Five Ways to Win My Heart

1.   To enter the golden gateway to my heart, my lady love must be considerate, thoughtful, compassionate and generous.  Respect and self-love should be enviable parts of her innate make-up.  No pretending or sending a representative to be a "model" soul, until she unsheathes her true self.  I don't want her to lose herself in trying to please me.  She should know herself.  I desire a gentlewoman, one who is not only gentle with herself but with me, others and definitely those who can never repay her kindness.  I'm no longer in a combative mode thinking the worst about a person or a situation.  I'm faithful, and want her to be the same.  I trust that everything is already just fine, is as it should be, and if it isn't, it will be when I bring the quiet stillness of spirit to any uncertainty.

 2.  My lover has to match my adventurous spirit and want to see the world with me, whether that world is the beauty of discovering American states and cities or the mystical wonders of the globe.  Beside her, I want to taste the cuisine of life, to smile and shimmy at strange, new dishes and pucker our faces and words when those dishes are discordant melodies of yuck.  She's got to be game, not squeamish, for the unknown.  A trailblazer, not a complainer.  Filled with a joie de vivre, my lady and I will cultivate oneness in love to encourage one another to great heights.




3.   I want passion.  Give me, Universe, a deep-running river of "you satisfy a visceral place within me, Baby, and together, we can accomplish the impossible dream."  Our passion will fuel our every day experiences, and nothing will ever be the same.  The simple art of reading, when we read to one another in the middle of the night, can be foreplay with passion.  I want to be passionate about everything about her, and she me; I can already appreciate her voice, her excitement at what makes me shiver in the reading, the revelation of story, and what types of stories take me their and appreciate what happens when two experience life and stories together.  In all that we undertake in our love affair, I want the two of us to become one in more ways than being engaged in glorious sex.  She should hypnotize me with her walk, her thoughts, her touch, her stare.




4.   Humor is a mainstay, a balm, a bridge over troubled water.  If she can make me howl with laughter, she can melt my heart, even if it's iced over from something she did or something out of her control.  Laughter has the medicinal ability to turn tides and to win wars.  Humor requires a certain charm and natural intelligence and a captivating way of seeing the world.  Possessing these qualities, my lady love will be able to stand with me in any wind, in the lee of our love, and bend and sway like a tender tree.  Humor will allow us to experience life with a heart beating with optimism.




5.   She must love music, especially the music from the 60's, 70's and 80's.  With the love of music must come the joy and bliss of dancing and dancing with me.  Life is too fabulous to dwell in the doldrums.  I want her to know the power of music and dance to fall deeper into the Present, to lift us and transcend us to other worlds and times.  This love of music and dance can also include learning to appreciate these arts from other countries.  She should understand the language of music and dance to make love vertically, to be sensual foreplay that leaves us sweating and wholly captivated with the other long before we recline in the others embrace.





Living a Golden Life,
TheGoldenGoddess

On Claude Moss, Sr. retiring...

On Tuesday morning, June 26, 2012, in Patterson Hall Atrium in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing, & Allied Health, at 11:30 a.m., my beloved, hard-working father, Claude Moss, Sr., 80 years young, retired from Tuskegee University.  He is 80 years young, lively, sharp, witty, spiritual, intelligent and a dynamic orator.  My father began his Tuskegee University experience on June 17, 1975, as the Necropsy Technician in the Department of Pathology & Parasitology (now Pathobiology).  He served with "dedicated excellence" in this position for 42 years. 

As a sidebar, I graduated from Tuskegee Institute High School in 1976.  My father's position allowed me to attend Tuskegee Institute (the school's name at the time) for half price, which was a blessing to me and our family.  The other half of my tuition was covered more than adequately by scholarships I won for maintaining a 4.0 academic average throughout my studies, which culminated in me matriculating with Highest Honors in the School of Education as an English Education major. 

When I look back on my life, I realize how invaluable and instrumental my father was for a major part of my success.  He possesses "stick-tuitiveness," resolve, fortitude, honor, dedication and long-suffering.  Claude Moss, Sr. is a man who did what was before him to do, no matter what.  And I am grateful to be his daughter, a twin to my brother, Claude Jr., who is seemingly a polar opposite of me yet we are one.  My father named me Claudia.  Wanting me to be named after my great-grandmother, Claudie, yet desiring to up-dated the treasured name, he settled on the name Claudia, a classic, spit-shined version of Miss Claudie!

My mother, Clementine Young, married my father after her graduation from Tennessee State and their union was blessed with 6 children.  She made her transition when I was in the ninth grade at Tuskegee Institute High School.  Later, my father took Gladys Levett as his wife and was blessed again with three more children.  From my 9 siblings, my father has 20 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren...and counting!  My siblings are Diane, Claude, Jr., Bernadette, Glenda, Athera Everlener, Lorenzo, Delton and Katarina.

Daddy served in the U.S. Army from 1953 until 1955, after which he was honorably discharged.  While serving his country, he fought in the Korean War.  During that time, he had his fill of water and will not cross it to this day, which postpones our fabulous foray into Hawaii!  Yet we remain hopeful!

Educated in the Macon County School System, Mr. Moss is a faithful, beloved member of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, where he serves on the Deacon Board.

