Poetry Friday ~ Pleasant & Read

Hello, everyone! A warm welcome to my blog!

For the next couple of weeks I thought I would share some of the posts I had prepared for my blog tour, for those who were not able to make it to the blogs hosting it. Today I will share a short interview along with Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge.

Pleasant and Read are this week’s prompt words chosen by Colleen Chesebro ~ The Fairy Whisperer.

*The catch is that we can only use the synonyms to these words in our poems.

Colleen hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called, Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge every Tuesday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your Haiku, Tanka, Haibun, Etheree or Cinquain poem. She is an author and poet, and also does book reviews and so much more on her blog. Be sure to check it out.

Join us every Tuesday!

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“Don’t be so quick to judge me. You only see what I choose to show you.”

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When you look at me

There is a lot you don’t see

Don’t be quick to judge

If you try to understand

You’ll see loveliness instead

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11 Questions Readers Are too Afraid To Ask Me

 

 

Are you a devil worshiper, Satanist?

 

Absolutely not. My stories are not about the devil, he happens to be a character in one or two of my stories but the stories are not about him and even if they were it wouldn’t mean I was a Satanist.

 

Do you believe in God? The devil?

 

I believe in God and angels, so I believe that just like there are good entities there must also be evil ones. How can people like Ted Bundy, Tsutomu Miyazaki, Jack the Ripper, Ahmad Suradji, Adolf Hitler, Andrei Chikatilo among others exist if there wasn’t a devil?

 

Are you a witch?

 

Witches have gotten a bad wrap through the years. Remember the evil witch from “Hansel and Gretel” who snatches up children to eat? How about Bette Midler’s character in “Hocus Pocus”?

 

In real life, a witch can look like anyone else. To me a witch is simply someone who is aware of her own power and puts that power into action.

 

Are you a religious person?

 

That would depend on one’s definition of what being religious entails.  I believe in the Golden Rule, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. I’ve also added, “treat others like you would like others to treat your children, parents, spouse or friend.” If you would like others to treat your children with patience and kindness, be patient and kind to other children. If you want your elderly parents or grandparents to be treated with respect and dignity, treat every elderly person you come in contact with the same way.

 

I believe in doing good deeds and being kind and fair.  I don’t believe that going to a church every week or every day makes one a good person. Although there are many good people who attend churches, synagogues, mosques . . . there are also many self-righteous people who wear the facade of good, caring individuals when in fact they are nothing but selfish hypocrites with their own agendas.

 

I have no doubt that there are many lovely churches and temples with wonderful congregations but churches and temples are merely buildings. I’ve always felt closest to God surrounded by nature.

 

Why do you write?

 

Why does a person eat, sleep, or breathe? To live. That’s the same reason I write––to live.

 

Why do you write dark fantasy, horror, thriller?

 

These have always been the genres that I’ve been attracted to since I was a child.  We all have a dark side, dark thoughts. I believe writing dark fiction helps me purge the darkness inside me in a positive way.

 

Do you read only dark fiction books?

 

I’ve always loved reading fantasy (High, Epic, Dark), horror, thriller, and science fiction, but I have read books in other genres from time to time. However, since I joined the Rave Reviews Book Club I’ve read many books of different genres. I’m always surprised about how much I enjoy them and some of those genres have really grown on me.

 

Do you associate yourself with any of your villains?

 

No. As a matter of fact, I have at times asked myself, what is the opposite I would do in a certain scenario, in order to determine the villain’s next move. I have done research on serial killers, tyrants, and the criminally insane in order to come up with the personalities and traits of my villains. I’m not a perfect saint but I’m also not evil.

 

Some people have been offended by the way you portray angels and for writing new takes on heaven and hell. Does that bother you? What would you say to these people?

 

I probably wouldn’t say anything to these people but for the sake of the interview, I would first remind them that my books are not religious, non-fiction books they are fantasy fiction. Some people just can’t differentiate fiction from non-fiction, they believe everything they read and I consider that to be dangerous. I would also tell them that if they do not like my portrayal of angels then maybe they should write their own book depicting angels in the manner they feel is right. And lastly, I am neither the first nor the last author to write about angels and demons or to create my own version of heaven and hell. There’s “Inferno” by Dante, “Paradise Lost” by John Milton, “Eric” by Terry Pratchett, “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis, “What Dreams May Come” by Richard Matheson and many more. I’m in good company.

 

Some people claim to be religious while knowing very little about their own religion. I’ve also discovered that the people that are truly religious and knowledgeable about the doctrine and scriptures in their faith don’t have a problem with my book or any book like mine, and many have actually enjoyed books like mine because they see them for what they are––works of fiction.

 

Do you believe in magic?

 

I believe in magick. I believe the mind is a powerful instrument and people can achieve miracles with the power of positive thinking. You may call it prayer, faith . . . People have cured themselves from incurable diseases because they thought it possible. I have experienced both the power of positive thinking as well as the power of negative thinking. Positive thinking is like a spell of protection. Magick is about raising and directing energy to fulfill your intentions.

 

Are you a dark and moody person?

 

I have my dark moments like everyone else, I suppose. I do my share of brooding, but I do not consider myself a dark, moody or pessimistic person. On the contrary, I always try to see the glass half full. I have actually been accused of smiling too much or being too happy at times. I try to see the good in people because I believe there is good in most people. I don’t hold grudges. I rather confront someone who I believe has done me wrong and tell him or her how I feel because then I can move on and forget about it.

 

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“Those who judge will never understand, and those who understand will never judge.”

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*If there are any other questions you’d like to ask me please do so in the comment section below.