's abundant joy & celebration over my news.It's always heart warming to find people in your life that are selflessly supportive & encouraging. He then proceded to listen to my doubts and proposed not only the solutions to them but also, more importantly, he helped me figure out my next steps to take. It's easy to get caught up in the chaos storm of thoughts and find them difficult to decipher, yet Richie helped me field through them with ease, finding those golden nuggets that I could use to help me go forward with this opportunity I had been given. 

Thankfully he was able to schedule a skype call with me that Sunday afternoon. In it we discussed how I would move forward and I also got to hear his truly deep and moving story of why he started the Live Your Now initiative. Why he's so passionate about it. It touched me to my core and I will never forget the message he relayed within it. I hope that you all hear it from him soon. 

What I really want to talk about is the end of this call, because it was probably one of the most profound moments I've had in a long time. Richie advised me that we would be ending the call with a mindful exercise and I had no idea what to expect. His goal for me since I began talking to him about my anxiety was to get me in the present moment and not focus on the past or the future. He told me to close my eyes and focus on my breathing. I did. He then began to slip into an almost hypnotic and soothing voice walking me through these steps of presence. For the First Time in MY life, I truly existed only in that present moment. It was mind boggling what he made me feel, I can't even begin to describe the experience of existing within that one moment, of everything else fading away not like it was in the background, no, it all faded away and I was left with this peace. This peaceful moment of clarity. For the longest time I thought it impossible to find such a moment, to ever have a way to clear your mind, yet there it was thanks to my friend, my mentor, my brother Richie. I have used this mindful technique every day, all week and it has just been spectacular. I've become more and more appreciative of the power of the mind, less anxious over well practically everything, more self-confident in my abilities. I can truly say without a shadow of a doubt that Life has never been the same since. What an amazing, powerful & sincerely helpful godsend Richie has been and I know will continue to be for me & many, many others all around the world. 

I would passionately recommend anyone & everyone to Richie at the Live Your Now initiative.

~ Live Your Now ~

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Meet Savannah S. Blake

Savannah Shea Blake is a Mindset and Manifestation Coach, which is a fancy niche of Life Coach. She works with ambitious people who know that they have the power to create their own reality. She, herself, is an incredibly ambitious woman who plans to change the world by being a positive influencer and helping one person at a time do the same.

“I believe that if everyone were free to live the life they want, they would create a better world for all of us to live in.”

-S.S.Blake 

You can find all of her content and programs at Vannasana.com where she writes about how to manifest what you wish for and create your ideal life.

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My biggest issue & enemy right now is Time. Time to deal with my day job & also pursue my dream of becoming a published author. More often than not I leave the office quite late, mostly dragging through the day while becoming more alive and happy at night where I'm able to pursue my dream passionately. But alas they day job provides security & pays the bills so woe is me right? Haha wrong and I'll tell you why. Because thanks to my buddy Richie, I met the incredible Light that is Savannah S. Blake. 

This was the concern I presented to Savannah on the Skype call she honored me with. 

The first thing that I was taken by was her beautiful and bubbly personality, she greeted me with such warm acceptance and understanding. What really resonated with me was her ability to relate to my circumstance in every way and make me feel at ease to discuss my problems. More importantly, she created a safe and private place for me to express my emotions. 

What a great listener! In her replies, I could tell she had a brilliant fountain of knowledge and was able to tap into that but also relay the information in an understandable way. 

We got to talking and Savannah was able to instantly come up with a brilliant plan for me to do what I love as a day job and still pursue my dream. By that I mean she had already analyzed my strengths, providing me with a goal to achieve that takes advantage of those strengths. I was amazed because it was a strength I hadn't ever paid attention to. 

~ Sometimes it takes the keen eye of another to spot them and help you nurture them to it's fullest potential. ~ 

This is what Savannah has helped and continues to help me achieve. So excited for the future and to be working with her. 

Thanks to her guidance & awesome networking skills, I am proud to say that, with regards to the strength I mentioned, I've just landed my First client this week! And have also just received payment not once but twice! Woooohooo! A fantastic start to something with endless possibilities!

I am and will always be beyond grateful for her unique brand of empowerment and coaching.

I sincerely & highly recommend Savannah S. Blake as a Life Coach. 

Don't wait, empower yourself today! Amazing opportunities await just beyond your horizon, let her help you discover them. 

Connect with her via the following:

Website: Vannasana

Twitter: Vannasana

Facebook: S.S.Blake

*Free Ebook: Manifesting Money + Anything Else You’d Like

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

The Zemlja Dosta Chronicles: Chapter 6

Chapter 1 - The Unicorn Queen, The Samurai & The Wizard

Chapter 2 - The Unicorn Queen: Ari's Origin

Chapter 3 - The Samurai: Eru's Origin

Chapter 4 - The Unicorn Queen, The Samurai & The Wizard Part 2

Chapter 5 - The Elven Trials

Chapter 6 - Hocirne's Return

The brutally battered, bloody and bruised bodies laid strewn all across the beach front. Ari was sickened at the sight of it. In the center stood, Kcin tall and blood with a wicked grin on his face as if to say "Here I am! Slaughterer of Elves, look at my masterpiece."

Eru was no help to Ari's sheer rage, she was beside herself with the scene and had crumbled to here knees. "You Distrosted MONSTER!!!" She shouted at the top of her lungs not caring who heard.

After a moment Eru piped up, her face lowered in defeat "How could you kill your own kind like this? With no remorse."