He is an inspiration to me, my family and a plethora of others!

(L to R) My sister Bernadette "Chicken or Bernie" Stitts, my Aunt Marion and my older sister, Diane Moss

(L to R)  My lovely nieces, Whitney McCall and Dr. Jeannette McCall, Dr. of Physical Therapy, Diane's two daughters.  They have a brother, Kenny McCall.

( L to R)  Entrepreneur Glenda P. Halcromb, Whitney, Bernadette, Jeannette, Diane and Aunt Marion 

Sister Glenda snapping IPad pictures at the Tuskegee Institute retirement celebration.

Gladys and Daddy enjoying the distinguished ceremony.

Diane smiling for the camera!

Me!!  Claudia posing for the flash!

Mikyla and Mann, my adorable niece and nephew, behaving themselves at the ceremony!  They are my baby sister Katrina and her beloved Q's children.

Dr. Fredrick E. Tippett, Head of the Department of Pathobiology, honors my father with gifts.

 My father was honored with June 26, 2012 as Claude Moss, Sr. day in Tuskegee Institute, AL.  In addition, he received Keys to the City.  The only other family member I know of who received such an honor was my cousin, Douglass Moss, who, posthumously, received a day in his honor in Massachusetts, when he was laid to rest last year.

 Claude Moss, Sr. delivers a moving, humorous and loving presentation to say THANK YOU!  I am a speaker today, because my father is one of the most outstanding speakers I know...outside of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sisters Glenda and Bernie and Auntie Marion smile for my cell phone!!

My sister Stephanie gives us a pretty laugh along with my adorable niece!

WE LOVE YOU, DADDY!!!  THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR PROTECTOR, MENTOR AND FATHER!

Living a Golden Life,

TheGoldenGoddess

July 4, 2012

The Fairy Tale Love of Terri and Cynthia....

I am blessed that the Divine has seen fit for me to witness the conjugal bliss of two very special ladies, two beautiful brides, Terri Holley and Cynthia Philips.  I photographed their love in a ceremony I shall long remember.  The love they share is timeless, awe-inspiring.

Terri's smile brightens any space, brings warmth and beauty and rivals even sparkling, ornate chandelier lights.  Cynthia gazes upon her face and suddenly love is defined...without words.

I call this shot "The Cake Kiss," for any morsel shared on the lips of lovers is by far sweeter and more sacred than light piercing the darkest night.

This one is "The Embrace," for how could it be otherwise?  To hold and be held takes on a whole new meaning when no one loves you better than she....

Every story is a love story at heart....including theirs, including yours and including mine.  And so it is.  When I see this picture and others, I think if Celine Dion's song and her words about being in a space where dreams and shadows play.

Today and always, I will live the love in my heart, speak the words in my soul and walk where the fearless refuse to go.

Loving Terri and Cynthia~~

Living a Golden Life,

TheGoldenGoddess

My sister's new store, Embroidery MossWear International

My knee-baby sister, Miss Glenda, is a whiz at making something out of nothing!  She's creative, hilarious, intelligent, generous, sweet and business-minded.  The chick has always been an entrepreneur, discovering many years ago that she simply wasn't one for punching another's clock.  Glenda Pearl is the first person in our immediate family to open her own store.  If you are ever in Stockbridge, GA, go in and tell her TheGoldenGoddess said HELLO!

She is the person to know for all of your embroidery needs.  With a visionary eye, she can create any art you can clearly describe.  Need school or workplace uniforms?  She's got you!  Need screen printing on family reunion shirts and other paraphernalia?  She's got you!  Got a Stepping or Motorcycle Club and need a unique logo on your gear?  Miss Halcromb has YOU!  And I know I am overlooking the 1,000 other services she provides, but I'm just her writing sister, giving her a SHOUT-OUT on my blog!  I mean, really, what do I know?

This is a view inside her store!

When you visit, you will be greeted by Debra, her fabulous assistant, who provides SUPERB SERVICE with a smile!

Here is Glenda Pearl and our sister Bernadette, our entrepreneur/beautician/barber sister, who is a  MASTER BARBER!

Miss Glenda is the epitome of fun!  She will have you laughing throughout your visit to her store.

Miss Glenda P. on a cruise last year!  Goodness knows, they should have paid her!  She was the LIFE of the ship!

                                                    Embroidery MossWear International


                                
                               Step out on FAITH and live the Golden Life you were meant to live!



TheGoldenGoddess

Two Retirement Gifts...a poem and a quilt...

This is the gorgeous quilt that my sister made as a retirement gift for our father, Mr. Claude Moss, Sr. A version of my poem is in the middle of the creation. Pictures of my family and our siblings come before and after the poem.

***

The Measure of a Man

Retirement is a time in a man’s life when the world dictates

We measure him by the life we think he’s led,

So we say

The true measure of a man is how tall he stands

Above his peers

How many treasures his storehouse holds

To determine his weight in riches

How many bonds and funds his accounts boast

How many possessions he’s amassed

Yet others argue his credibility

Lies in the races he’s won and the places he’s been,

Who he knows and the brands he can afford and recommend.

Be that as it may,

Truth rises like mist before us on a steamy summer day.

The true measure of a man is what he believes

How he opens to the Divine manifesting in his every day.

