Friday, 17 June 2016

The Samurai: Eru's Origin


Read Part 1 of this Story Here

The bolt of lightning that exploded through the roof of the barn had rocketed her of her feet and thrown her mind into the past. Into the memories that brought her to this moment…

The land that stretched out before Eiramus was barren, the air pungent with war and poverty, she could feel the despair of the land just as vividly as the wind blowing through her viridescent hair. She lightly brushes her cheek, setting the trapped stand of hair free from her damp face. 
“How did it come to this?” she mumbles into nothingness while slowly crouching down. She marks her territory with her village’s symbol, a snake wrapped around an olive branch. How ironic, she thought that this would be their symbol. A snake, everlasting symbol of evil and despair and the olive branch signifying hope. Which one is she? The snake or the olive branch. The questions never plagued her when in training, believing she would be fighting for a better cause, but looking out at the dying land, she started thinking that she might be the snake. 
“Eiramus, get up, the others have departed to the Thasues mountains already. You know well you cannot let your soldiers travel that path alone, the gods will frown upon your actions child” 

Eiramus turned around while still crouching, looking up into her father’s eyes “Teacher, tell me, how can you still call me a child when I’ve taken the lives of hundreds? When I’ve conquered almost half the kingdom in our gods names and helped you push back the enemies you’ve feared for years.” She could see her father’s anger rise in his stance, the way his lip slightly twitched in the right corner, the way his knuckles turned white around his trumpet, Eiramus could not care less. She stood up and faced her father “They call you the mighty conqueror, but I lead your battles and slaughter your enemies before you. Can you not feel the ground mourning for the lives lost, can you not see the three suns hiding behind the darkness we’ve cast upon the land.” 

With that Chikura flung his trumped to the ground and wrapped his hand around Eiramus’ neck “Don’t you ever mention what you feel, do you hear me, girl? Your feelings are a fiction of your imagination and don’t you dare ever defy me again” He slung Eiramus to the ground and stood over her.

“Child”
With that Eiramus watched her father whom she once loved dearly walk away from her for the last time…

DevantArt Cred: fearn
At that moment Eiramus knew what she had to do, she picked up her father’s trumpet and once again looked out to the landscape she had ruined. Slowly making her way the mountain, she knew this was the path she was meant to follow. Her heartbeat was in tune with her steps, and in turn her steps were in tune with the heartbeat of the land beneath her feet. It was as if she could already smell life returning to the lands, even though it laid, destroyed before her. 

She knew she had to escape her father’s wrath, he would stop at nothing to force her into her destiny to become the leader of this land by becoming the executioner to anyone who would defy her. No, she did not want her followers to fear her, but to love her. Harmony was key, and she knew it. She would return to her father, this time fighting against him, instead of for him. 

By the time Eiramus came to this conclusion the ledge on which she stood with her father was a speckle in the horizons behind her. She turned around and swore in her mother tongue 
“Heishbag kvosiera au hijden” – {I will return to claim my land} 

With that parting promise, Eiramus picked up the pace, she felt the wind in her lungs, cleaner somehow. The air around her was no longer weighed down by the despair of past and future conquers. She was no longer the snake, but the olive branch. She was free and she was freedom entwined into one magnificent being. She knew what she had to do, she'd head for a realm far from hers, where magic was in abundance and you aren’t imprisoned for wielding with the forces of the universe. 

She had heard whispers of a woman opening portals to another realm, she’d heard villages call out her name in despair as she slaughtered them to claim her father’s victory. The name was Nezebeth, and she lived where no man or woman would dare wander. 

Eiramus made her decision, she would find this sorcerer, and she would find an army powerful enough that her father would not dare stand against her. 

The moment she decided,  the land beneath her feet started to move. Changing, laying out a path that she has yet to walk. Walking she became certain that she’d made the right decision, jogging and eventually running towards her destiny. Before she knew it, she found herself in the middle of the bog. A place she’d only heard of in stories to scare toddlers and adults alike. 

“Why are you here, child?” a mysterious voice filled the air around her. 

“Don’t call me child, I am Eiramus, samurai trained by the great Conqueror Chikura, king of these lands. You will address me with respect or live to regret it.” Eiramus suddenly felt the ground starting to suck her in and her breathing became frantic, like she wasn’t getting enough air. 