Then Kcin did the one thing that sealed his despicableness, he laughed. He began pacing, giving them sideward smirks while swaying his massive onyx sword about. "Do not presume to judge ME Eirumas! Or what was it they called you in the Old Tongue,-" His eyes darkened in victory, "Ah yes, 'KinSlayer' was it? The bloodied bodies of your fallen folk may be laid bare before you feet in the thousands! And all that at the behest of your Father? That's, that's where we discompare. You killed for your kingdom and your unworthy title holder of a father. Whereas, I, no I kill for myself."

Unheld tears streaked down Eru's cheeks now as she shook her head, Ari could tell that she did not believe his words, so kind was her heart to believe in the best of folk. She sighed deeply and asked, "What do you get out of this Monster?"

Annoyance flashed on Kcin's face for a moment and then it was gone, "Simple, I deliver unto the Queen of the North, that there Looking Glass and one, how did she put it? One Green Haired warrior princess. And I get a lifetime supply of Opium from her mines." His smile at the last words told her that this "Opium" was valuable to him.

Ari balled her fists in outrage, no one was taking Eru from her not as long as she held breath within her breast. She moved forward to charge when he appeared instantly before her and backhanded her to the ground, her whole body shook from the force of such a simple gesture on his part and her neck felt loose upon her head. "Do not dishonor yourself my thinking you have a chance fighting me woman. Eru was my only challenge today. It's why I sent her through the Trials. See the kicker, isn't the Mountain Troll you faced, it's what that idiotic place does to you afterward. Saps all your strength it does."

Eru was on her feet now, sheer rage reflected in her demeanor but the spell's toll could be seen on her skin, her once earthy glow no longer reigned true, a dull pale white now took its place. Kcin sensed this and snapped his fingers. Time literally began to slow all around them, even the ocean's powerful waves were halted in their beauty.

An old decrepit man appeared, unshrouded ever so slowly by a swirl of mist. His face held no emotion. He wore only a simple dark gray cloak with long nailed toes sticking out the bottom. Pure white hair draped across his head, flowing as if under water.

Ari tried to move, well anything at this point and nothing happened it was like her whole body not her own anymore and nothing worked as it should. She could tell Eru had this very same problem, except Eru seemed to be moving just a tiny little bit. She was reaching for her Katana! The one Ari had never seen her use no matter how dire the situation. The old man regarded her with a raised eyebrow, the furtherest extent of his expressions so far. Still, it seemed it would take Eru eons before she could do anything worthwhile.

Kcin looked down at Ari with a smirk of victory, "It would appear your escort has arrived your majesty. Meet Father Time."

Art Credit

***

Ari felt completely exhausted and defeated as she was forced to trail behind the old man. He walked with painstakingly slow movements, then again he did literally possess all the Time in the world. No matter how much she screamed, how much she struggle, nothing could stop the sight of Kcin leaving with Eru in golden chains, her beloved katana now thrown to the ground behind them. Thankfully the old man, who called himself Pilav by the way, had allowed her the solace of taking the katana with her. 

Even though they seemed to be moving at a snails pace, before long she noticed that they had passed Thorumdawn's tavern, the very same tavern she'd met Eru. How had they traveled so far, so quickly?

"Time moves for no man but I you see, everything slows and flows, blows and tows where I wish it. Thus is you confusing on the distance covered." Was he reading her thoughts? He frowned.

"You are on a quest to free the one you love yet the love I just watched being taken from you is not the love you quest to free. Peculiar, very peculiar. Tell me spriteling, what does love mean to thee? For such things are a mere blink in mine eye. Seen it once, seen it a thrice, 'tis all the same. Ends with such brutal tragedy or such boisterous victory."

In that moment, with her personal time zone affected by Pilav's presence, Ari was caught completely unawares at his unexpected burst of conversation with her. "Love is all." That's it? That's all she could manage to say to the Father of Time?! Yet he nodded & stroked at the saggy and aged skin of his chinny chin chin, deep in thought.  

"Where are you taking me? Why was I not taken to this Queen?" Ari began an internal dialogue not bothering with words anymore, seeing as he could read her mind and all. 

"That queen is a mere mortal pawn. It would seem this self-proclaimed Toad King, mistook his value of you and wants to possess you once more-" Pilav winced at the outburst of Ari's thoughts. She was beyond furious now. Since when did that slimey tadpole possess her?

She calmed her thoughts enough, "Why not let me go then? What could the all-powerful father of time have to gain from bringing him what he desires?" A part of her cried out, this could be her one chance to see Hterag once more. But no, no she couldn't leave Eru at the mercy of that usurper of a Queen. She had to go back for her friend, her Sister.

Pilav sighed and palmed at his face, "I was there at the birth you know, of all things but before this, I existed too. Eons upon Eons of footfalls upon all realms, none have proven above or before me. So I invite you this; of what heed would you take to should a mere passingly of a breath had it asked you for a favor? This Toad King has me bound by unspeakable and ancient magic that I thought lost to the ages. Thusly you nor I have a choice in the matter."

All Ari could do, was pray, pray to all the Asoscia Gods in sincere, pleaded and bended-kneed requests.

***

Art Credit

Hocirne pushed through the air with annoyance in his wake, calling over his shoulder "-alls I'm saying Merly, next time you want to send me to alternate realms and spheres atleast remember to mention the toxic mud or dragon's nest we might stumble into!"

Merlin's laughed echoed through the air behind him, "Oh laddie, such is not within my power. Old Wizzie was that sole owner and now you as well."

"Mother toad, you drive me bonkers. Then let's be glad I'm leading this time, and no-" Hocirne was cut short when the appeared before an OLD man and his charge. And he thought Merly was old but this guy was seriously beyond imagination old. Ancient was a more profound word, how could anyone look this old? His charge appeared more clearly as if shrouded in mist before and Hocirne's breath caught. 