It lies in who he gives a helping hand

Because he knows the poor, dubbed the least of us,

are among God’s chosen too.

Yes, the true measure of a man lies in whether he leaves the world

Better than he finds it

Whether he walks up to fear and embraces those deeds

That buckle his knees.

The true measure of a man is whether he allows

His Heaven Within to guide his steps without.

When judged by a spiritual yardstick,

A man knows the world’s judgment is tolerated

But never needed

For if he has walked by faith

The greatest part of him, as unseen as breath,

Whispers, “Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant,

Well Done,”

And that man walks among men showered in a Grace

That springs not from this place.

©   Claudia Moss   6/29/2012

This is a lovely quilt that my knee-baby sister made for a customer to commemorate the love of a mother, grandmother and great grandmother!

The quilts can be purchased at my Glenda P. Halcromb's store, EMBROIDERY MossWear International in Stockbridge, GA.

Live a Golden Life

TheGoldenGoddess

July 1, 2012

Fiona Zedde's Latest Bad Girl, Wynne, In Her New Novel, NIGHTSHADE

Award-Winning Author FIONA ZEDDE Releases New Novel

Five questions answered about Fiona Zedde’s latest Bad Girl character, Wynne, from her new novel, Nightshade:

1)      Boxers, briefs, or bare?

This woman loves to go bare (or wear a soft pair of barely-there thongs for pleasure and play) as she goes about her killer business. For her, being an assassin is serious and elegant work. The last thing she wants to do is ruin the look of a pair of steel gray trousers with panty lines.

2)      What’s Wynne’s favorite sexual position and why?

Despite her intense and sometimes harsh line of work, she loves the Mandarin Ducks a.k.a. spoon position. When she has the pleasure of waking up with a woman in her bed, she loves to scoop in from behind to tenderly touch and stroke her lover to wakefulness, caressing her body and whispering morning greetings in her receptive ear. And most importantly for that position, she doesn’t like anyone to see her coming.

3)      Sushi, hamburger, or tofu stir-fry?

All of the above. My favorite assassin has an unlimited appetite for most things, whether they be food, women, or wine. If it’s delicious or different, she’ll try it at least thrice.

4)      What is her greatest regret? Her greatest joy?

Her greatest regret is that she was not there to save her parents from the fire that killed them when she was a child. Her greatest joy is the love she has for her four god-children. They will appear in a later story where she is put in the position of having to choose between them, true love, and her life as a killer for hire.

5)      Where did her name come from?

Her name means “dark and pure.” Her mother, a professor of Celtic Literature and History at the University of Toronto, found the name in an old manuscript in Wales as a young woman and immediately fell in love with it.

Plus a bonus question from a long-time reader and all around awesome woman, Starlita Johnson –

After you finish writing your books, do any of them change during the edit process?      Do you have an example story line change?

_Yes, it happens every once in a while. The first time was with Bliss—in the original version, Sinclair returns to the United States at the end of the book and Hunter follows to win her back—and the second with Every Dark Desire. In Desire, the book initially ended with Chapter 30, Kylie did not return to Belle as a vampire.

Want to enter the drawing to win a free e-book version of Nightshade? Log onto Fiona’s Facebook author page, “LIKE” it, and leave the comment “Enter Me” on the page. Winners will be announced via my newsletter, Facebook page, and blog on May 1st.

                                                              
                                                                       Fiona Zedde
                                                   Author Pic By SheDriven Photography

Bio:

Jamaican-born Fiona Zedde currently lives and writes in Tampa, Florida. She is the author of five novels of erotic lesbian romance -- Bliss, A Taste of Sin, Every Dark Desire, Hungry for It, and Dangerous Pleasures -- two of which were finalists for the Lambda Literary Award. Her latest work, Nightshade: A Novella, is available now as an ebook and in print. Find out more at www.fionazedde.com

Guest Blogger Russell Blake Shares His Writing Journey...

                                               

                                                                      Russell Blake

My Writing Journey

As a long time resident of Mexico, I know it probably strikes my neighbors here as odd that I write thrillers for English-speaking markets, most notably the U.S. and U.K. I can appreciate that it would be a little weird - writers in Mexico, as in the U.S., are largely unheard of. The few fellow writers I've met make a few dollars here or there at it, but nowhere near a real living. Fortunately, I'm the exception, and this blog will seek to shed some light on how that came to pass.

First, let's address Mexico. Why live here, for almost a decade, and not in the U.S. or somewhere equally "first world?" Well, for starters, because the perception that Mexico is not first world in many of its cities is a false one. Perhaps twenty years ago that might have been true, but not so much now. I find that every year, Mexico increasingly resembles its neighbor to the north, with all the creature comforts, consumer goods, health care, and hygiene one would find in many mid-sized American cities. Perhaps some areas will be run down and poor, just as some areas of L.A. or Pittsburg will be less than pleasant, but on the whole the areas I frequent are filled with Gringo tourists who have paid thousands of dollars to spend a few days soaking up the sun on a quiet beach sipping cold beer or margaritas. 