“Oh child, how do you fight an enemy you can’t see? An enemy you can’t hear, unless it wishes to be heard. An enemy you can’t feel unless it wants to be felt? But you already know you can’t fight such an enemy. That is why you are here, isn’t it young samurai?”

Eiramus fell to the ground, whatever was holding her released. She closed her eyes and thought about her father. The days he spent training her, the nights he spent tucking her into bed and the men he fought and killed to stay in power and for her, a woman, to become the leader of his army. Suddenly she wanted to turn back, wanted to look for the quickest path out of the bog “It’s too late child, you already made your decision. You can’t turn back now.” 

Eiramus felt herself rising involuntarily, she clutched her trumpet and katana. Before she knew it, darkness engulfed her. She begged for unconsciousness to replace the nothingness. She did not know how long or how far she traveled. All she knew was that she was on her way to another realm. And the sorceress in the bog somehow knew what she felt, she knew her past and her future. While on the journey, Eiramus held fast to two vows: 

First, she will return to claim her land and second, she would find the sorcerer that sent her away, and confront her about the kingdom’s past, present and future.

the_seven_virtues__hope_by_sijeney
*******************
Authors Note

While joking with some great friends, the basis for this story was formed. Part 1 of this story can be found here.
Last week I featured The Unicorn Queen: Ari's Origin

We got to talking & the girls started writing their own versions of the how the characters came to be.
This awesome Origin/Background story on the Character Eiramus, was brought to you by unbelievably amazing Sumarie Steenkamp

She was born to write fantasy and I cannot wait for more.

Part 2 of "The Unicorn Queen, The Samurai & The Wizard" will be posted next week, which continues where the storyline left off.

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Sunday, 12 June 2016

The Liebster Awards 2016



Exciting News, I've just received my first nomination, for anything, ever. Haha hey! That can already be fun fact #1 about me. See what I meant about amazing people? I joined this awesome community of world-wide bloggers in Feb 2016 & I cannot tell you how many bright lights I have met who not only share their knowledge and voice with the world but they help others to do the same. The whole Blogosphere is absolutely its own world and what a world it is.

Errin Krystal has nominated me for the Liebster Award 2016. I'm so overjoyed and honored by this, Thank You Errin! You rock.

www.bohemianwanderland.com
So being a newbie at all of this, I of course had to research what exactly the Liebster Award really is.
Which can be found via Jack Henry on this Blog Post

The rules of this award include
  • Sharing 11 facts about you
  • Answering 11 questions by the blogger that nominated you
  • Nominate up to eleven wonderful bloggers and write eleven questions for them to answer.
I'm going to do the Questions first so that I won't duplicate anything in the facts.

#1. What is your favorite movie/book quote?
  • Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Alkaban - Quote by Albus Dumbledore
#2. When did you first begin to take yourself seriously as a writer?
  • Most of my formative years were spent in the throes of Love and then out of it and back in again. My writing was mostly for them. It was only till this very year on the morning of 4th of February 2016, when I finished my very first Novel that it truly dawned on me. I could do this! I could be a writer. What a glorious epiphany that was. 
#3. If you could live in any time period what would it be? Why?
  • The Future, preferably 100 years from now. I do enjoy reading novels set in past times, I just doubt I would survive there, accustomed as I am to technology. I would love to see what the future looks like. 
#4. Plotter or Pantser?
  • Hahaha Well I've only written the one book so far and that was all panster. I started out with only One Scene in my head! My other novel ideas have dedicated folders and excel spreadsheets, where I compile my research & notes as I go along. But for all intents & purposes, especially with my blog. I am a panster. 
#5. Favorite movie?
  • Recently, my favorite movie of the lot of them is The Fault in Our Stars. Such brilliantly fresh dialogue, unbelievable acting & an utterly beautiful storyline. "Pain demands to be Felt!"
#6. Whats your guilty pleasure?
  • Binge watching TV Series, it just provides the kind of mind-numbing I need after a hectic week. I can zone out and just watch. 
#7. Three things you cannot live without?
  • WiFi/Internet, Pizza & my Family
#8. Vampire or Werewolf? 
  • I'm partial to the immortality of a Vampire but I would be more likely to be a Hybrid. Half Vampire, Half Lycan. Like Michael from The Underworld series. 
#9. Do you believe in aliens?
  • Yes! So much so that I've got a novel idea on them in the works. There's so much out there we do not yet know. 
#10. Whats your funniest memory?
  • I have a terrible memory so recently it has to be watching the movie Grown Ups, I hadn't laughed that had & that long in forever. It was just too entertaining. They brought back the heart of comedy for me. 
  • Then there was playing with the BB8 toy at the office. You use a downloadable app to control the droid and its endless fun. Pure enjoyment. 

#11. Sweet or Savory?
  • Hahaha I'm Indian so my ancestors would cringe if I say sweet. It's more like Savory for our dinner time foods like curry & sweet for desserts like milk tart. 
That is truly enough about me, but here's where you can find facts about me:
  1. The Literature Tag: What does it mean to be a Writer?
  2. The Directors Seat by AlfonzoWords
I'm not 100% on the rules so I'm nominating based on the blogs I read every week without fail. They inspire me and deliver such brilliant posts. It's impossible to ignore. They are also very helpful towards bloggers.
{No obligations here, just sharing it forward. Either do or do not :-) }

Here are your questions:

1. What is your all-time favorite book?
2. What is your favorite English word, and why?
3. Being a blogger, what is the most difficult part about writing for you?
4. What inspires you to write the most?
5. If you had to MAKE UP/INVENT one word, what would it be? And what would that word mean?
6. Sum up your experience of blogging in one rhyming sentence.
7. Assign your own meaning to the following made-up words:
  • Bugalhet
  • Wiftigious
  • Doraning
8. Vampire or Werewolf
9. Three Things you cannot live without?
10. How do you deal with rejection?
11. Who is the most valued person in your life?

NB* Melissa, I know you've done some of these in your Author Interview on Catching that Golden Snitch
So let me know if you're game & I will email you new questions. 

Once again Massive thanks to Errin Krystal for the nomination. Check out her awesome blog & come join us at her Facebook Group.
I can't wait to share the love forward.
loubiesandlulu.com
~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Denegeres

Inspire Tag: S.S Blake

mindset and manifestation with ss blake.jpg


Happy Monday Motivation y'all
I can't wait for you to meet our next guest. She's got an amazing spirit & a brilliant mind but more importantly she's made it her mission in life to help others. How awesome is that?

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.


Vannasana:
Vanna(Savannah) + Asana(a stance you take in yoga that improves balance and strength)


empower yourself.jpg


1. What is the best advice you were ever given?
  • My grandfather told me one time, “It’s easier to get forgiveness than it is permission.” It allowed me to stop hiding in the shadows, quietly and politely living life as others believed I was suppose to. This advice, in itself, gave me the permission I needed to start living life to it’s fullest and dive into every opportunity and experience that presented itself to me.
    This was the quote I used in the yearbook my senior year of high school.


2. Who inspires you and why?
  • I’m the type of person that is inspired by fictional characters. No doubt there are some great real life people, but the ones that really make an impact on me personally aren’t real, haha. I have a whole vision board dedicated to those characters who inspire me:
    • Lagertha Lothbrok (Vikings) and Teyla Emmagan (Stargate Atlantis) because women can be both great leaders and fierce warriors.
    • Felicity Smoak (Arrow) and Dr. Daniel Jackson (Stargate Atlantis) because knowledge and intellect are invaluable and powerful.
    • I try to make a point to take away some sort of thought or inspiration from everyone I come into contact with. Everyone has something to teach us and we always have something to learn.

3. Everyone has bad days, how do you deal with a bad day?
  • It depends on what type of mood specifically I have found myself in. A shower, a nap or some meditation and yoga may do the trick. Some very loud music of either the dance or rock genre may flip it. A shot of rum may remedy the situation. Yesterday, I was in a dull mood until I remembered fridays mean Ancient Aliens marathons, haha. After a couple of episodes I was in a great mood!


4. Where do you go/what do you do when you need motivation?
  • I’ll youtube some specific people and listen to all of their videos while I clean my house or I’ll look at my emails and see what great videos are on there. Mindvalley and Evercoach have some particularly great stuff and I highly recommend them.


5. Failure is a big part of life, what has been your biggest failure to date?
  • I don’t believe in failures. Things that seem like “failures” are really only learning experiences and paths to success. Thomas Edison, when asked why he didn’t give up after failing so many times trying to create the lightbulb, said,”I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” Failure is the path to success. It’s all about perspective. Without our past experiences we wouldn’t be who or where we are in life now and in the future.


6. What is your biggest achievement?
  • Learning how to love myself for who I am and allow myself to be me without judgement or expectations. This is the key to any success.
  • Also, learning to forgive those in my life who have “wronged” me. I have learned to be thankful for them and to accept them as they are without any expectations because they helped shape me into who I am now.


7. Have you conquered any fears?
  • I have conquered so many fears! Most of which in the past year or so!
    • Fear of driving. This is the biggest one because I totalled 2 vehicles in 3 days when I was 18 and hardly drove at all for the next 6+ish years.
    • Fear of speaking on camera. I’ve got a whole youtube channel now! (a work in progress and not hugely impressive YET)
    • Fear of speaking to a crowd. (also a work in progress but getting better!)
    • Fear of being a failure. Up until about a year ago I felt lost about where I was headed in life.
    • I’ve also battled severe anxiety and panic attacks my entire life with both social and nonsocial situations. I’ve almost completely conquered it as well!


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


9. Complete the sentence, Happiness is…
  • Something you find within yourself. It’s a choice.


10. What do you do to clear your mind?
  • Shower, meditate, yoga, sit outside, sing and dance. The best thoughts and ideas come when your mind is free and clear. I always try to make a point to be either working, or clearing my mind.


11. Life can be stressful, what are your top 3 things to unwind?
  • Yoga
  • Sing and dance
  • Sit outside
  • Stress is incredibly dangerous and should always be managed. I wrote a whole thing on it.


12. Have you watched any inspiring movies? Do you have any favorites?
  • Cloud Atlas. I watched it like 6 times over the course of 2 weeks when I first saw it and then sat around and just thought about it for like 3 months afterwards.
  • Idiocracy is a very good eye opener. Also quite hilarious. I recommend everyone watch it.
  • I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. I was one of those people at the store at midnight for the release of the books.


13. What is your favorite inspirational quote?
  • Nikola Tesla fascinates me. One of his quotes really stuck with me and may have been what led me to who I am today.


"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.'"


14. Do you listen to motivational speakers?
  • Yes. Daily. I’m always listening to some sort of speech or webinar. I’ll put my headphones in and clean the house or do yard work. It might be my hobby.


15. How do you cope with unpleasant people?
  • Mostly I just avoid them. In the case of someone I can’t completely avoid, I try to remember that the way they are acting is because of some inner struggle that they are facing and has nothing to do with me. I try my best to come from a heart centered place, as most people just want to be cared about. Their unpleasantness is generally just a defense mechanism but sometimes I just have to put my headphones in and make myself busy.


16. What is your best piece of advice?
  • There’s a way to do, be or have anything you want. You just have to want it enough to take the time to figure out how and then be brave enough to implement.
you are as limitless as you believe you are its all in your mindset a.jpg


17. Complete the sentence “When life gives you lemons…”
  • Experiment with making things with them and turn a profit.


18. What is the most inspiring book you have ever read?
  • That’s hard to say. So many books have inspired me in so many ways. Inspiring us is their primary function, I believe.
    • The Hunger Games - Inspired me to be self sufficient. (Read the books. The movie’s don’t measure up)
    • The Handmaiden’s Tale - Inspired me to look at the world in a different way
    • Harry Potter - Inspired me to never give up, no matter what.


19. Do you have a place to pray or meditate?
  • Anywhere and everywhere. I guess I find myself doing it more often on my back porch, in the shower or bed and on the yoga mat. Any place is perfectly acceptable though.


20. What is your motto in life?


Do good; all else will follow.


Quick Fire:


Inspirational Movie or Talk with a friend?


Talk with a friend. Always.


Creating Art or Listening to music?


Listening to music


Making food or Eating Food?


Eating food. I disenjoy cooking.


Being alone or Being in a crowd?


Alone


Writing or Singing?


Singing. Though I do enjoy writing as well.


Sea Vacation or Safari Vacation?


Take me to the sea.


Let’s connect!



Website: Vannasana

Twitter: Vannasana

Facebook: S.S.Blake



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


~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Thursday, 9 June 2016

Movie Tag: Akasha Garnier

Inspire. Create. Write. TM


Ohayo!
~Happy Friday Dance~

You have no idea how elated I am to introduce you to my next guest. She's absolutely one of the most unique souls I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Funny, charming, beautiful, epically talented & so so humble. I love following her adventures every single week without fail.


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 has a soft release June 27 with a large release mid-August 2016. Her travel thriller novel series will be announced shortly after that.


1. What is the worst Apocalyptic scenario you have seen in movie/TV show?
  • “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” Poor CGI, villain and pacing. Awesome Wonder Woman intro…we want more! 
2. What’s your favorite genre?
  • I love a wide range of movies from film noir and Hitchcock classics to gripping adventures like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and The Firm to timeless classic like Jane Austin and Shakespeare. 
  • Do you believe in happy endings? Certainly. I believe in putting dreams into action and that hard work, planning and passion all pay off! :-) I believe love is looking in together in the same direction (not just gazing into each other’s eyes). [Looking in same direction inspiration by Antoine St-Exupery.] 
3. Which movie represents the best love story? 
  • “Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain”, (“Amelie”) I admire the melange of Parisian adventure, love and hope. It also certainly helps that I had a summer in Paris when it came out so I saw it in French in Paris and La Rochelle (of Three Musketeers fame). (My French is good, but I am always striving to improve and continue to use my French and Italian languages.) Seeing this movie in French and the way it used locations to explore character and fantasy truly inspired me! I strive to use settings in a similar in my own novels and screenplays now. 
4. Which movie was the Best representation of a book? 
  • L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy The book to film adaptation was a stellar representation of storytelling with vintage glamor, inspired performances, history, beauty and LA brought to life on the big screen. 
5. What do you consider a “binge-worthy” TV series? 
  • Not a fan of binge-watching TV since I’ve so many writing goals to accomplish over the last few years. For relaxation, I prefer sailing, traveling, wonderful dinners and pairings, films and stimulating conversation.
6. Do you get emotionally attached to characters? 
  • Sometimes, if they are well done. 
7. Do you get emotional while watching TV Series or Movies? 
  • Yes. 
8. If you had to choose a main character from a TV series/movie to come save you, who would you choose? 
  • The Dark Knight. 
9. Which movie/TV series centralized around one of your favorite cars?? {Herbie, Supernatural, Back to the Future… Haha} 
  • “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” My first crush on Chicago, with intriguing story-telling and use of the city to reveal character. (I believe it’s a hot red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California.) 
10. What’s your favorite mythical creature / monster from movie / TV series? 
  • Mermaids. 
11. Who’s your favorite director? 
  • Francisco Ford Coppola and Christopher Nolan 
12. Do you prefer older movies, or movies with a lot of CGI? 
  • I prefer movies with great stories, settings and adventures that are not too predictable. 
13. Which Indie Movie is your favorite & why?
  • "The Ususal Suspects” and “Memento”. Both are such a great ride for the audience! The films used character, storytelling and twists in a fresh way and invite us to see them again. I saw both of them at a formative time in my writing career, and love to see them again today. 
14. If you had just One message, One Golden nugget to share with other Adventurers/Writers out there. What would that be?
  • Believe in your stories and plan for success. Inspiration is so important, but we do need to understand the field and our brand…plus do the work. :-) 

Hahaha, "Obtain magic ring"

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

Follow her Amazing Journey on:

You can catch Akasha this weekend at the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series
Where "the ACWS will make international history with Chicago as the Cup’s first freshwater venue. To give some perspective, the Cup is the oldest trophy in international sport (since 1851)." #FirstOnFreshWater #Chicago

Chicago Shine
TV: NBC
TWITTER: @americascup & @acwsChicago
INSTAGRAM: @americascup & @acwsChicago
APP: America’s Cup

Akasha's Favorite Travel Quote


ORDER #ShineThroughtheNoise by

@AkashaGarnier

✨ amazon.com/Secrets-Shine-… ✨

~Be Kind To One Another~ Ellen Degeneres