"Ari!" He exclaimed. Ari opened her eyes in bewilderment and was almost toppled over as Hocirne barreled into her for a hug. 

Catching himself, he backstepped and palmed at his now shaggier hair. "Heh, sorry about that. It's just been 400 years since I last saw you! Merly wasn't kidding about the time difference."

The overcasted clouds began to shift and he felt a tugging sensation in his gut, it emanated from the old man. Ari grabbed at his arm, "Please, please do not anger Pilav." Hocirne squinted down and now noticed misty chains attached from Ari to this Pilav, stretching through his belly explaining the cold pit that filled there. All that made him do was think of food, decadent, and mouth watering food. 

Pilav raised an eyebrow, he thought the wrinkles in his face were going to crack at the strain. "What mysterious being are you? My presence seems naught but to make you hungry. Peculiar, very peculiar."

Hocirne rolled his eyes, "Yeah yeah I get that alot gramps. The name's Hocirne. Now may you please release my friend here so we can go fill my belly with aunty M's best homemade cafflewaffles."

Pilav began pacing, but so slowing he must have not moved an inch in ages. Hocirne tapped at his feet.  "Hmm Ho'rin, familiar with this name Time has not been. Where reign thee?"

He got tired of this charade instantly, 400 years was a long long time and no amount of patience had been wasted so the thought of spending a second here irked every fiber of his being. He mentally shifted through Ari's memories of her time with Pilav seeing that the blasted Toad Kings hand had been played. He concentrated on the misty chains tethering Ari to Pilav, silently conjuring forth the Old words, the chains shattered as well misty chains could shatter he supposed. 

Pilav moved then, so fast it appeared a blur. Red misty now flew out at Hocirne, hitting him square in the chest with the force of a boulder. He was thrown into a nearby tree demolishing it in his thrust.

Art Credit: Tira Owl

He got up, dusting the splinters of his newly washed wizard robes the princess of Amdala had made for him. Annoyance flashed and he chuckled, "You call that hit old man? A baby mountain troll hits better that you!" He thrust out a hand, no flashy sparks needed. Pilav was sent up into the air, while there, he swayed his hand hoping the old man would get vertigo and thrust back downing, sending Pilav hurtling to the ground so hard that it left a crater once the dust settled. 

He grabbed Ari's hand and in a flash of lightning, the three of them stood in his now completely destroyed barn. 

Ari touched at her nape, breathing heavily. "How, how in the seven pointed kingdoms did you do that!?" 

But Hocirne couldn't think, he could breathe in fact when he saw Eru's katana. Her one, truly prized possession now on the back of Ari. "Don't....no...Don't tell me..." All the energy sucked out of him, the ground beneath him fell away and his knees landed soundly below an abyss. 

She came over in hurried exclamations, "No, No! She's not dead Hocirne, she's not. She's just been taken by a vile dark elf named Kcin. To the Queen, the very same queen that ordered your mother's dea-"

What was left of the barn was completely leveled, destroyed with but a thought from Hocirne. He got up with murder ablaze in his oceanic eyes. 

"Kcin is a dead man."

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Authors Note

While joking with some great friends, the basis for this story was formed. I wrote out Part 1 as a test version to see how it would all play out.
Thusly, we chose to name this forthcoming collection - The Zemjla Dosta Chronicles.
Zemlja Dosta means "The Land of Plenty" in Bosnian. Thanks Sumarie-chan :-)

Hope you enjoyed reading chapter 6!

Tune in next week for chapter 7 won't ya :-)

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Mommy Blogger: How I found out I was Pregnant

Inspire. Create. Write.TM

This is Daddies & Mommies week on The Blog Tag.

So let me start by saying #MadRespect to all the Daddies & Mommies out there! For all the love, support and magical wisdom you provide to your kids.

The writing prompt is...

What does it mean to be a Mother?

So today I will be sharing the beginning of a short story I wrote, titled The Lady in Blue Heels.

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Click-clack-click, click, clack, click, clack, was the sound she made as she hurried along across the granite floor, one which she was sure could be heard by all assembled in the auditorium this very moment. "Oh well", she thought, daring to pick up her pace, she raced on to the auditorium. ClickclackclickclackclickclackclickClack! She came to a halt outside the door, gathering her wits and taking a deep breath. Grace opened the door. Cheers rang out in the air, as Rachel Patinson was called up. In the excitement she slipped into her seat knowing everyone had noticed her late arrival. "God I hope mother is here." She sent up a silent prayer and waited for her name to be called. She was finally here, she'd made it. Ghandi had once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world...and Not the change the world wants to see in You”. She was going to live her dreams unbridled by the shackles of society's expectations. "Miss Grace Scott!"

An hour later she escaped the auditorium to find the pandemonium of families all cheerful and excited for their graduates. She found hers waiting to scream and shout in the very same manner. There was her mother at the very back, unassuming and beautiful. There she was, exactly like one of the few precious memories Grace held dear. Standing there with her arms stretched as far as they could reach with the most serene smile she'd ever seen. Her eyes, god her eyes, they just said "I love you." Tears stung her eyes as her father gripped her in a fierce embrace. "I am the proudest man alive today-“ He paused to swing her out widely and bellow. "This is MY Grace! My Grace!"

"Oh James put the girl down, she's not a child"

Grace chuckled, "It’s ok grandmummy, I don't mind". Everyone had pitched up, Uncle
Dan, Uncle Owen even Aunt Maurice, who was a renowned recluse! Everyone except one..... A blue rose appeared in front of her face, she turned around to be greeted by a soft kiss on the cheek. "See, I told you I'd find one Miss Gracey."