When I sold my business, I decided to spread my wings and live abroad for a while. I was tired of the hyper-competitive marketing and consumption machine that was my view of American life - everyone needs a new car every three years, a new house every five, and the population seems unhappy and frazzled with the pressures of keeping up on this rapidly moving treadmill. I sensed that life didn't have to be like that, so I spent 6 months traveling around Mexico and Central America looking for a place to settle down. I wound up choosing the Pacific coast due to the combination of weather, price, and lifestyle, and I've never looked back. My friends thought I was nuts, and everyone told me I was very brave (shorthand for crazy). Now, they come visit, and they're the ones eying my existence with envy. I want for nothing, work as little or as much as I like, and spend many days at the beach for a few hours, walking my dogs or sipping something cold. I have no interest in or plans on returning to the States. I'm not missing anything that I can tell. If I want to follow the latest exploits of the Kardashians or hear the rationalizations of bankers explaining why the taxpayers have to subsidize them while they steal billions, I can do it from afar. No need to be in-country.

As to how I came about writing, it's been a long process. I've written for a long time. I just never though the work was deserving of anything more than being shredded. I've spent thousands of hours writing both fiction, non-fiction, ad copy, blogs, product brochures, etc. in a past life, but it was crap, and I knew it. Maybe not as bad as it could have been, but not good enough to want to charge people to read it. But a funny thing happens when you write thousands of hours. You get better. Or at least, the hope is that you do. Still, I was resigned to never being anything more than avocational. I didn't have the interest in doing the big publishing company dance, working very long hours for a pittance. Life was fine without my books out in the world.

 Then the Kindle happened. I got one, and I almost instantly recognized that it had changed everything about reading and publishing. I devoured articles about self-pubbed authors doing well absent participation in the traditional machine, and last June I decided to publish my first book: Fatal Exchange. Since then, I've released a total of 13 titles, with another coming out in April, and yet another in May. I've written well over a million words since last May, and 2012 will probably see nearly that many again.

My process is simple. All I do is write, 12 to 15 hours a day, when I'm in the story. The last book and this new one I'm trying something different - only writing 6 hours a day. If I can generate 5000 quality words per day, I can turn out a respectable novel ready for polish in three weeks. Before, I was shooting for 7000 - 8000, but it's exhausting, and now, unnecessary. I think one book every six to eight weeks is plenty. But the quality has to be there, and I won't write until I've got a compelling idea that needs telling. I also invest in an editing team - an editor, a copy editor, and a proof reader. My work should compare favorably to the big company offerings, and I think the biggest mistake indie authors make is to somehow believe they can do it on the cheap, and compete. They can't, which is why so many self-pubbed works are miserable reading experiences. It hurts the authors, as well as the entire indie movement, because like it or not, most of us are relegated to the amateur/illiterate pile due to sloppy offerings from our peers. Not all are guilty of this, but enough so that it is a problem. And that's a shame. It's entirely preventable.

 I'm making a very good living writing. Even by U.S. big city standards, much less by Mexican standards. And I'm excited, because my sales are growing in fits and starts, and the future has never looked brighter. After 10 months, I'm seeing sales in the 10K books a month range, which is unprecedented given that none of my offerings are of the .99 variety. Folks are paying $4 and $5 to read my work, and generally liking it. That bodes well for 2013 and beyond.

 My message to fellow indie authors would be simple. Plan to work extremely hard, perfect your craft and demand more out of yourself than anyone else would, be your own brutal critic, and do this for real if you want any chance of success. I've read that there are only 200 authors in the country who make the kind of money writing where they could be considered to be vocational authors. It's surrealistic, but for whatever reason, it's now 201, although I don't actually live in the country. But the point is, I've achieved this with no help from any corporate interest, in a business that is impossible to break into, and where I'm competing with John Grisham and Stephen King for reader dollars. And while I'm not seeing their kinds of numbers, I'm seeing enough to be fat, dumb and happy down Mexico way. For that, I'm extremely grateful.

Click here to read Russell Blake's blog!

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Russell is the international bestselling author of Fatal Exchange, a groundbreaking genre-blending thriller set against the counter-culture backdrop of New York’s gritty underground, The Geronimo Breach, an action/intrigue/thriller set in Panama, the bestselling Zero Sum trilogy of Wall Street thrillers – Kotov Syndrome, Focal Point and Checkmate (which hit #15 on Amazon’s top 100 free books), The Delphi Chronicle trilogy (The Manuscript, The Tortoise & The Hare and Phoenix Rising), the epic assassination thriller King of Swords, and its prequel, Night of the Assassin, and The Voynich Cypher.

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Muchas gracias a Russello!!!  Thank you so much, Russell Blake, for making a spectacular visit to my blog as a GUEST BLOGGER sharing your WRITING JOURNEY!!!  I truly appreciate you!!  What a delightful, informative read, one I'm sure to revisit!  You are not only resourceful but generous and hilarious.  In short, awesome!  I am wishing you continued success in your writing career and plenty of happy, exciting, sunny, blessed, peaceful, writerly days.....

TheGoldenGoddess

Living A Golden Life

Justice for Trayvon Martin

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


As the mother of a young Black man in America, my heart goes out to Trayvon Martin's family. No Black male is truly safe tonight, from Sanford to D.C., until justice reigns in Seminole County. Vigilantes who take the law into their hands must feel the full wrath of a blind justice system. A midnight noose will not be replaced with a handgun in broad daylight. Let peace be still and justice reign like mighty waters across this nation...

