Prolific Pulse Press – Heart Beats Anthology has published!!

“Heart Beats is an anthology of poetry about the various aspects of what makes us tick or makes a heart-beat. This is about love, life, happiness, anything that makes life more joyful or tolerable. Let’s face it. These are tough times and there have been many events in 2020 which have many of us shaking our heads. People who were once friends have gone their separate ways. Some are soul searching, examining life more closely as time has leant more for this. Heart Beats is about working through and maybe even overcoming these challenges. It is about what brings smiles to our faces or, at least, in our hearts. Heart Beats is about life’s ups and downs and in-between, and how different points of view merge into one beautiful collection of poetic works. Inviting poets from the world to take part made this project even more meaningful. We are a world of people, and the poetry community has become more culturally diverse. This is largely because of the pandemic, as people are interacting virtually more than before. All this said, Heart Beats has beautiful works of art, some of which may bring tears of sadness and of joy. Perhaps as you read, you will find that one thing that makes your heart beat.”

I’m so happy to announce that this wonderful anthology is available for purchase. You can get your copies now!! Just click on the link underneath the image. :)

Prolific Pulse Press Cover Reveal of Heart Beats!!

It’s coming very soon!! More details to follow!! :)

Through The Looking Glass: Reflecting on Madness and Chaos Within – An Indie Blu(e) Publishing Anthology – 3 pieces were accepted!!

I am so pleased that Senior Editors Candice Louisa Daquin and Kindra M. Austin, and Editor-in-Chief Christine E. Ray have accepted three of my pieces for this amazing Anthology! I submitted Downpour, Ennui, and Going Down hoping I adequately captured what they were looking for and they did! What a wonderful feeling!

This anthology is a collection of pieces which describe the experiences of “those who are living, or have struggled, with mental illness such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, or psychotic disorders.” My experiences, and observations of others, with anxiety and depression over the years were the inspiration for pieces I wrote.

Indie Blu(e) Publishing has produced so many other noteworthy anthologies and publications. They feature many strong voices and talent. I highly recommend you check them out for yourself. The two books below also contain several pieces of mine.

I will keep you posted when the anthology is published sometime in the Spring of 2021!

Blogger Interview With Susi

Thanks, Pooja! :)

P. J. Gudka's avatarLifesfinewhine

I want to thank Susi for this wonderful interview and she has an incredible blog so do take a minute to stop by and check it out- it’s linked below!

1. Thank you so much for being part of this interview. Please tell us a little about yourself and what your blog is about.

Maybe the best way to tell you a little about myself is by sharing my bio – Susi Bocks, writer/author/poet, has self-published two books – Feeling Human and Every Day I Pause and is the Editor of The Short of It. You can find her work at IWriteHer.com, where she invites you to read her thoughts to get to know her. You can also follow I Write Her on Facebook. Bocks’ has works published in the anthologies As The World BurnsSMITTEN: This Is What Love Looks Like: Poetry by Women for Women and…

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Reblog – 24 Riddles by Timo Schmitz, Philosopher

Please enjoy the opportunity to tickle your brain cells to answer the riddles below!
If you do, please post in the comment section or post on your blog.

24 Riddles (“March Riddles”)

If you get these riddles right, there is a prize that is worthier than any material prize – life
experience, inner peace and wisdom. If you get these riddles wrong, you might never know what’s the sense behind! Is there any right or wrong? a real true answer? – I don’t know myself!

No. 1
“One drop on the earth,
one drop on a stone,
as small as we are,
why do we try to be as big as a god?”

No. 2
“A flower never hesitates,
the wind comes and goes,
if you try to hold your life in a hand,
your feet will be heavy!”

No. 3
“What is a try – untried?
What is a life – unlived?
What is a breath – unbreathed?
Smelling faces of reality in my veins!”

No. 4
“Where we go is far beyond,
take your heart to every place,
fill in your love in all you do,
joy and suffering become one!”

No. 5
“So many directions,
so many paths that you can choose,
even if everything seems to fall down,
use the strength of your heart!”

No. 6
“Thousand hardships,
one milestone,
success or failure,
does it matter?”

No.7
“One butterfly flies,
through heart and mind,
one dream inside,
how does he live outside?”

No. 8
“Flowers are attracting many,
symbols for eternal things,
they grow majestic, but wither away,
which kind of youth do they hold?”

No. 9
“Thousand lights, but people are in the shades,
no one knows them, no one recognizes them,
their mind seems to be filled with own desires,
every morning and every evening, the circle closes.”

No. 10
“Summer’s sun greets many beings,
we see nothing, if we don’t breathe in,
we give nothing, if we don’t breathe out,
it’s always too cold or too warm.”

No. 11
“If there is anything above us – then it must be underneath as well,
if it is above and underneath, then why isn’t it in us?
Nature and human-beings become one energy,
To unite in the universe – wherever it might be.”

No. 12
“Thousand worlds drifting apart,
who knows where sunshine takes us?
Delight in every breath and a free mind,
Empathy, blessings, gentle and kind.”

No. 13
“Don’t destruct – create!
Look in the face as you look into the lie,
whether mercy or compassion,
accept!”

No. 14
“If a highway never ends,
but has many bumps on its way,
which time span can never even be?,
are we using the wrong measure?”

No. 15
“Every emotion that wants to be felt,
every idea in mind that receives a voice,
reason, awareness and things we strive for,
can you understand yourself?”

No. 16
“Freedom of mind,
freedom in mind,
freedom to mind,
what is mind?”