“Ahhh I see you have found the impossible Sir Lancelot, a blue rose in honor of my dastardly insane love for blue, where ever did you find such a delectable piece?" Grace replied as she wrapped her arms around his strong neck. His curly hair parted to the side to reveal piercing green eyes. Her day was made more special by the fact that it was Valentine’s Day! An odd day to have a graduation ceremony though.

"Hmmmm now see here woman, you can't know all my secrets, I'd prefer it if-" He paused right there with a huge ‘smirky-Lancey-grin’ on his face, then ever so slowly began to lean down.

"Lance what are you doing!?" She gasped.

"- I was saying, I would prefer it if you spent a lifetime with me discovering all the secrets this world, our world, has to offer. Will you marry me, Grace Annalise Scott?” He pulled out a small silver box from his breast pocket and revealed its content. A silver diamond encrusted ring with a sapphire, her birthstone, in the middle. She was too stunned to speak, she tried to answer but couldn't it was like her voice box had taken a vacation.

Someone shouted, "Answer him!" but Grace couldn't think, she couldn't breathe, she couldn’t- A hand was placed on her shoulder and yet somehow it didn't matter who it was but rather what it symbolized, a silent "I'm there for you."

"Yes you big goof! I'll marry you!" She watched in awe as Lance slipped the ring onto her finger.

Lance had the biggest, cheesiest smile on, "Say that again, baby please I want to hear it over and over". She howled with laughter and giggles as he picked her up and twirled her around.

"Yes! Hahaha! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Ye-mmmmf." The rest was muffled by their greatest kiss so far. The chaos died down after all the well-wishers had moved along, especially her ecstatic best friends. 

Her father, Captain James Earl Scott placed his hand on her shoulder. "If only your mother were here to see this....she'd be so proud, her baby girl, a graduate from college and a fiancé, ha! Gwendelyn would’ve been picking out your wedding cake already." For the first time Grace noticed tears in her father’s eyes. The captain had never been one for emotion, discipline and moral fibre were in his DNA. In his daddy and his daddy before him.

"Oh daddy! I miss her too!" She sobbed into her father’s chest.

That night Lance carried her over the threshold of her apartment then gave her puzzled look his ‘smirky-Lancey-grin’ "What? I'm just practicing."

She laughed all the way to the bedroom. That night they made mad passionate love to each other, the kind that makes your toes curl, the kind that makes you smile when you think about it, and the kind that had them super lazy to ever get out of bed. Yet she still woke up to the sweet aroma of cinnamon. Lance loved to make her breakfast in bed even if it was jam toast with green tea, he'd do it without fail, no matter what. He was terrible with dates and never closed the toothpaste but dammit that man just melted your heart every morning when- "Good morning gorgeous, I thought I'd be a bit spontaneous today and make you breakfast in bed."

"Hmmm, if only there was some spontaneous action I could take to thank you..." She leaned up and wrapped her arms around his strong neck and kissed him for the longest time. They settled on the bed with her gobbling down her French toast like a hungry lion.

Lance sighed, looking guilty, he handed her this morning's daily star newspaper.

"Have a look at this morning's paper love.”

"Oh my God! Your mother is coming! Lance! You promised we would tell her together!" She said frantically.

"Darling, how was I supposed to know? The woman is a ninja, honestly. My mother has people everywhere it’s rarely possible to surprise her." Lance raised his hands in surrender.

"Oh trust me, she's surprised all right, surprised you haven't dumped my gold digger ass." She said grumpily.

"Sweety, there are many ways I'd describe your ass and gold digger will never be one of them."

"This isn't a joke Lance!" Though she smiled anyway. Geez! It was impossible to be mad at him. With his cute dimples and ridiculously charming accent.

Lance took her hands in his, "I am not a man, a man I am not. For without a woman I am no man, no man I am. Without her soul, I have none. Without her heart, I have none. Without her body, I have none. I am no man because no man deserves her.”

The next week went by with Grace feeling like she'd been given just a little bit of heaven and had been giddy all week for it. Lance and Grace always seemed to share this secret smile, wherever they were at one of her dreaded soon to be mother-in law's ridiculous and pointless dinner parties. The woman always went out of her way to introduce Lance to all the successful bachelorettes she could lay her claws on. The daft old bat, when was she going to learn that Lance was utterly and completely in love with Grace? That Grace never had to worry because she knew they shared a connection natured by years of love and commitment. Grace felt terrible this particular evening, she'd been getting cramps all day and felt like she'd been hit by a bus! This gave her a one-way ticket to the bathroom, kneeling in front of the toilet pan throwing up the Mexican chicken she'd had, strange because it was her favorite.

"Grace? Grace? Are you up here darling?" Came the last voice she needed to hear right now. That damned woman must be a witch! How else would she know the perfect time to strike? And the way she says ‘darrrrrrling.’ Humf! "Oh you poor thing, did you have more than your fill tonight?” Grace rolled her eyes then saw nothing.

She came to with a cold sensation against her skin, it felt so good like a rainstorm after a draught. In a horse whisper she said, "What happened?”

Lance's mother Tsk’d her then said, "It’s obvious isn't it sweety."

"What is?" Grace asked totally confused.

"You're pregnant Grace". Grace laughed, she laughed and laughed at that joke until it wasn't funny anymore because Mrs. Archibald’s face said it all, she smiled politely waiting for it to sink in. Grace shot up, too sudden maybe because the earth disappeared before her, surprisingly the old bat caught her with a strength she never imagined.