TheGoldenGoddess

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


Why Is This Important

On February 26, our son Trayvon Martin was shot and killed as he walked to a family member's home from a convenience store where he had just bought some candy. He was only 17 years-old.

Trayvon's killer, George Zimmerman, admitted to police that he shot Trayvon in the chest. Zimmerman, the community's self appointed "neighborhood watch leader," called the police to report a suspicious person when he saw Travyon, a young black man, walking from the store. But Zimmerman still hasn't been charged for murdering our son.

Trayvon was our hero. At the age 9, Trayvon pulled his father from a burning kitchen, saving his life. He loved sports and horseback riding. At only 17 he had a bright future ahead of him with dreams of attending college and becoming an aviation mechanic. Now that’s all gone.

When Zimmerman reported Trayvon to the police, they told him not to confront him. But he did anyway. All we know about what happened next is that our 17 year-old son, who was completely unarmed, was shot and killed.

It's been nearly two weeks and the Sanford Police have refused to arrest George Zimmerman. In their public statements, they even go so far as to stand up for the killer - saying he's "a college grad" who took a class in criminal justice.

Please join us in calling on Norman Wolfinger, Florida's 18th District State's Attorney, to investigate my son's murder and prosecute George Zimmerman for the shooting and killing of Trayvon Martin.

~~~Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton
As seen on www.Change.org


Please sign this petition.

http://www.change.org/petitions/prosecute-the-killer-of-our-son-17-year-old-trayvon-martin

To Know A Poet is To Love ArtistCG

COLETTE aka ARTISTCG


Colette aka ArtistCG--- Poet Interview with The Golden Goddess


When did you know you were a poet?


I remember writing poetry as a teenager. I think it was probably crappy love junk. I remember doing drawings from the back view of a couple standing, holding hands, wearing Levi’s. haha I think the crappy poems accompanied these crappy drawings.

As far as when did I know? I would say perhaps in the past year. Some of my poetry has been published several years ago, but I don’t think I ever saw my poetry as being something truly worthy until recently. Now, I’m like Yeah, write on! I’m a poet and I know it! LOL


Who influences you as a poet?


Writers from before my time (living or not) who influence me and why:

• Charles Bukowski (raw truth)
• Pablo Neruda (metaphorically delicious love)
• Anais Nin (love knowing no boundaries)
• Colette (I think I’m tied to her somehow)
• Marguerite Duras (The Lover.)
• Maya Angelou (endured a harsh past and still appreciates the bird’s song)

Man...looking at that list, I wish I could arrange a face off with those peeps and have them compete for the top spot! There are singer/songwriters that I could add to that list too. I have a sense of nostalgia for the past, and I feel a connection to them when I read how they approached situations during their time. Times change, but certain things are a constant—like struggles, desires, and the emotions that are attached to both.


Writers who currently inspire me are:

• Claudia Moss (lively spirit who gives all her characters great voice!)
• Joyce Conley Williams (knows a woman’s hardships, and certainly knows her worth)
• Kumasi Mack (a modern day romantic, but he calls himself Abstract due to his flavorful metaphorical word choices)



How do you contribute to the love of poetry in the world?

I began posting my poetry online at theStarliteCafe.com in 2002. A man named Albert used to run it, and it was a pleasant place to share, get feedback, and bond with other poets. Since he has passed, various changes have occurred on the site, and there are a lot of glitches. I later started posting on WritersCafe.org. I’ve had some poetry published in India through the Taj Mahal Review, and various other small journals.



Almost Dead Poets Society    We are the Almost Dead Poets Society. If you are interested in poetry...whether you read it, write it, or enjoy listening to and watching spoken word performances then this group is for you.


About a year and a half ago, I formed the group the Almost Dead Poets Society. I had renovated my studio/living space to showcase my art, and I had a vision of this place I call the Avant Garde 2434 becoming a comfortable hangout for artists, musicians and writers to share their passion and inspire each other. I hosted the Sunday Nite Poetry Chill n Thrill for a year here, and took a few month hiatus recently. We will resume on Saint Patty’s Day with an Afternoon Delight potluck, and perhaps get back to our Sunday night routine from there on. I created a Facebook group for the Almost Dead Poets Society not long after our physical group formed, so that I could post the challenges, and we could also read the words we heard spoken. I have been delighted with its reach to those in other locales—including other countries.







Kumasi Mack, photo taken at the Avant Garde 2434
Poetry Chill & Thrill 2011





Joyce Williams, photo taken at the Avant Garde 2434
Poetry Chill & Thrill 2011


Last year, I created an art exhibit I titled Hung Out to Dry. I hung photographs I had taken of some of the poets from our group, and poetry from these poets and some from afar who participate in our online group. It was a one-day event that included several segments of spoken word. I’d love to take something like this on the road. Ahh one day! You know...Wishing Thinking of the Urban Mind! ;)






HUNG OUT TO DRY...Poets from the Almost Dead Poets Society



I have plans to put my poetry in print and eBook form soon. The means to self publish and reach an International audience is amazing thanks to online sites such as Blurb.com, and Apple iBooks. Besides having a few of my own collections I wish to publish, I want to compile a collection of poems from our Almost Dead Poets Society. Quite possibly, I will tackle that before my own, because I’m eager to share these amazing poets with the world!


