Hey, everyone. Just a note to let you know esteemed and talented author Diana Wallace Peach has invited me as her guest to visit Sally Cronin’s wonderful blog Smorgasbord Blog Magazine for coffee today. Do stop by to say hello if you like. 😊
Category: Featured Blogs
Blogs I Like (and You Might, Too)–5/22/2024
This ongoing initiative showcases blogs with fewer than 500 subscribers which I think are deserving of more attention. Hopefully these blogs will spark your interest and you’ll check them out. It’s my way of spreading awareness of talented writers whose work I admire.
This week’s featured blog is The Mindful Migraine by Linda, a writer who hails from Australia and who has battled chronic migraine for years. Linda’s intimate ken of the painful and debilitating nature of chronic migraine has led her on a road of discovery and recovery which she documents with grace, wit and authenticity on her blog. Her writing style is both engaging and enlightening, complete with her own unique experiences and a wealth of informative resources she’s found along the way which have helped her and may help others who suffer from chronic migraine.
Linda’s blog connected with me immediately. For several years, I also experienced migraines two or three times a week, and nothing I could do brought relief. When I relocated from Utah to Colorado more than eight years ago, the migraines inexplicably ceased, and while I’m grateful for that, I wish I understood why they disappeared so I could share that with others who must deal with constant migraine pain. Linda’s blog is crucial for those who still suffer, and it resonates deeply with me.
I asked Linda if she could share a bit about her experiences. Here’s what she had to say:
“Hi, my name is Linda, and I have chronic migraine – but I’m getting better every day by using mindfulness techniques in combination with more traditional medication. Receiving a migraine diagnosis is the first step in a long and sometimes lonely journey. From here, you’ll be required to track the things that potentially trigger your migraines (food, hormones, weather) and the ways that you can become more resilient to their tyranny (stay hydrated, sleep-more, stress-less and so on). Then there’s the dance you’ll perform with your doctors as you try to figure out the best medications for you to try; some will work, some will need to be tweaked, swapped out, or abandoned. Eventually, you’ll hopefully find a combination of medication and lifestyle choices that works for you. Migraines are glitchy-critters and you are, well, you-nique… so there’s no “one size fits all solution”. If you’re reading this as a person with migraine, I’m sorry, know that you’re not alone, and that the treatment options and support resources are improving all the time. Hang in their friend, and no matter how tired and lonely you get, know that you CAN heal. I’ve gone from being bed-bound 3 days a week, every week for over a year, to only having to go to crash out maybe once every two or three weeks. I’m still healing, and still learning, and to help you help yourself I write about all the things that work (and don’t) over on my blog – I’d love to see you there, Linda xox“
Here are links to three of Linda’s posts to give you an idea of what you’ll find on her blog:
Personal Boundaries for Chronic Pain
(Un)solicited Advice for Migraines
As a former migraine sufferer, I appreciate Linda’s journey and her research, invaluable resources, and compassion for those who also endure this agony. As a writer, I enjoy Linda’s gift for crafting informative, entertaining and helpful essays. Her blog is a joy to read because Linda truly cares about people. Thank you, Linda, my friend.
Take a moment and visit The Mindful Migraine, won’t you? Whether you battle migraines or know someone who does, Linda’s blog is incredibly helpful and offers hope that you can live your best life in spite of this persistent malady.
Let’s spread the love and support our fellow bloggers.
Blogs I Like (and You Might, Too)–5/1/2024
This ongoing initiative showcases blogs with fewer than 500 subscribers which I think are deserving of more attention. Hopefully these blogs will spark your interest and you’ll check them out. It’s my way of spreading awareness of talented writers whose work I admire.