"I can't be pregnant! I'm on the pill and Lance used a condom!...I mean uh, uhm, sorry I just can't be pregnant!" But just like that she saw it...a moment of clarity, a baby girl welcomed into their home, she had his emerald eyes and those endearing dimples. Her hand reached down to her belly, imagining a little person growing in there. Anxiety hit her wave after wave until she couldn't think anymore, she threw up all over again. She wasn't ready to be a mother, to be responsible for a life, a life dependent on her.

"Hush girl, it’s going to be ok, shhhhhh everything’s going to be fine." said Mrs. Archibald, her own emerald eyes burning with sincerity. "I don't think you'd want anyone to see you like this, you need rest, tomorrow is another day and you may decide then. Come on get up, I've got you. Easy now." Who was this woman? Surely not the woman she'd come to loathe....

The next day she felt much better, Mrs. Archibald had stayed with her through the night and told everyone she wasn't feeling well and didn't want to see anyone. Oh poor Lance he must be so worried. She'd heard him through the night coming to the room, sitting against the door and asking his mum how she was doing.

"Ww-Water…" Her voice was so croaky. She had sat there for an hour maybe? It felt like days, not sure what to do. Life had become very complicated, very fast. Sure she had thought about kids, Lance loved kids, he would make a great dad. But she'd hoped to work herself up to it, make a mature decision...

As moonlight began to fill the room’s darkness, Grace felt strong enough to get out of bed. She walked over to the door and slowly opened it, Lance greeted her on the other side. Sitting with his back against the wall, he had fallen asleep. He looked so peaceful, unaware of how drastic his life would change. She brought a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around him. She could do with a shower before she changed their lives forever. She dropped her robe and entered the sweet embrace of warm water.

"Lance, honey, wake up," Grace said as she knelt beside him.

His eyelids fluttered slowly open. "Baby? Baby! How are you feeling? Is everything ok? You scared me half to death!" He was wide awake now fussing over her. Cupping her chin, he moved her head left to right checking for god only knows what.

"Stop it you silly man, I'm ok now but uhm well we need to talk." That shut him up, Lance always associated the "we need to talk" phrase with the apocalypse of conversions. "I don't know how this happened, I mean we were careful and we both agreed to wait yet still it happened and now I don't know how we're going to do this but- wait hahaha
I'm rabbling. Lance, honey, I'm pregnant." Grace finished.

He just sat there for a while not saying anything like his brain was still trying to absorb what she had said. Then ever so slowly a grin spread across his face, "You're pregnant!...you're PREGNANT! WE'RE going to have a BABY!!" He picked her up in his arms and whirled her around.

"Hahahha wait, wait!" She giggled as he settled her on the ground, that ‘Lancey-grin’ still on his face. "So you're ok with this? It’s a big change Lance we'll have to make a lot of sacrifices and be more stable if we're bringing a child, our child into this world..." 

"Yes! Of course, I'm ok with this! I'm going to be a Dad. I've always wanted children and I know we can handle it. You're going to be a great mother. No one has a bigger heart than you." 

He was so excited, she could see the excitement and joy all over his face, down to the depths of his light green eyes. He was ready to be a father, to take on fatherhood with all of the good and the bad times that came with it. Why didn't she feel ready? Why did she feel like she wanted a way out? Why couldn't she be as overcome with joy as he was?

Mommy Blogger: How I found out I was Pregnant Part 2

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Authors Note

Want to read more?

Find out what's in store for Grace as she comes to terms with her pregnancy & how she finds a connection to the child now growing within her womb.

Or if you'd like me to finish the story here on the blog, let me know!
Read the full story of The Lady in Blue Heels on Wattpad, Click Here.

I've also written two blog posts as prequels to this story of Grace in her Formative years:
Confessions of a Teenage Blogger Queen
The Script: Interview of a Teenage Blogger Queen

Noticed the Big Sign/Badge on the right-side of my blog, did ya? Yes, The Blog Tag. An amazing community that supports & encourages bloggers by providing them with weekly themes & daily writing prompts in reference to those themes.

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Daddy Blogger: Scrabble with my Son

Inspire. Create. Write.TM

This is Daddies & Mommies week on The Blog Tag.

So let me start by saying #MadRespect to all the Daddies & Mommies out there! For all the love, support and magical wisdom you provide to your kids. 

The writing prompt is...

Most Memorable Mommy/Daddy Moment

So today I will be sharing an excerpt from Chapter Seven of my upcoming novel, The Cured: Rebirth

The premise is as follows:

Teen discovers a Cure for Cancer & has to make the Ultimate Choice. Save his Love or Save the World. 

The scene background consists of: 

William Scott, now diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and his dad arriving at his hospital room during visiting hours.

********

Chapter Seven

{Continued}

Will's dad showed up at 8PM with a big green box, he had dark circles around his eyes and his curly hair looked disheveled but he had a broad smile painted on regardless.

"Look what I brought from the attic, when last have we played this?"

"Wow it's been eons. We use to play scrabble all the time dad. What happened?"

His dad gave him a knowing look, "You grew up kiddo. So what do you say? Game time?"

"Game time."

Will was the reigning champion at this game ever since his dad taught him but playing his dad was no easy task. He would always come out with these long forgotten words like a dark horse and get really close to winning. This was the only activity they did together, it bonded them somehow.

As they began picking their letters, "What's on your mind son?"

"Just wondering if you and mom will have another kid after I'm gone."

"Hey now don't talk like that. Sorry bud that ship has sailed, you're everything we wanted and then some."