Describe your writing process?

Free flow.

I’d like to stop there, but then you’ll yearn for deeper explanation—right? I write when my mind is pushing it out of me. Pushing it from my mind to my fingers to any pen, paper, keyboard I can get into contact with. Often I have words—more importantly thoughts—running around in my mind, and sometimes I’ll get them down if I have paper and pen in reach. Sometimes, I don’t. And, sometimes they are lost or changed by the time they do meet the page. It’s more of a burden of thoughts...things that trouble me. Sometimes, it’s things that elate me. I just let it out. And, sometimes, maybe later, I’ll go back and tidy up the thoughts and words a bit and shape it into a more coherent poem. Sometimes.



Describe a time when language mesmerized you.

Honey, when hasn’t it? The womb? I don’t know...I think that my collective unconscious is tied to some former writers and artists, so it’s part of my DNA. I’ve been mesmerized since before my flesh encased my spirit.

ArtistCG's Poetry

Day of the Dead / Night of the Devil
A Poem by Colette
"a Halloween experience"


I fuck everything up / the pie
no brown sugar / for my brown sugar
no crust / wrong shell
hell
More time cleaning up / than clearing up
the energy
that pulled him here / that pushes him away

I want to impress / to decompress
to touch soft / love mellow
yellow / everywhere / to symbolize


Happiness


What is it?
No one ever knows 'til it's too late / so I wait
to no avail / jail / feels like what I'm in
because I did find out / what "it" is
but, I can't obtain it / fully

Slivers of my piece of the pie
not even satisfactory
though I try

I'm a ghost in this land of the unknowing
Even when I blurt it out / paint it / create it
demonstrate it
I'm unheard / unseen / nothing but awkwardness
showing

It would be easier if I could think
walk / talk
dream of a future / like them
but, I can't.

I'm spilled over / peeled off / sliced
chewed up / spit out
discarded like trash / recycled
too many times

I watch lesbians build families / scouts build fires
burn what's meant to stay semi-whole
signs everywhere looking for new hires

I'm strong as titanium / as weak as these old, falling leaves
No one knows what to do with me / And,
I don't know how to sit still / I'm not addicted to a pill
or alcohol / or, otherwise

It's the simple things that give me thrills

Perhaps I'm meant to remain alone in this life?
Feeding squirrels peanuts / walking an incognito cat on a leash
Because, I don't think I'm designed to merge
with these humans

completely.

© 2011 Colette

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

Our Scars
A Poem by Colette
"flashbacks, and how they cripple our future. *inspired by the film Black Snake Moan"


that black snake moans

those flashbacks

of the wars i’ve fought

with my father, brother, steroid pumped man in blue

all i’m keepin true


my truth


wanting to give it all to u

inside out, and back in then out

again

no air

choking throat


nothing but a hair left behind, and

those scars


i see the you you don’t see

you see the me of the former remnant of women past

and i am ready to strangle that fucking black snake

til it no longer moans, but screams, then fades

then relaxes

to the present


i say i want to massage your temples

until your misgotten memory turns liquid

so i can swallow

swallow that black snake

so it chokes no here and now no more


that black snake moans

and i cry

cancerous tears

tears of death moans playing in my cerebellum

body twitching both involuntarily and voluntarily

hell, i don’t even know the difference anymore


and somehow both of our necks begotten

like some African mythology springing forth new life

out of the dead crevices

we have to learn who to be thankful for


i’ll suffocate your fucking, moaning, black snake

i’ll help you breathe, but


what will you do for me?


what will you do for me?


© 2011 Colette

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

Abstract Artist
A Poem by Colette
"a dedication to Kumasi Mack--The Abstract Poet"


I call it motion / they call it abstract

I call it feelings / they say it looks like a heart attack

I say the colors are like the wind on a hot summer day

I say the gay rainbow flies / I say... Sailor, Hey!


Movie screenings / temporary tattoos

The work of an artist will do / What? / Only if they lived before you?


Pistachios / Mangos

Yellow / Pink / Orange / Purple

You know I dream in Technicolor

You know when you dream of me there is little color / no obstacles

a barrier / reef

and we’re back to a reality in a colored land


Give me your hand

African myths / a gazing globe of peacock feathers / watermelon lingerie

said to cure what ails you / and help you sleep


Deep


They call us lewd / I call them funny

They call her nude / I call her lovely


They call me / I don’t call back

Today might be the last day / I’ll have a Big Mac attack


I’m down with the hoops / not with the studs

A painting that doesn’t encourage growth is simply mud


I call it the Ripple Effect / they call it football

Sometimes

He falls / He says, “We can’t fly” / I say, “Gimme your hand”


You might call it metamorphosis / I say

the caterpillar can’t eat if the butterfly don’t know where to land


We call our language metaphors / a fictional version of facts

He calls me Moonshine / I call him Abstract

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

ArtistCG is also an awe-inspiring PHOTOGRAPHER!!!
http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/1028261



Images of people in their bedrooms to demonstrate that regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or cultural backgrounds...we are all similar.


Living A Golden Life,
TheGoldenGoddess

Dr. Victoria Lynn Schmidt Encourages Writers Via BIAM!

