Jul 22 2015

What My Characters Have Taught Me – Mrs M

In The Elphite, the main character meets her neighbour, Mrs M, known as the local psychic.

Mrs M knows that Ellie is living her life over and over again, but helps her to see that just because she know what is going to happen in her future, it doesn’t mean she cannot let it all go and choose to have a positive perspective of life.

She encourages her to burn her diary and release all of her past lives, as well as her fears for the future. Then she gives Ellie a tool to bring herself back to the present moment whenever she slips into fear.

She tells her to ask herself three questions –

Am I alive? Am I awake? Am I loved?

And if she’s able to say – “I am alive. I am awake. I am loved.”, then in that present moment, all is well, and there is nothing to fear or worry or stress about.

So much of our negativity stems from wanting to change the past or being afraid of what the future holds. Very little of it exists in the present moment.

What I learnt from Mrs M is remain present, and create the life I want to experience from this present moment.

Another thing I learnt from Mrs M, is that forgiveness, love and healing prayers are far stronger than feeling helpless, angry or hateful about a negative situation.

Have you read the Elphite? If so, what did you learn from Mrs M?

P.S. I’m offering a free eBook copy of The Elphite in return for an honest review of the book. If you’re interested, drop me an email! (theamethystangel@hotmail.co.uk)

May 18 2015

The War of Art

Image from Amazon

Having come across the title of this book a few times, I decided to pick up a copy on Kindle and have a read, and I have to admit, I am halfway through reading it again, after having stayed up most of the night the first time I read it.

To begin with, the super-short sections and simplicity and brevity of the passages put me off – after all how could such simple paragraphs really be very effective? But when relaying some of the messages to my mum, the deeper messages started to sink in and I had some pretty big insights into my own ways of working, and into my own life and mindset.

The first part of the book is all about Resistance. About what it looks like, what it feels like, and how it stops us from achieving our true potential. Much of the ideas I had seen before, but compiled in this way, made me realise that truly, resistance is the only things that holds us back – it just has many guises. I love the fact that the author is honest about that fact that there is no way to permanently get rid of resistance, but all we can do is to keep going, and not let it win.

The second part of the book is all about the differences between the professional and the amateur. Of course I have read all of the usual comments on professional writers or successful writers being those who write every day, who have a routine, who treat it like a job, etc, and of course, being the creative, sometimes lazy person that I am, I have always ignored such advice. But the way it is presented in the War of Art, made much more sense to me, and changed my perspective entirely. He says that the professional (by which he means someone who makes a living from what they do) treats their art, their vocation as though it were their job, in that they show up every day, they put in the hours and they don’t over-identify with what they create. I realised then, that when I have a normal job, I of course turn up on time, do my hours and I don’t take it personally when things I do are criticised. So why can I not apply those same abilities in myself to my writing?

I had a lightbulb moment then. I realised that I was programmed to take my work more seriously when I was being paid by the hour, than when I was creating my books. So instead of fighting that, instead of trying to reprogram myself and get rid of my conditioning, I figured – why not just pay myself to write? And not only that, but why not create a contract with myself, outlining the projects I want to do, the amount of hours I need to write per week and how much I will pay myself? Seems a little bit like the kind of playing I used to do as a kid, when I had my own shop or library, and used to stamp the books my friends borrowed, but I think that doing this, even if it is a little bit like playing, will change the way I view my writing completely.

The last part of the book is about the mystical side of creation. About our genius, our muse. It reminded me very much of my favourite TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert which I mentioned in my post of favourite TED talks. I do very much believe that when we create, we are plugged into a source of inspiration outside of ourselves, and I feel very honoured to be able to plug into that source on a regular basis.

Overall, I would recommend this book because I got some amazing insights into my own ways through reading it, and not to be put off by the simplicity of it – it really does have genius within those simple words.

Mar 7 2015

An Interpretation of My Books

One of my readers in the US contacted me a little while back and said that she loved my Earth Angel books so much, that she wanted to write an essay about her interpretation of them. Of course I said to go ahead, I was really curious to see the books from someone else’s perspective, as reviews only really say how much people enjoy the books – they don’t really analyse the content.

Well, Rosa sent me the links to both her essay, and a video of her reading and discussing the essay, and I have to say, I was really surprised at the things that she got from the text and the books. She focused on Velvet, and on her conflict between surrendering and attachment. I have never personally delved into Velvet’s mind in this way, but I think that Rosa is definitely onto something!

I really enjoyed watching her video and reading the essay, it certainly had me thinking about the characters in a different way afterwards, and I really think that my readers will gain something from watching the video. Especially anyone who is having trouble with their Twin Flame union, because Rosa discusses this, and I think she makes some very good points.

You can read the essay on her website here, and watch the video below.