This week’s featured blog is Fata Cu Suflet De Cerneală (The Girl with the Ink Soul) by Romanian poet Bianca Alina. My first experience with Bianca’s poetry occurred last year when I saw some of her work published at the various Masticadores literary sites. I was immediately entranced by the passion and intensity of her romantic poetry, her deft skill with words and her deep understanding of the human heart and all it desires. Bianca’s poems speak to the secret yearnings of the heart, the longing for closeness, the sorrow of heartbreak and the singular joy of intimate love. Her words paint beautiful, poignant panoramas of human relationships and emotions and have a unique way of touching the hearts and souls of readers. What’s more, Bianca’s blog also features her original nature photography, and gorgeous images abound. Bianca’s talent is boundless and rejuvenating, and her universal themes of love resonate with all of us.
I asked if Bianca could share a bit about herself:
“I live in Romania. I am very passionate about poetry, learning new languages, and nature photography.
My mother is the one who taught me that language has power. I inherited from her the passion for writing.
I wrote my first poem when I was 11 years old. At 16 years old, I had a few poems published in the high school magazine. I continued writing poetry throughout my university years, but I didn’t publish any poems online. Then, I got my first job and I stopped writing for a long time.
I returned to poetry in 2022, when I started writing on my blog:
I think poetry is the language of the soul and I try to convey pure emotion through every poem I write.
My writing has been published on MasticadoresRumanía, Gobblers & Masticadores, Hotel Masticadores and Masticadores Philippines.”
For some examples of Bianca’s sublime poetry, here are a couple of magnificent pieces:
Bianca’s poetry reminds us of the love and passion we all carry in our hearts, that desire and intimacy are powerful emotions that both hurt and heal, and that the magic of romance enhances our lives. Take some time and indulge yourselves in Fata Cu Suflet De Cerneală (The Girl with the Ink Soul), where the finest poetry of the heart awaits.
Let’s spread the love and support our fellow bloggers.
Blogs I Like (and You Might, Too)–4/23/2024
This ongoing initiative showcases blogs with fewer than 500 subscribers which I think are deserving of more attention. Hopefully these blogs will spark your interest and you’ll check them out. It’s my way of spreading awareness of talented writers whose work I admire.
This week’s featured blog is Travelling Therese. I first came across Therese’s blog a couple of years ago when she left a kind comment on one of my nature photography posts. Her blog hooked me immediately. Therese has traveled the world and has documented her adventures as only a seasoned journalist/traveler can. Her posts share in detail the sights and sounds of various locales, and present an intimate portrait of these far-away destinations. I think what initially grabbed my attention was her many entries about her adventures in Japan. Anyone who knows me can tell you I’m fascinated with Asian culture, particularly Japanese culture, and reading Therese’s stories of her Japanese treks allowed me to experience Japan vicariously through her eloquent and in-depth writing and stunning photography.
I asked Therese if she could provide some background about herself and her travels. Here’s what she had to say:
“I am a retired Australian News Journalist, with a continuing keen interest in travelling to explore the world and its cultures. As a Journalist, I never actually worked as a travel writer, and only began writing about my holidays as a hobby.
I have been fortunate enough to achieve my travel dreams since my late teens, back in the early 1970’s, when I backpacked on a shoe string budget, mainly staying in youth hostels. Most of my trips have been self researched and undertaken independently with no assistance from a travel agent.
Researching and putting together a trip is a large part of my travel enjoyment, and I love sharing what I have learnt with others. A camera has always been at my side, so I usually have an abundance of my own travel photos to share on my blog.
I’m still travelling as I move well into older age – Japan has been my main International area of interest for the past 22 years.
My Dad travelled the seas as a young sailor, visiting many countries around the world, until he settled down to a family life. He had wonderful story telling and writing skills, and his travel tales and experiences sparked my own interest in travelling the world. A book he gave me when I was a child – Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days – also was a source of inspiration to travel.
As a young teenager I had two possible careers in mind – Journalism or a travel agent! Luckily, I achieved a Cadetship in Journalism, a well paid job with six weeks holiday time a year that enabled me to travel frequently within Australia and overseas.
By the time I was 25, I had visited 25 countries – some only for a couple of days, others for lengthy periods. I also later lived in Canada for a year and in New Zealand for two years.
Many of my travels when I was younger were embarked on alone. Luckily, my husband has been my travel companion now for many decades, always ready to follow and support my travel ideas.”