"Dad you asked, I'm just saying it as it is. Look be realistic, I'm not getting any better in fact I overheard the nurses saying it's a miracle I've survived this long. Doctor Gerhard is no closer to perfecting the formula. I just, I have to know that you and mom will be ok. I know it's going to suck, hell if I lost either of you. I'd be a basket case, I just couldn't deal. But I mean after time you know, promise me that you'll heal dad, that you won't only focus on how bad I got in the end. Focus on all the great stuff we did together like that trip we took to Kansas City."

"You know funny enough your mother and I were discussing this the other day. She was going through some of your old stuff and found that second place trophy you won for the speech contest." His dad was already lost in the memory.

"Wow yeah I remember that Carina won because she talked about having diabetes and I was so mad that I didn't talk about my asthma." Will's dad chuckled. Something he hadn't heard from him in a while.

"No no that's not the point. The point is that when we looked at it, it reminded us of all the amazing memories we've created and how proud we've been of you. I mean I remember the day you were born, I had been stuck in traffic frantically trying to find a faster way to the hospital while your mom was on the phone screaming my head off for not being there. When I finally did get to you they handed you to me after your mom's turn of course. I couldn't understand how we had created this perfect little thing, you were so small you fitted right in between the fold of my arm. Then you did the darndest thing, you squeezed the tip of my finger with your whole tiny hand. It was just this amazing sight to see your little pink fingers over the tip of my index finger. And I knew that day Will, that I would never let go, ever. So as much as I understand your wish, I just can't. Surprisingly it was your mother with the strong wisdom. She said we might have to deal with losing you. She kept me anchored and told me there's only one William, we need to celebrate that." 

They were playing the game, laying word after word at an almost unconscious level now as their conversation went on. He couldn't remember a time before this that they had talked so much. It was an amazing feeling.

"Wait, are you sure you're talking about the same mom here? The one that cried her eyes out yesterday because I threw one of my socks in the bin. She spent half an hour clutching that smelly thing, balling all over it. There's no way."

Will's dad grinned, "I don't know what to tell you kiddo. It's true, maybe it's because she lets it all out that makes her the stronger one. She's always been my anchor especially when my father passed and she adored the man. Maybe that's why it's harder for us, I mean we bottle everything up until that breaking point and I know that we both have a hard time letting things go, especially the things we love the most."

His dad just then played the word Grime, hitting him a high triple word score. "Oh snap." Will snapped his fingers. They played a few more rounds before Will spoke again.

"At least one thing good did come from all of this."

"You mean besides getting a girlfriend and you potentially curing cancer?" The question was rhetorical but Will grinned with his father anyway.

"Yeah, of course those things too. Justin came to visit today."

"That mean kid who looks like a rhino? What did he want?" His dad eyes were holding a lot of anger behind them.

"He surprisingly enough wanted to apologize for everything he's done to me and the other kids at school. He felt horrible for picking on me when he heard about my condition and it took time to muster up the courage to come see me. He said I was his favorite nerd." Will laughed at that part of the memory remembering Justin's facial expression.

"Wow that is surprising, So what did you tell him?"

"Well this and that but I told him he could make up for it by not beating on anymore kids, he agreed. The most important part was that we had our first real conversation ever. You know guy to guy."

"When did you get so wise kiddo? I can barely give any of my friends advice."

"Well you did always say it was easier to hate someone than forgive them. I've been choosing a lot of the hard roads lately haven't I?" Will thought about what he said to Emma.

When the final bead was played and the score tallied up, Will's dad won by seven points. Will loved that his dad had beaten him, it just felt right for him to get a win. 

Will's mom arrived with dinner a few minutes later announcing that she'd forgotten the drinks which his dad was only too happy to go get. She went around the room tidying up the place, "My God Will, are you determined to make this place look like your room? There's clothes everywhere! Do you want the other patients to think I'm raising some barbarian?"

Will seemed to look at his at mother in a way that he'd never taken the time to before. He realized how much the posture of her stride contributed to her strength of character. He'd only ever seen her as mom but now she was something more, this force of nature that would do anything to protect him even if it meant letting him go.

"Have you thought about it yet?" His mom's question caught his attention.

"Thought about what mom?" He inquired.

"Oh, you know about how the world is going to look once cancer is cured? That's a big thing for the history books."

His mother's statement threw him for a loop, he'd never stopped to think about that. His parents always talked about consequences to the actions we take whether good or bad, they must be faced regardless. He spent the rest of the night pondering on what such a 'Cured' world would look like.

>> Found the PERFECT song for this, Watch/Listen to it Now or while reading!

***********************************************************

This was a very memorable moment for me because of the sincere moments shared between father and son. The undeniable bond that developed between them during their many games of scrabble.

Enjoyed this? You can also read another excerpt of the book titled: The First Date 

Noticed the Big Sign/Badge on the right-side of my blog, did ya? Yes, The Blog Tag. An amazing community that supports & encourages bloggers by providing them with weekly themes & daily writing prompts in reference to those themes.

Here's a card I did for my dad on Father's Day:

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Inspire Tag: Karabo Mokgoko

Inspire. Create. Write.TM

There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.

It's #MondayMotivation & good lord do I have a treat for y'all.
Ever hear the terms "Influencer", "Trend Setter", "Socialite"? Well, you're about to find out just who that applies to. You're about to meet an unbelievably powerful soul. She inspires me weekly.