[youtube http://youtu.be/XlbhtZ0mp34]

Rosa also recorded a review video, which you can view below.

[youtube http://youtu.be/dkoD2asn2gw]

I just want to express my gratitude to Rosa for looking more deeply into my books, as I hope that others do too. I am certain that there are more messages and ideas within them than even I am aware of! If you want to share your thoughts on my books in any way, please do so in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.

Jan 18 2015

Matrix Reimprinting

This week, I have been reading Matrix Reimprinting Using EFT: Rewrite Your Past, Transform Your Future, in my bid to read a book a week. I’ve had this book on my Kindle for quite a long time now, and I’m glad that I finally got to read it.

I have used EFT many times over the last few years, and have benefited greatly from it. In this book, it’s not just about using EFT to release emotions or fears, but to actually rewrite scenes or moments in the past that have had an effect on you throughout your whole life. The idea is, that by energetically rewriting these scenes, these experiences, you can actually change your beliefs or emotions in the present day that were created from that experience.

I have tried it out a couple of times so far, and each time it has led me to another scene that I had forgotten, that had such a strong charge that I would get emotional. I will continue to work on each thing that comes up, and once I have had a bit of practice with the basic technique, I can then move onto the more complicated ones.

Though I haven’t had much time to see whether it makes a difference yet, I do know that there are many instances of things that happened in my childhood which have affected me later on. It is believed that everything that happens in our lives up until the age of 6 or 7, will shape our views and experience of the world when we’re adults. Even really minor incidents at that time can cause problems later on.

It will be interesting to see what long-term effect doing the reimprinting has, and if I notice any major differences, I will write another post about it in the future. But if you have tried EFT before and found it to be effective, then I would recommend getting a copy of this book and trying it out yourself.

Jan 11 2015

Collaborate for Success

As part of my new plan for 2015, I have committed to reading a book a week on a subject that I am interested in, then on the Sunday, write my thoughts on it. I read a lot of non-fiction spiritual and self-help books, and usually have several on the go on my Kindle. Because I decided to do this halfway through the weeks, I decided to finish a book I was partway through – called The 7 Graces of Marketing by Lynn Serafinn. I re-read part of what I had read a while ago, then continued on until I finished it this afternoon.

Because I find marketing difficult, I was hoping that Lynn’s book would shine a light on how to market my books in an ethical, holistic way. And though I have not yet processed all of the information, I do think her book has been most helpful in pinpointing how marketing currently works, and why I feel so uneasy about doing it that way. And in fact, I am already following the majority of the seven graces in my own marketing, but I haven’t quite reached the final grace, which she says is Collaboration.

I have been feeling for some time now, that I need to collaborate with others, that there needs to be a collective energy that has the same purpose and is enthused and passionate, and that when that happens, everything will take off. When you’re an Indie Author, you are on your own. Yes, I collaborate with my editor and graphic designer to create my books, but when it comes to selling the end product, I have done the majority of it on my own.

The thing is, I know how the old form of marketing works – you basically make people feel worthless if they don’t have your product, you make them believe that there’s a limited amount, and so they better buy now or they’ll miss out (which in the age of eBooks and POD books, is a ridiculous notion), and you make them feel like your product is the solution to all their problems.

But though the above ways might work well – after all, we have been conditioned for years to respond to marketing in the way companies want us to – none of those techniques have ever felt right to me. And it is my number one priority to be authentic and real. That’s why, when I got a press release written for the release of The Other Side, I couldn’t use it. Because it was full of hype and screamed ‘buy it now or miss out’, which is really inauthentic.

So how do I stick to this new paradigm of marketing, and still sell enough to be able to live? I have no idea. Lynn’s book is the starting point of this exploration into a new world of how we buy and sell, and ultimately, I think it will come down to the consumers changing things by changing the way they consume. If we continue to be drawn in by the limited time offers and hyped up promises, then marketers and companies will continue to use those methods. But if we step back and take a moment to really think about whether what we’re about to purchase is actually the right thing for us, or will actually help us, or is essential to our survival, and will help us thrive; then we will begin to change things.

Like I said, the 7th Grace of Collaboration is one that I think should be my focus this year. To work with others to market my books, and to find people who want to work with me to create something amazing. I don’t see other authors as my competitors, I would love for them to be my collaborators and friends. I think that working together, we can make much bigger changes. I really enjoyed working with sponsors and fans to spread the free eBook cards around the world for the launch of I’m Here, and I would love to do more projects like that in the future.

If you would like to find out more about how marketing currently works, and how it might work better in the future, then I would definitely recommend that you read The 7 Graces of Marketing. And I will let you know when my efforts start to gather momentum. In the spirit of the new paradigm of marketing, I have decided to keep offering free PDF downloads of I’m Here, as part of the I’m Here Book Tour. There is no limited time offer on it. If things change in the future, I will let you know in plenty of time.