On Therese’s travel blog, you’ll find entries on Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore (another Asian destination that holds a special place in my heart). With so many amazing adventures from which to choose, it was difficult for me to decide on a particular post to showcase here, so I’m featuring three, all of which are representative of Therese’s skillful writing and story-telling, as well as her beautiful photography:
AIZU WAKAMATSU – accidental delight!
Amanohashidate (天橋立) – chasing a dragon
Therese’s ability to take her readers by the hand and lead us along with her on her international journeys allows us to experience the joy she feels on her adventures, making Travelling Therese an absolutely wonderful destination of its own. Thank you, Therese, my friend, for showing us the world through your eyes.
Let’s spread the love and support our fellow bloggers.
Blogs I Like (and You Might, Too)–4/16/2024
This ongoing initiative showcases blogs with fewer than 500 subscribers which I think are deserving of more attention. Hopefully these blogs will spark your interest and you’ll check them out. It’s my way of spreading awareness of talented writers whose work I admire.
This week’s featured blog is Ashley’s A Different View. I first met Ashley in November 2021 when he and I were both invited to take part in a discussion titled “Exploring Basho’s Moon,” an examination of one of Basho’s famous haiku, hosted by Mark Scott’s Season Words blog. I found Ashley to be the kindest fellow imaginable, and his delicate skill regarding the writing of traditional haiku was astounding. Since then, I’ve come to consider Ashley a good friend of mine, someone whose love of nature and poetic ability create a sense of peace and serenity. Ashley speaks my language, you could say, and his blog is a calm harbor of natural beauty and exemplary writing.
I asked Ashely if he’d like to provide a little background about himself and his blog. I’ll let his own words do the talking:
- I’m 74 years old and married to Carol for 52 years although we were courting about 5 years before that so we’ve been together for at least 57 years
- whilst Carol has had so much illness in her life (cancer x 4 + heart problems) SHE is still my rock
- I’m a great grandfather
- I was born in the city of Armagh in Northern Ireland to northern English parents
- Armagh was the ancient capital of Christian Ireland & whilst no longer a practicing Christian, the sound of cathedral bells is in my heart (see John Betjeman: Summoned By Bells)
- left home at 21 to live & work in London, UK. Work location then was close to the River Thames & that river flows within me still
- 30 years spent living & working in England in the clothing industry: after redundancy, aged 45, worked in various jobs (transport, retail, health service) now retired
- returned to NI some years ago
- did voluntary work with the Woodland Trust (30+ years). LOVE trees, obsessed by them
- through WordPress discovered haiku & writing in season
- have always wanted to write & illustrate
- lower back problems meant that I restarted my life, exercising daily, a mixture of physio exercises & Qi Gong
- I have only ever travelled outside the UK about 3 or 4 times but follow blogs all around the world. With tools like Google Translate I am amazed how many different cultures & languages I am able to connect with
- I love the simplicity of seasonal haiku
I would be remiss were I not to mention that one thing I find intriguing about Ashley’s blog is that I have some Irish ancestry, and the Emerald Isle is a land I’ve always wanted to explore. I’m able to do that vicariously through Ashley’s writing and photography. Ashley’s essays take us on strolls through the Irish countryside among wild flowers and the trees he loves so dearly, and his haiku–distilled to their very essence–paint glorious pictures of the natural world. For an example of what A Different View offers, here’s a post Ashley chose to share:
In a nutshell, if you love nature, if you appreciate fine Japanese short-form poetry, if you’ve ever felt the desire to travel to Ireland, Ashley’s A Different View has it all. I hope you’ll visit Ashley’s blog and walk along with him among the trees.
Let’s spread the love and support our fellow bloggers.
Blogs I Like (and You Might, Too)–4/9/2024
This ongoing initiative showcases blogs with fewer than 500 subscribers which I think are deserving of more attention. Hopefully these blogs will spark your interest and you’ll check them out. It’s my way of spreading awareness of talented writers whose work I admire.