I distinctly remember the day I got the notification that Kay_Angel had followed me. Upon opening up her profile I was blown away at the sight of her having +500K Followers! I felt so honored & humbled, mostly jazzed that I immediately followed back with furious retweets on her tweets haha. She really does send out beautiful, powerful & trend setting tweets. Motivational, Inspiring & wise. Over & above this, days after my retweet parade, I received a message from her saying that due to my retweet of her specific Hashtagged tweet I had been chosen to receive exclusive VIP tickets to the Comedy Roast Battle at MonteCasino - pics on Instagram.
Reason for me telling you this: I know first hand that Karabo gives back to her followers & interacts with them daily. That's what's in it for you if you follow this Amazing soul. You add value to your daily social media intake.

Tout sur Karabo Mokgoko

An adorably stubborn beautiful soul.

Surrounded by an air of mystery Karabo herself is the answer, a woman driven by her love for life.

A traveler; passionate about photography, loves being around friends and family.

A hard working law student and techie. Ms. Mokgoko is a foodie with great taste and good insight into brands.

She’s a free-spirited socialite. Catch up on her travels and experience through pictures, articles, and tweets. Journey with her.

1. What is the best advice you were ever given?

• Honestly, I cannot pick one. The best advice to me, is given at a time I need to apply it most in my life. 

2. Who inspires you and why?

• I learn something from everyone I meet, everyone has a story. And from that, I get inspired.

3. Everyone has bad days, how do you deal with a bad day?

• Music & that special someone :) 

4. Where do you go/what do you do when you need motivation?

• I go on social media, weird, but if you know where to look, if you follow the right people, social media becomes about motivation and positive vibes oh and books too! 

5. Failure is a big part of life, what has been your biggest failure to date?

• I guess when life happened and interrupted the plans I had. But a friend once told me "the best-laid plans are bound to be disrupted by events we never plan for, nor anticipated nor prepared for. it is how we move on that matters. sometimes the cruelty or pain of the disruption throws us offside, and you self-doubt whether there is something wrong. but you gotta push." One of the best pieces of advice I've ever received. 

6. What is your biggest achievement?

• So far, academically. Something I take pride in. 

7. Have you conquered any fears?

• I've temporarily overcome my fears. Conquered, no...I've realized that they will be a part of me. I'll always be terrified out of heights but I'll suck it up and go on a roller coaster whenever I'm at Gold Reef City or Ratanga Junction. Also, the fear of failure is what drives me to work hard so that I won't get to the point of "failure".

8. Music helps lift our mood, What is your go-to song when you need a pick me up?

• It depends on what got me down in the first place. Sometimes I just open Apple Music and just play suggested music and sometimes classical music, it calms the mind and soothes the soul. So I don't really have a specific song.

9. Complete the sentence, Happiness is…

• Your choice.

10. What do you do to clear your mind?

• Is there such a thing? *laughs* 

11. Life can be stressful, what are your top 3 things to unwind?

• Travel. Food. Time spent with ones you Love. 

12. Have you watched any inspiring movies? Do you have any favorites?

• Not that I recall. I don't think inspiring movies would be interesting to me.

13. What is your favorite inspirational quote?

• Let today be the day you love yourself enough to no longer just dream of a better life; let it be the day you act upon it ~Steve Maraboli

14. Do you listen to motivational speakers?

• No.

15. How do you cope with unpleasant people?

• Ignore. 

16. What is your best piece of advice?

• Hmmm...I'd say, Everyday, do something that will bring you a step closer to the life of your dreams. The future YOU will thank you for that.

17. Complete the sentence “When life gives you lemons…”

• ...Give them to Beyoncé. 

18. What is the most inspiring book you have ever read?

• 'The Alchemist', it's the best! A beautiful story and inspiration in one book, I mean, what more can you ask for?! 

19. Do you have a place to pray or meditate?

• No, no specific place, but it happens mostly in the bedroom. 

20. What is your motto in life?

• Do what makes YOU happy!

Quick Fire:

Inspirational Movie or Talk with a friend?

Creating Art or Listening to music?

Making food or Eating Food?

Being alone or Being in a crowd?

Writing or Singing?

Sea Vacation or Safari Vacation?

***

How awesome are those answers!?

How brilliant is it that she's a student!? And she's done this Amazing thing

of becoming an Influencer & building up an awe-inspiring Client base while still studying! 

Follow Karabo's amazing adventures & make some of your own even:

Twitter

Website

Vine

See the reason that I do these Tags especially the Inspire Tag, is to show you that "Anything is possible if you've got enough Nerve." JK Rowling. Ms. Rowling, Steve Jobs, Ricard Branson, Oprah, Ellen Degeneres, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Steven Spielberg, Trevor Noah and the list goes on and on. What do they all have in common?

They are YOU!

Yes, they started out just like you, regular, human, with regular families, regular friends, regular skills. But they Dreamed, oh boy did they ever Dream. More importantly, they put in the hard work, the maximum effort & that is truly how they ended up where they are today. You don't need 7 secrets, 20 techniques or an all weekend program to be successful. You need only realize that EVERYONE who ever accomplished anything started exactly where you will start. Once you do, all that anxiety & doubt will disappear, in its place, a beautiful and powerful Magic will start to grow.

The Magic of YOU!

So I beseech you, start to Dream again, start to Believe in You because I already do. I have faith that all of you can & will accomplish incredible and insurmountable feats. Your dream is still there, I promise you it's still there. Reach out and Soar with it.

Want to read more Inspire Tags? Check out the previous ones:

What Motivates You?

Live Your Now

S.S Blake

Happy Birthday Karabo!!!

21/06/18

#KaraboTurns24

Read more about Karabo here:

Interview with Twitter trendsetter Karabo Mokgoko

SOCIAL MEDIA Q&A WITH BRAND INFLUENCER KARABO MOKGOKO @Kay_Angel

Hit me up if you'd like to be featured next.