A beloved, Las Vegas friend, Nik Nicholson, invited me to join her on a writer's adventure last year! Our noble mission: write a book in a month! At first, I wondered if she was serious but she didn't sound inebriated and there was a determined essence in her voice. I could feel her persistence, her fire to blaze that unprecedented trail.


So I consented. And so did three other writing friends.


Nik walked the road she set for her indomitable pen, over job stress and family life and whatever else she had to overcome to meet her goal. At the culmination of a month, the good sister had that "fast" written manuscript ready for edits. On the other hand, I bailed. With 1,000 excuses strapped to my ankles. But something in me beckoned, the forefinger summoning me back to the drawing board. "We never give up, Heifer!" it scolded me, rolling its eyes.


It may not be now, but you, young lady, will sit to meet this goal. Nothing is insurmountable...if you give it your best. Then I mused: Did I really give it my best? Deep within, I knew I hadn't. A door opened and I dashed.


Now I walk up to the challenge again. Resolved, indomitable and elated---I am telling The Golden Goddess, Ms. Claudia, you can, you must and you will. It's a simple as that!


So, beloveds, in April, (yes, next month) come hell or high water, I undertake the mammoth venture of completing the first draft of my new novel, NOT WITHOUT PASSION. Not only will I have the initial write, but also I will rewrite the manuscript and include subplots and anything else the second write should possess in May. Afterwards, off to a potential publisher it will traipse, high stepping it all the way.


In dedicating myself to the undertaking, I decided to invite the lovely Dr. Victoria Lynn Schmidt to A Golden Life to share her pearls of writing wisdom...with me and any other writing soul out there who could benefit from her encouragement and expertise. I must say, I reached out and Dr. Schmidt received me graciously. She consented to my request with the warmth that only a master teacher can exude to those who come to sip of her knowledge. Thus, without further ado, I give you V.L. Schmidt!





"I'm so happy to be visiting with you all on the Golden Goddess! I know many of you are pursuing writing a book in a month, or at least just spitting out a draft of it which is wonderful. You will be far ahead of most writers out there who never actually get to 'the end' so be sure you pay attention to the 'celebration stage' you deserve it!


Try to think of things in terms of steps. Try not to see the whole manuscript in the beginning, just see the first page, the first chapter. Take that first step. Don't stop to take care of anything else, don't worry about things being perfect. The stars will never align. You just have to take that first step and get things rolling. THE STARS WILL NEVER ALIGN PERFECTLY! Don't wait.


Also, start every writing period congratulating yourself. Take a moment to look back at all the pages you have written and feel good about it. We often go crazy staring at where we need to go that we forget to take pride in what we have already accomplished. Be good to yourself and your muse will show up. It's like we climb to the top of a mountain and worry about the next mountain, instead of taking a moment to see the glorious view in front of us already. Writing is a journey.


A bit of practical advice - be sure you create back ups! I just heard from another writer who lost all her files to a virus. E-mail your ms to yourself at the end of the day at the very least if you have to. Your work is precious, take care of it."






This is the BIAM book that guides me on my voyage! I have been rereading it to reintroduce myself to my support system. This time, together, we will dock in a port of phantasmagorical accomplishments!


Thank you, Dr. Schmidt, for the beauty of your presence in the world!


Victoria says:

"I am an author, instructor, and holistic-minded explorer of psychology, spirituality, and creativity. My books combine my unique interests in ways that allow my readers to think differently about subjects while offering them practical tools to explore things on their own.

My first book series is the best selling Creative Writing Series – 45 Master Characters, Story Structure Architect, and Book in a Month. These books combine all of the above to show readers around the world how to hone their craft and reach their dream of writing a book or screenplay. (45 Master Characters was recently translated into Korean)"

Read more: http://victorialynnschmidt.com/



Living the Golden Life
TheGoldenGoddess

OPT-IN Form for Buyers of Tim Pond's Bestselling e-book, THE HAPPINESS HOP

Welcome, A Golden Life Subscribers!

If you are one of the many e-book buyers who just downloaded your copy of Tim Pond's wonderful new e-book, THE HAPPINESS HOP, you are in the right place to claim one of your premium BONUS GIFTS!




THE HAPPINESS HOP: GAIN THE THREE INSIGHTS TO YOUR AMAZING LIFE


To claim your bonus gift here, please subscribe to my blog and leave your first NAME and E-MAIL ADDRESS, to which I will send your e-BONUS GIFT of my new story collection, WANDA B. SINGS THE BAILOUT BLUES. You will enjoy Ms. Wanda and her hilarious take on our contemporary world!




Kudos to Bestselling Author and MARKETING GURU, TIM POND


Tim Pond is a best-selling author and coach. He has published fifteen books. His own unique purpose is to help people gain insights and make their lives extraordinary. To learn more about his latest book, The Happiness Hop, visit www.threeinsights.net/book.

To watch The Happiness Hop book videos, visit his YouTube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/timpond1/videos.


Living a Golden Life,
TheGoldenGoddess

Robin G. White: An Award-Winning Poet Who Humbles the Soul

Sylvia McAfee created the cover image for Reflections.

Award-winning author, Robin G. White releases her long awaited second collection of poetry, Reflections of a Life Well Spent on March 31st, 2012.