No. 17
“Face the connection of all things,
curiosity flowing through all your veins,
like a child, a peaceful mind,
for nothing more we know!”

No. 18
“Million faces break down,
walls of smiles,
the real world people close their eyes,
real happiness is a gift?”

No. 19
“When I bath in divine unification,
Is it God, Brahma, Dao, or Buddha?
Which essence I might meet,
Isn’t it all the same if we treat it right?”

No. 20
“Whether a soul or not,
Whether humans are empty or filled in divine,
Trees carry the fruit of life along,
Don’t take the word, but take the symbol to find its meaning.”

No. 21
“Names are of no meaning,
they come into mind, and disappear as such;
so many came into growth and are nothing now,
after centuries of names are names just words that mean nothing at all.”

No. 22
“Fear in mind,
makes me blind,
life goes by,
whatever!”

No. 23
“Love that has nothing but its substance,
where those who perform know,
while those who just talk might not know at all,
that there is nothing in between.”

No. 24
“A gain as goal makes luckier,
than a claim as goal might can?
But if a goal is what you hold,
Is it motivation or attachment?”

Schmitz, Timo: 24 Riddles, 28 March 2016, http://schmitztimo.wordpress.com. Printing and reprinting is allowed for personal, non-commercial use. Feel free to spread this
article (but do not use it as chain mail).

Prolific Pulse Branching Out!

Brand Resources - YouTube

My friend and WordPress colleague, Lisa Tomey, has started the Prolific Pulse YouTube Channel! She will do interviews, highlight podcasts with writers and poets, and do book reviews. Check it out and become a subscriber if you like what Lisa has to offer! Hope to see you there. :)

Also, if you are an author, a poet or a writer who would like to be interviewed, you can make a request to prolificpulse@gmail.com

Reblog – Poet’s Connection – Special Guest Denise Gibbon, Literary Attorney – Hosted by Lisa Tomey – The Prolific Pulse

Had the opportunity to sit in on this presentation. Some really good information about copyright and the legalities of publishing your work.

Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld's avatarProlific Pulse Blog

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Blue Turtle ComiX Collaboration!

I might as well share some more good news since I’m really kinda back already. LOL

Matt Snyder, creator of the The Prolific Potpourri blog, also notable for his Blue Turtle ComiX invited me to collaborate him. Having never done this type of writing, I wasn’t sure if I would do it justice but I happily accepted and this comic is what he produced. So freakin’ cool! Enjoy!

Blue Turtle ComiX: NYE 2021

Also if ANYONE is interested in collaborating with me on this comic or anything else, hit me up at mattsnyder1970@gmail.com

Prolific Pulse Press – Heart Beats Anthology Update!!

My hiatus was interrupted with a wonderful email from Lisa Tomey. I just had to share it with you! :)

Such a great way to start the day – good news in my inbox. I received the notification that my submitted pieces were accepted for Prolific Pulse Press’ Heart Beats Anthology! The publication date of the anthology is scheduled for April 1 or sooner. More details to follow!

It is an honor to be a part of this “anthology of poetry about the various aspects of what makes us tick or makes a heart beat. This will be about love, life, happiness, anything that makes life more joyful or tolerable.

At Year’s End

Our calendars are about to tell us to turn the page to a new start. May we all rebound from what was 2020, a year for some filled with more than usual angst, loss, and upheaval. Sorry, it must be said – 2020 sucked! Even for those whose lives weren’t challenged, they lost normalcy in the way where the hits kept coming throughout the year. It’s time we move on from this to find some equilibrium again. May 2021 be that for us.

Throughout 2020, there were some good times, even though life shifted, making it a bit difficult for us. Although not able to spend much time together, my family and I got creative to see each other. We are all safe and still healthy; hopefully, we will continue to remain so.

With restrictions in place, spending time with friends was almost non-existent, but my love and support, still deep and intense. I will treasure them forever. I miss them but am hoping 2021 will allow us to be more social again. Let’s hope so.

This year certainly gave me much to write about politics, the state of our world, and Covid-19. It was a challenging year to capture but, on the other hand, so meaningful. It gave me pause many days to be grateful for the good I did have.

Many pieces were featured in literary magazines and accepted for two anthologies. One published this year, and the other will be available in 2021. Something new, I was honored to do two podcast interviews! I also became a finalist in The Short Edition. It was heartbreaking to write about all the difficulties we are navigating, but to have the work recognized was thrilling. I happily accepted the insurgence of goodness throughout the year. It made things seem not so dismal.

At the end of 2019, before it turned into the year whose name shall never be spoken of again, IWH ended up with about 40,000+ views. This December, I anticipate that it will reach close to 58,000+!! WOW! The blog reached 2200 followers a few days ago and continues to add more! That means, if I do the math right, this blog is averaging about two to three new followers per day! Woo Hoo!! What a way to end the year. :)

This year, I interacted with many beautiful people offline (you know who you are!), gotten to know new writers/poets, even collaborated with a few, and was inspired by many! I’m grateful that at least this year did not dampen my writing experience.

New for 2021

Starting January 5, and every Tuesday after that, I’ll be featuring an older post from the blog. This weekly post will be called Redux. I think it’s an apt name for revived pieces. :)

I shall be working furiously on the anthology for The Short of It. The goal is to publish it no later than June but hopefully, much earlier than that! Please consider joining the mailing list for more information. You can find the link on the TSI page.

On January 4, the first 5 Day Tales story of the year will return. It’s called The Passageway.

I’ll be taking a break from posting until January 4. See you then!

Image credit for the featured picture – Kazuend – Unsplash