Sep 13 2014

I Won’t Give Up

There are times when I feel like giving up. When I don’t see the point in writing another book, because as an Indie Author, it costs me money to publish, and as yet, I can honestly say I have not made that money back, and I am certainly not making a living from it. I have also wanted to give up on life. I know that depression and suicide is a hot topic at the moment, in light of recent events, and I know that some people really get it, really understand why some souls wish to leave this planet, and there are others who don’t get it at all.

I get it.

I have been there. When all seems lost, pointless, and hopeless. I haven’t been there just once, but several times. Throughout my life. I have never sought any help for these feelings, and I have never been on medication. Instead, I have my own form of therapy.

I write.

I weave my feelings, my despair, my heartbreak, my loneliness and my anguish into my stories. My characters do things that I wish I could, but can’t. Because when it comes right down to it, I know that I cannot leave yet. That I came here with a mission, and I have not completed it yet. Usually, when I have one of my moments of giving up writing, giving up publishing my books, I get a beautiful email, or message from a reader who tells me how much my words have helped them, and I am reminded of why I continue to do what I do.

Yesterday, I received an email that I know will prevent me from ever having one of these moments again. Because I plan on posting it on the wall as a daily reminder of why I write, and why I am here.

The email came from Janine, a beautiful lady I met last year who runs the Freedom Inside, Books for Prisoners program. I donated some copies of The Earth Angel Training Academy to the program, and when prisoners like the book, they write letters to Janine, and she passes them onto me. The one I received yesterday was from a prisoner who had decided he wanted to give up. That he’d had enough, and it was time to go. But he had a copy of my book in his room, which he said kept calling to him. And finally, he decided to delay his end in order to read it. I have posted some excerpts from his letter below.

To know that because of my words, one soul decided to stay on this planet, rather than leave, makes everything worth it. And I will be writing to him to let him know just how grateful I am, for his beautiful words too.

Apr 28 2014

Authors Are Humans Too

I know fellow book-lovers out there will understand what I mean when I say that favourite authors can become like gods to us, and that we can put them up on pedestals, elevated high above us ordinary human-folk. And when we reach out to tell them how much their words have touched us, how much their prose has changed our lives, we are shocked and quite excited when they respond, amazed that they deemed us worthy to reply to.

But honestly, authors are humans too. It was more unusual to get a reply years ago, when snail mail was the norm, because as most authors know, finding writing time can be tough as it is, but handwriting and sending replies to fanmail would eat into that time too much. These days, when you can reply in 140 characters on Twitter, or reply to a Facebook post or a short email quite quickly, the likelihood of getting a response has increased dramatically.

I remember writing to one of my favourite authors as a teenager, in the earlyish days of email, and was very excited to get a reply, even though the reply consisted of a single line. It felt like I had connected, though briefly, with a mythical creature that a mere mortal like me shouldn’t have been allowed to. In recent times, I have connected with several authors on Twitter, and have ended up having conversations with some of them, who have turned out to be genuinely awesome people.

Back in January I received a message on Goodreads from a fellow book-lover and book reviewer, asking for a copy of The Elphite, because she was keen to review it. I responded quite quickly and soon sent a copy of the book. The review she has written will soon be posted, along with an interview, and the brand new cover of The Elphite! She said that she was surprised and extremely excited that I had responded to her request, and sent her the copy, because after all, I was an author, and to get a response from such a mythical, magical creature was unexpected but exciting.

I’ve said it before, but I will repeat it here – I am just a human. I’m not even an incarnated Faerie or a Starperson. Just a mere mortal. And I love hearing from my readers and from potential readers. It is what keeps me writing, keeps me connecting, keeps me creating. So reach out, send messages, all are appreciated and cherished and often printed and stuck on my walls, to motivate me to publish more books.

Sending love out to everyone who has ever sent me messages, you are all amazing. xx

Feb 14 2014

A review of The Elphite

Was very pleased this week to receive a wonderful review from Patricia D. Eddy, who reviews books for Author Alliance. You can read the review in its entirety on Goodreads here.

If you have read The Elphite, perhaps you would consider taking a few minutes to write a review on Amazon too. It’s amazing how powerful reviews can be, especially for books by an unknown or Indie Author. And I don’t just mean because they encourage readers to buy the books and give the author a chance, but because chances are, the author reads every single review, and not only takes any criticism or advice and works on it, but also uses the positive words of encouragement to keep motivated. I wrote about this in a blog post a little while ago.

So maybe today, seeing as it’s a day of expressing love, you could show an Indie Author some love and write them a review!