This week’s featured blog is Kirsten Curcio’s Ghost Human Bones. Kirsten is without a doubt one of the coolest, kindest and most talented writers I’ve come to know on WordPress and I’m happy to call her my friend. She possesses peerless skill and ability writing prose—both individual stories and serials—and her poetry is sublime. Kirsten also has the most uniquely creative and eye-catching graphic design I’ve seen on a literary blog. Her immense talents are on full display with everything she creates.
Kirsten’s writing has been published at Masticadores, The Writers Club, Reedsy, Medium and Spillwords Press. You can view her Author Bio at Spillwords here:
Kirsten Curcio, Author at Spillwords
Additionally, her poem “Hopes and Dreams” is included in the poetry anthology Hidden in Childhood, published in 2023 by Gabriela Maria Milton of Literary Revelations Publishing House, and is available here:
Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology
I asked Kirsten if she would provide a little info about herself and her writing. Here’s what she had to say:
“I’ve always enjoyed writing since I was a child but once I got the internet everything changed. The earliest I started writing online was in the early 2000s where I roleplayed in wrestling efeds as different fictional characters – I was in a weird phase but I still heart Stone Cold Steve Austin, haha. When those sites went belly up, I shared my pre-teen angst on the now defunct Melodramatic.com, which is where I learned HTML and created layouts for other people’s sites (you can find more about Melo on the Wayback Machine). Then college came, work, my son was born, and I stopped writing for a very long time, although I never forgot about it. It wasn’t until I lived in North Carolina for a few years that I decided to build my own site and write. That state is so beautiful it just ignited that spark in me. But since I gave birth to my daughter then and was working from home full time, I started a lifestyle blog on Squarespace. I was experimenting with cooking, writing up recipes, baby and beauty stuff but it grew boring and I felt like I was doing it because that’s what other women were doing but it didn’t feel like “me”. So I returned to fiction and didn’t look back. In 2021, this became Ghost Human Bones when I moved to WordPress. Through Ghost Human Bones, I can turn my observations of people into words, letting me indulge in my love for dreaming and storytelling. Currently, I’m in the process of writing my first novel and my published poems are available on Spillwords and in the poetry anthology Hidden In Childhood (2023).”
And from her blog:
“When she isn’t playing with words, she enjoys nature, traveling, art, photography, and peculiar things. There is also a fondness for vintage maps, history, and space. In Kirsten’s work, she plays with themes of life, death, and beyond that evoke a sense of surrealism, nostalgia, reflection, and ambiguity.”
Kirsten also participated in a thoroughly enjoyable 2023 interview which can be found here:
Kirsten Curcio—Interview at Gobblers & Masticadores
For a taste of what you’ll find at Ghost Human Bones, check this out:
I hope you’ll take a moment to stop by and visit Ghost Human Bones. Kirsten’s masterful wordcraft builds universes of adventure and intrigue that are highly original and will leave you eager to explore further.
Let’s spread the love and support our fellow bloggers.
Blogs I Like (and You Might, Too)–4/2/2024
This ongoing initiative showcases blogs with fewer than 500 subscribers which I think are deserving of more attention. Hopefully these blogs will spark your interest and you’ll check them out. It’s my way of spreading awareness of talented writers whose work I admire.
This week’s featured blog is Peggy Writes, a truly wonderful inspirational blog by Peggy Stroud. I first became aware of Peggy’s blog a couple of years ago when she left a nice comment on one of my posts. While checking out her blog, I immediately noticed a couple of things: Peggy is an excellent writer, and her sincerity, honesty and enthusiasm really shine.
I was struck by the easy flow of her words and how she conveys important messages in a seemingly effortless manner. Anyone who writes well knows that effective writing is difficult to achieve and requires not only talent but years of practice. Peggy’s writing shows a dedication to her craft that produces results that are both educational and enjoyable to behold.
Peggy’s natural inclination to support and encourage others is boundless, her kindness refreshing. I often refer to her as a “light-bringer” due to the hope offered by her messages. She is someone I consider a dear friend, as well.
I asked Peggy if she could provide a few words about her blog and herself:
“I have always loved working with children, reading and writing. After a much-loved career in teaching, a blessed time as a stay-at-home mom, and a stint as bookkeeper for my husband’s business, I and my husband retired to the foothills of Virginia. I began my new calling as a Christian blogger and hopeful children’s book writer. I publish two blogs each week, one for adults and one for children so that families can be in God’s word together.”
Here are some examples of Peggy’s writing:
For adults: “Shine Like the Light of Dawn!”
For children: “Brighten Someone’s Day!”
I’m well aware of Peggy’s aspirations of publishing children’s books. It’s my great hope that she succeeds in this quest. Her talent and dedication are obviously apparent, and her background as a teacher and mother offers her a uniquely qualified perspective. So, never give up on your dreams, Peggy!
I hope you’ll take some time and explore Peggy Writes. It’s a place of light and hope.
Let’s spread the love and support our fellow bloggers.
Blogs I Like (and You Might, Too)–3/26/2024
This ongoing initiative showcases blogs with fewer than 500 subscribers which I think are deserving of more attention. Hopefully these blogs will spark your interest and you’ll check them out. It’s my way of spreading awareness of talented writers whose work I admire.
This week’s featured blog is Nigel Byng’s Helping You To Succeed. Many of you are likely familiar with Nigel’s exemplary craftsmanship when it comes to prose and poetry. His brilliant short fiction—both stand-alone tales and serials–displays a sensitive finger on the pulse of humanity’s triumphs and sorrows, while his deeply moving and excruciatingly honest poetry shows a heart and soul attuned to the most raw human emotions.
Nigel’s work has been published at various Masticadores literary sites as well as Spillwords Press, where one of his poems, “To Surrender Now,” was nominated for Publication of the Month for Jan/Feb 2024. Nigel has most recently helped spearhead the #whattheydontsee project in cooperation with Michelle Ayon Navajas (editor, Masticadores Philippines) and artist Vanessa Melecio, which provides an opportunity for people to express their hidden fear, pain and regret in a safe manner through the written word.
On a personal note, I don’t just consider Nigel a fellow writer. He’s so much more than that. His compassion, kindness, honesty and intelligence portray a golden heart and soul, and I’m glad to call him my friend.
From Nigel’s blog:
“Writing brings the world to life. My soul, my experiences, my secrets, they all fuel the things I put on paper. I am a freelance writer living in West Palm Beach. I observe and write about nearly everything and everyone I encounter. I have learnt that if I look at the world carefully, and long enough, I see a reflection of myself in everything. After all, we are what we put into the world.”
Perhaps this recent post will illustrate Nigel’s deft literary touch and his ability to connect with his readers:
If you’re familiar with Nigel’s work, you already understand the joy of his craft. If you’re not, consider stopping by his blog and experiencing his unique talents. It’s absolutely worth it.
Let’s spread the love and support our fellow bloggers.
Blogs I Like (and You Might, Too)–3/19/24
Hey, everyone. I’m introducing a new feature here where I showcase blogs with fewer than 500 subscribers which I think deserve more attention. I plan on posting every week or two if possible. Hopefully these blogs will spark your interest and you’ll check them out. It’s my way of spreading awareness of talented writers whose work I admire.
This week’s featured blog is Petrichor Archive. Author Sam Borromeo Villalobos is an adventurous writer whose deeply introspective work and uncanny wordplay really stand out.
From her blog:
“Created after coming to a head with the daily grind and deciding there was necessity in a creative source of venting about the activities surrounding the day-to-day. Frustration with the mundane, and roadblocks present. Emotion persisted and I found myself helpless to the constant evaluation stuck in my mind. Ever present with a dialogue to share and inexplicably confined to my own wits to share it with, I decided to look no further than share with the public and hope there is some remedy in this mediation.”
Sam is also a dedicated student of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, as evidenced in her recent poem “Poe at 13.”
An unique and intriguing reading experience awaits at Petrichor Archive. I hope you’ll take a few moments to explore Sam’s creative work.
Let’s spread the love and support our fellow bloggers.
Silent Pariah 