Award-winning writer, Robin G. White is the author of two published collections of poetry, Resurrection: A Collection of Work, Reflections of a Life Well Spent and a forthcoming e-book collection of poems of love and loss titled, When Love Departs. White is the author of two collections of short fiction, First Breath and Intersections and a guided writing journal, Omphaloskepsis Twelve Powers Writing Journal. In addition, she is the pseudonymous author of seven children’s books. Her memoir, One of These Things Is Not Like the Other will arrive in the Fall of 2013.

She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her work as a writer and publisher including The Chicago Literary Award, a Georgia Author of the Year Award finalist, the Urban Media Makers Award, an Astraea Foundation Poetry Prize Judge, CUNY Medgar Evers College Writers of Color Alum and the Lambda Literary Award Independent Publisher for Kings Crossing Publishing.

She is the President and CEO of Sunset Pointe Press, which publishes inspirational poetry, self-help, memoir and fiction. She resides in her hometown of Boston, MA.


www.robingwhite.com

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

I had the pleasure of reading Robin's poem, "A New England Morning," on Facebook and, enchanted, felt inspired to ask her a few questions about her artistry.


TheGoldenGoddess

The New England morning is so much a Presence in this piece until it is a personality as multifaceted as any person I have met! Where are those YouTube vids of you reciting or reading? How long does it take you to pen a poem? Where do you write? What time of day? Night? What is you process for composing? When you finish crafting one, to whom do you present it? Do you lead poetry workshops?

RobinGWhite

Claudia Moss...That is because there is nothing like a New England morning. The feel of it invokes steel grey turbulent tides and the leather-faced fishermen who greet her.

So, to answer your questions.

---Where are those YouTube vids of you reciting or reading?

Sadly, Beloved there are no YouTube videos of me reciting, although there have been many threats about making them.

---How long does it take you to pen a poem?

I am kind of wired this way, so it takes little to no time to write a poem. Most of them come fully cloaked and ready to harness their power on to the page once I unleash them from my brain.

---Where do you write?

I write everywhere. Like a visual artist sees everything in pictures, I see everything in words and description. I never see a woman's hips I see undulating and curvaceous hips, swinging and birthing hips, I see mountains and hills, landing places and children's beds, I see invitations to love the fullness of the hips. I see everything that way - in great detail.

---What time of day? Night?

I write all day and night. I like night best, really late, often 2,3, 4 in the morning.

---What is you process for composing?

Anything can set me off - a word, a phrase, an idea, TV, radio, someone else's conversation, a slouching body, the touch of a brim of a hat - they all take off with my imagination at any given time of the day any where. I keep journals and pens with me all the time and I just release what comes through me.

---When you finish crafting one, to whom do you present it?

I generally post them on Facebook so everyone can enjoy them and then they end up in a book eventually like "Reflections" which debuts here in Boston on March 31st and "When Love Departs" which comes out on Mother's Day as a tribute to my parents, or "First Breath" which will debut in Atlanta sometime this Spring TBD.


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


Long Awaited Return by Award-winning Author, Robin G. White

Boston, MA – March 1, 2012 Award-winning author, Robin G. White will release her long awaited second collection of poetry, Reflections of a Life Well Spent (Sunset Pointe Press ISBN #978-0-9838208-0-2) on March 31st, 2012. The collection, which is the first release of her work since the award-winning (Georgia Author of the Year Award finalist, Chicago Literary Award winner) Resurrection: A Collection of Work was released over a decade ago.

The author turned publisher spent nine years focusing her inestimable talents publishing and promoting the works of other writers as one half of the Lambda Literary Award-winning publishing duo of Kings Crossing Publishing. The now defunct company released its authors in 2009 and White moved on to promote new works with her newly acquired Sunset Pointe Press out of Clearwater, FL. The company will work with new authors in the inspiration industry. Reflection of a Life Well Spent is a prime example of the company’s new line.

Reflections of a Life Well Spent focuses on an emotional three-year period of the author’s life following her through the end of her long-term relationship, break-up of her family, joblessness, homelessness, and the death of her birthparents shortly after finding them after a 40-plus year search. And while the reader may expect to find bitterness and despair among the pages, White expresses the numerous losses with candor and grace, arching each challenge with faith, love and a tremendous amount of hope. She dives right into the raw emotions, searching not for answers, but for the lessons that each challenge might bring. The poems become touchstones for her readers who relate to the themes of loss and resolution.

Most of the work in this book has been posted on Facebook over the years, which has offered White a unique understanding of the moving quality of her prose-imbued poetry. Her slice of life and “this is what is happening in the moment” themes read like the diary that they are. Her love for family and friends, children and lovers are all present and are richly palpable on the page. It is enough to make you wonder what she is like in real life.

White expects to do readings and signings at the usual bookstore venues and will follow the award-winning path she took as a publisher with Kings Crossing Publishing by focusing on her inspiration niche. Personal appearances at trade shows, churches, book clubs and private parties will follow the release.

For booking information contact the author at info@robingwhite.com.