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Cover Reveal: Shine Through the Noise

Happy #FridayFeeling Dance & Weekend y'all



Today marks a Special & Momentous day here on the AlfonzoWords blog, as we get an *Exclusive First Look* at the Cover of the highly anticipated book, Shine Through the Noise by Akasha Garnier.

Woooohooo! I'm beyond excited for the release of this book & cannot wait to share the amazingly beautiful cover with you. Akasha joined us for a quick Movie Tag on the 9th of June 2016, read more about it Here.

Meet Akasha Lin Garnier 

Akasha first started writing Gothic stories to entertain her Halloween guests in St. Paul, Minnesota. She went to college in Minneapolis where the radio station nominated her to be Production Director and “The voice of WMMR”. Akasha enjoyed a wide range of musical influences from The Beatles, The Who, Prince, U2, Pearl Jam, The Replacements and house music. She then honed in on a show featuring dance music hosted with her honors’ writing classmate. Fortunately, the first PR proposal she ever wrote said ‘Yes’! Voila, First Avenue of “Purple Rain” fame sponsored her award-winning radio show. Akasha continued to round out her writing, PR and producer skills in alternative radio, event and video production, then travel from sea to shining sea.

Akasha’s proud of her work as a writer, producer, and actress; she balanced branding work as a writer and producer in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, London, Paris/Cannes, Maui and Hawaii. She excels at helping clients shine with 15 awards/accolades since 2007.

Akasha also enjoys giving back through her Promo Partners
The main partner right now is The Who’s Charity: Teen Cancer America and her Italian family’s Fantastic Restaurants; Nando Milano
As well as Helping people balance business and creative skills as amplifying their brand value. Akasha will celebrate the book’s release in a few select cities, and then finish negotiating her travel thriller series for release in best-selling book and film form.

Akasha was invited to write a motivational book based on her branding expertise, love of travel and ability to inspire with the right blend of business and creative skills: Secrets to Shine Through the Noise

From Left to Right: Akasha with the Stanley Cup from Chicago Blackhawks
&
America’s Cup, Oracle Team USA reign

Get to know more about the book below before the Cover reveal:

1. Title of book: Secrets to Shine through the Noise
2. Tagline/Promise: Amplify your value and plan a better path. 
3. Brief 1-3 sentence description: 

• Author Akasha Lin Garnier Presents Secrets to Shine through the Noise, A compelling journey from starving artist to mentorship, world travel, award-winning, branding and a travel thriller series. In this cinematic guide, the author shares how to create an actionable plan and how to make a brand distinctive to rise above the noise. 

Six Deliverables/Learnings Readers Will Take From Your Book (What Will They Get Out Of It?) 

1) Use creative and business strengths to live a life on purpose, determining outcomes in advance.

2) Learn why many people end up at destinations they didn’t consciously choose and wither with regret.

3) Understand how to reroute this outcome by developing a written life plan that articulates what they want in each of the major life domains.

4) Define, refine or amplify their personal and/or business brand to shine through the noise.

5) Celebrate small successes along the way to rejuvenate the journey.

6) Color themselves intrigued with inspirational coloring pages based on travel photos from Akasha’s stories and upcoming thriller series.

Praise for Secrets To Shine Through The Noise:

“This is the REAL DEAL. No one will believe what actually happened - but it makes for a great story and journey!” J. Silva, champion pro surfer and paddle boarder; A-list tour guide

~~~

“One of the smartest, most creative people I have ever met. Akasha's got a great sense for storytelling, business, and bringing out the best in people. Incredible!!! (Exclaimed with a Sicilian accent)” Dario Vullo, Owner, award-winning Nando Milano Trattoria in Chicago and Champaign 

~~~

"There is no one I have met that is as innovative and has a knack for creating the best product and productions as Akasha does. Her keen sense of organization, dedication, creativity, and professional demeanor all help her clients shine!! I look forward to working with Akasha on more productions!” ~ Anthony Navarro, Best-selling author, Award-winning Planner and Producer, Liven it Up 

What is the primary message that you want to convey to the audience?

We all have our own noise, both internal and external within the industry. The sooner we can hear the noise and quiet it, the sooner we’ll be able to shine through that noise.

My own noise came from working in temp jobs and film for free or low wages; I was what we’d call a starving artist in LA for several years. I was very fortunate that one of my managers at a temp job saw some great promise in me and my abilities and then became my mentor.

I then learned how to understand my creative and business strengths, the industry and the best ways to balance those strengths and present them professionally.

My wage and job offers went up as well as my job satisfaction and ability to do things besides just work to pay bills.

That mentor at American Express took me traveling on business and opened many intriguing doors. I’m grateful for that and go through lessons I’ve learned and can now share in the book Secrets to Shine through the noise.

It’s practical but also inspiring from what my readers and tribe have shared.

So without further ado its time for that 

Exclusive First Look at the Cover of this inspirational book.

***Drum Roll Please***

****

Are you ready?

Are you excited? :-D

I know I am

*

*

*

WOW! Epicness! Legend...Wait for It....DARY! Se Manifique, it looks like the cover of a beautiful movie and knowing Akasha, I'm sure it will be soon.
All I want to do is turn the page and begin reading.

ORDER #ShineThroughtheNoise by

@AkashaGarnier

amazon.com/Secrets-Shine-…

Sign up to Akasha’s A-List for special offers, invitations, and inspiration

via her Website

Follow her Amazing Journey on:

Twitter

Instagram

Vimeo

I; Enricoh Alfonzo; undoubtedly, vehemently, and whole-heartedly recommend this book!

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

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~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres