* SONG OF THE WHIPPOORWILL – by Micki Peluso

I enter my magical meditation garden the same way I enter into self-hypnosis, starting with deep breathing and relaxation. I like to go there right before a nap or bedtime, often falling asleep in the midst of one of my visits there. Once inside, I walk down a long imaginary staircase—or if I am especially tired or if it’s a day when my back is giving me an argument – I use an escalator to transport me at least four flights down.  That would be my conscious mind reminding me that I’m not as young as I once was.

When I feel I’ve reached my destination, I stop at a landing, which is a foyer of sorts with large sliding glass doors leading out to a beautiful countryside.  There are times when the garden will not open to me and when that happens, I just try again another day.

My garden is an Eden-like area of grass, flowers, trees and a small stream.  The sky is azure with puffy white clouds. A gentle breeze wafts about, the temperature just right. It’s quiet as I walk over to a large oak tree, sit down and lean against its smooth bark. Slowly animals appear and the air rings out with birdsong.  A white snow owl perches on a branch above me. She’s lovely, but quite sarcastic. She has no patience for my complaints or excuses and accuses me of knowing the answers to my problems, but refusing to act on them. She seems to be a part of me-my subconscious, perhaps. A large blue-gray Alpha wolf comes up and nuzzles me, his deep blue eyes full of compassion, assuring me that I am loved. His mate, shy and cautious, stands behind him. The wolf offers me strength and courage. Sometimes, a roly-poly black bear cub tumbles out and plops on top of me, insisting on having some fun and cuddling. There is always a sweet doe next to me who does not judge me, but offers unconditional love. Rabbits, raccoons and a red fox often join the group, but usually only the owl, wolf and doe speak to me.

Song of the Whippoorwill inspired artist Lori Kennedy to sketch this beautiful drawing.

In late summer when we lost Noelle . . . 

 STORY CONTINUES IN 

TALES2INSPIRE™          The Topaz Collection

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Micki began writing after a personal tragedy, as a catharsis for her grief, leading to publication in Victimology: An International Magazine and a 25 year career in Journalism. She has freelanced, been staff writer for one major newspaper and written for two more. She has published short fiction, non-fiction, and slice of life stories in magazines and e-zines. Her first book was published in 2008; a funny family memoir, . . .AND THE WHIPPOORWILL SANG.

 

                   Get more info, ‘how to’s’ and ‘what if’s’ about Lois’ Tales2Inspire project, 

 

* BASKETS FOR HOPE – by Lois W. Stern

Bread Basket  – LOVE

 

WATERFALL                          FINDING THE WAY AFTER BEING LOST

Many of you may recall the horrors wrought by the 1994 Rwandan civil war. During that one hundred day war, over one million Tutsi men, women and children were brutally slaughtered. When the civil war ended, the country was left in ruins with its population of approximately 11 million people in abject poverty. Prostitution became a way of life for many young girls and women, simply as a means of sustenance. HIV/AIDS was a common affliction for the entire population.

During the genocide, Michel Kayiranga, a young man born and raised in Gitarama, a rural area of Rwanda, was luckier than most.

 Michel Kayiranga

 In the days after 9/11, Michel felt a calling to join the military and fight for freedom against the terrorists who had attacked the United States, even though the U.S. had done nothing to help his country during the genocide that killed his family. He served in the US navy, later moving to Seattle to work as an engineer for GE. When the uprisings began, he was outside the country studying at Kenya University. Unable to return to his country until after the war, when he finally reentered Rwanda, he discovered a country in utter chaos. Although his mother had survived, his father and sister were not so lucky. They had been slaughtered along with many other close family members and friends. Armed with an engineering degree and a winning lottery ticket, Michel received a green card and an airline ticket to the US. He found employment as an engineer in Los Angeles and began to settle down. But his life felt incomplete.

Meanwhile, in 2004 a non-profit organization known as Rwanda Partners (RP) was founded as a fair trade organization committed to fighting poverty in East Africa and restoring hope to the poor and marginalized. Through projects in both education and job creation, Rwanda Partners dedicates itself to a further goal – the healing and reconciliation among the Rwandan people and the greater region of East Africa. Through the formation of income-generating projects such as basket weaving, beading and sewing cooperatives, RP has succeeded in establishing working relationships between these former enemies.

At some point Greg Stone, Executive Director of Rwanda Partners, asked Michel if he would be willing to go back to Rwanda to serve as country director of the Rwanda Partners project. Although Michel thought he had left that part of his life behind, this offer ignited a second calling in him. The stories of how he has impacted on the basket weavers’ lives is one you are likely to remember for a very long time.

Story continues in

Tales2Inspire™   The Sapphire Collection

 

* THE FLOWERS – by Cheryl Stewart

She was a beautiful woman who left her home state of Washington to move to Alaska. She and her husband had a dream of moving north. They packed up their belongings and drove to this territory of the United States. Alaska was not yet a state and they settled in the small town of Anchorage.  She was a woman with a pioneer spirit, but never left her house without her signature Coco Chanel red lipstick.  This woman whom I speak of was model perfect in every sense of the word. She even appeared on TV every Wednesday afternoon for a local show called “The Women’s Touch”.

This woman was my mother.

Even though she was a stay home mom, she was the busiest person I ever knew. She loved her newly founded state and became a socialite and was involved in multiple committees that ranged from the PTA, local causes, and church functions. Once we children had left home, she volunteered once a week at the Anchorage Visitor’s Center. The Visitor’s Center is a log cabin originally built in 1955, complete with a grass-tundra covered roof. It used to be one the original houses of an earlier time, and now stands in the middle of the financial district of downtown Anchorage. It is a landmark building.

Loreane Rose’s philanthropy won her the Mayor’s Moose Award, 2003 Log Cabin Volunteer of The Year

Every Thursday while walking to the center, she passed a Native Alaskan homeless woman sitting on a park bench asking for money. My mother never gave her money, knowing all too well where the cash would be spent. Instead she brought her coffee in the morning and soup or a sandwich in the afternoon. My mother was curious about this person and her story, and started arriving downtown earlier. She sat with her to get to know her.

This homeless street person was initially intimated by her questions, but my mother eventually made her feel at ease.

STORY CONTINUES IN

TALES2INSPIRE ™   The Emerald Collection

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cheryl Stewart was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska and feels quite fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend the University of Salzburg to study history of art and architecture. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design from the American College of Applied Arts in London. Today Cheryl resides in Seattle, Washington and has two teenage children. For 9 years she was the senior interior designer for Starbucks Coffee Co. For as long as she can remember, Cheryl has been told that she is a born story teller, and in the past year has decided to start becoming a writer as well.

Get more info, ‘how to’s’ and ‘what if’s’ about Lois’ Tales2Inspire project, 

 

* WHAT IS LIFE? – by Melissa

              A learning session with tutor and friend, Michael Imhof

Melissa (center) with her friend Tamara

Life is a journey. Life is a race. Life is a highway to heaven. Some people say life is what you make of it. I am going to tell you a thing or two about life. Throughout my lifetime, I have been used and abused. I’ve been called all kinds of names. I’ve been robbed of my womanhood and have been cheated of being a mother. Maybe I would have been a great mother, the best mother that I could be.

 Life, what is life? Where does life begin? I will tell you: My life began in my mother’s womb. We each are given different gifts: Eyes to see with, ears to hear with. I think I was given the gift of perception – the gift to sense some things that happened to me even before I was born. I seem to remember my mother crying out while I was still in the womb, saying that my father was dead. But maybe these are just words I heard as a tiny child, I can’t say for sure. But one thing I do know for sure is that when I heard those cries, I recognized the fear in her trembling voice: What would she do with me when I entered this cold world? Where would I sleep? What would I eat? I have so many early memories, but most of all, I remember my mom always praying. She prayed that God would take this new life and bless it. Mummy used to say, Father, this life in my belly is yours. The last day she said that was April 14, 1986, the day I was born. It was around Easter time – well, during Good Friday to be exact. At 5:15 p.m. a new life entered this world at ten pounds and five ounces.

I lived with my grandparents, my mother and my uncle. I always thought that my father was dead. Until one day when I was three years old, I saw him. My whole body stiffened It was like eating ice cream on a cold day. I felt numb, frozen inside and out, devoid of emotion of any kind. I didn’t know what to do. And then it came to me. I prayed. At the age of three, I prayed to my father to help me be the best daughter in this lifetime. Well I grew up without him in my life, but I was the best daughter that my mother could ask for.

 At the age of eleven, I knew how to pray well. I was smart and doing well in school. I had my grandparents at my side. I loved going to church with them. Somehow I felt life wasn’t meant to be this good. I was right. I was watching television one day after school when my uncle came and did things to me that no man should do to a child. After he was finished, I cried and cried. I had no way of knowing that his abuse would continue and keep me crying for years. I asked myself, What is life? But I got no answer. I prayed for God to help me to be strong and to stand up for myself. Despite my tears and prayers, his abuse continued for years. I was sure this was the worst thing that could ever happen to me in this lifetime. I was wrong.

STORY CONTINUES IN

TALES2INSPIRE ™  The Emerald Collection

FOOTNOTE: ABOUT MIKE IMHOF

When a retired teacher by the name of Michael Imhof entered Melissa’s life, he recognized special strivings in this young woman and offered to teach her English without charge. He explains: “Melissa is undocumented.  She strives to get her GED.  I teach her English gratis. When Melissa gave me a hint of her story, we found a tale full of heart break and hope. This is the first competition she has entered.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Melissa. I am a twenty-five year old black woman from the Caribbean. I am courageous, intelligent and hard working. I have been faced with incredible hardships which have taught me the arts of courage, perseverance, hope, and faith. I invite you to discover extremely personal revelations about myself and my life.

* PAPPY AND THE BAND LEADER – An Inspiring story by by Rod DiGruttolo

A Tales2Inspire Winner

Saturdays were collection day on my paper route. In this way I met and came to know Mr. Merle Evans, band director for the fabulous Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey Circus.

On tour most of the year, the circus spent the peak winter months in Sarasota. During those few months performers, managers, and various other members of the circus entourage resided here. Some maintained temporary winter homes but a number of the circus families lived year round in the quiet neighborhoods of Sarasota.

When Mr. Evans was in town, he often spent hours in the garage behind his home tinkering with some project or another. A car wouldn’t fit in the garage as the building was crammed with wondrous things.

Handbills hawking bygone spectaculars; posters depicting famous trapeze artists, jugglers, clowns or acrobats; murals depicting colorful tents, bandwagons, and circus trains were pinned and tacked in a patchwork of brilliant color. The colorful montage, interspersed with black and white photos, covered nearly every square inch of garage wall. Mr. Evans invited me into his fantasy world on several occasions. I gawked with eyes wide and mouth agape as Mr. Evans patiently pointed out the impressive decorations and regaled me with antidotes of the Big Top.

One Saturday, while enjoying Mr. Evans’ hospitality, I told him my grandfather, my “Pappy,” was due to arrive for a visit in a few days. Pappy played the trombone and performed with a small band in rural Pennsylvania for many years.

Rod as a youngster, folding newspapers in his garage

He was a big fan of circus music and of Mr. Evans in particular. Each year during Pappy’s visits we attended performances of the circus at least once, more often several times. Pappy always reserved seats directly across from the bandstand and reveled in the music. He kept an intent eye on the band leader while he hummed and tapped his foot in rhythm with the music.

Mr. Evans grinned and asked, “Why don’t you bring him around next Saturday? I’ll give him the fifty-cent tour.”

In my own way that’s what I’d been angling for, but hearing the invitation made my heart skip a beat. I stammered “Thank you” several times and nearly stumbled over my own feet, while beating a hasty retreat lest he should change his mind.

THIS STORY CONTINUES IN 

TALES2INSPIRE™   ~ The Sapphire Collection

Click on book cover to order this book.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rod DiGruttolo grew up and continues to live in Sarasota, Florida. “Living in perpetual summer, adjacent to beaches and warm, clear water has to be as close to an ideal childhood as any boy could ask for, maybe even more idyllic than life on the Big Muddy,” claims Rod. A proud father, step-father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Rod feels blessed by his large, close knit family as well as a loving wife and his own good health. His story is a memoir – a true slice of life event he shared with his Pappy while a young boy. Rod has been in business for many years and has been fortunate to meet and do business with a number of notable personalities. He served a stint of about eight years in the role of a law enforcement officer.

* DON’T WORRY MOM – by Cecile Bell

When Adam was initially diagnosed, I thought I couldn’t let my 7 year old son out of my sight. Always asking, Did you do a blood check, do you have a snack with you; did you take your insulin? Always the same questions – like a broken record irritatingly repeating itself – Did you….? Although meant to be loving and helpful, my spoken words had become a nagging routine. His constant  response: Don’t worry mom, I’m fine, seemed increasingly spoken in a tone of irritation. How many times in the past 12 years had I heard those words?

I cautioned everyone around him – neighbors, teachers, and classmates – about his diabetes. Watch him closely to see if he acts funny or cranky, or if he suddenly seems sleepy, as he could be having a reaction and need to be treated right away!  I made his friends promise me they’d watch him carefully and act as surrogate guardians. Our relationship was clearly suffering and as the parent of a diabetic child, I needed to calm my own fears.

Early on, we had to learn how to balance Adam’s medication, food and exercise; constantly making adjustments with the diabetic educators.

Many times I felt a sense of guilt having to wake him in the middle of the night for blood checks or give him some juice. That first summer, I dared to entrust his care to Camp Needlepoint; a juvenile diabetic program providing medical supervision and education in addition to outdoor sporting activities. These experiences were inspirational for Adam both socially and physically. For the first time we didn’t feel so alone with this disease.

I was told I would have no contact with Adam and that I would only be informed in case of an emergency. The camp was fully staffed with doctors, nurses and certified camp leaders some of which were diabetic themselves. This was a very uneasy week for me, however, it provided much needed time for me to rest my anxious habit and focus on my three younger children. Adam came home with a new attitude of confidence, not feeling so different from everyone. He also had lived and survived without ME!

THIS  STORY CONTINUES IN 

TALES2INSPIRE™     The Topaz Collection

 Winner – 2012

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cecile Marie Bell , a freelance writer is a current Florida resident, active with the Sarasota Writers Group and Voices of Venice.    First published in 1996. Produced a small play performed at the Minnesota State Fair for a small community in northern Minnesota where she raised her family.  She restored and maintained a lakeside hobby farm established in 1856. This was complete with Horses, cows, chickens and extensive gardens. Her mentor is Scheherazade. Now working on an inspiring book for Juvenile Diabetes and her short story collection.

* NEW LIFE IN THE COUNTRY – by Luke Potter

Building your own home can be an incredibly satisfying journey, particularly as you see your dreams take shape and become real. This is the story of my wife Leanne and me in following our dreams to build a kit home in the district of Budgeree at the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges of southern Australia. Starting with practically nothing, we were amazed at what we were able to create using a good plan, some basic skills and a clear idea of what we really wanted.

Once you have lived in the country, it is difficult to return to the boundaries of suburban life. However, like many, that is what Leanne and I did at differing times of our lives. Leanne grew up in Budgeree – a place of rolling grassy hills that in the closing decades of the 19th century was cleared for dairy cattle and is now the home to an eclectic mix of beef cattle, market and hobby farmers, and simply those seeking a quieter life. She left for Melbourne to study teaching in her late teens, but home was never far away. A two-hour drive would see her at the kitchen table of her parents, with coffee in hand, catching up on local news.

I had but fleeting experiences of the country compared with Leanne, but those experiences have stayed with me. Most memorable was living in the hinterland of northeastern Australia whilst in my early teens.  Pineapple farms, friendly people that would treat you as one of their extended family, bare feet, and living most of the day outside made me feel as though I was truly home.

This yearning to return to the country grew inside Leanne and me to the point where we were unable to ignore it any longer. So we made the decision to sell our home in the suburbs, and move to that part of Budgeree where Leanne grew up.

We arrived in Budgeree in January 2007 to a bare paddock, and a shipping container filled with our personal belongings from our previous home. Our only refuges were our caravan and a rickety and breezy shack. Built in the 1880s as the original district schoolhouse, the shack was pulled down on bullock dray from the settlement of Budgeree in 1901. It was then converted into a house, and mid last century was turned into a hayshed. In its current form, it offered some protection from the rain and no protection from the wind and cold, but did sport two working fireplaces.

We had just returned from a trip around Australia financed from the sale of our home in the suburbs, towing the camper van that would be our home for the next 4 months. Leanne and I are people that love to explore roads less travelled, filled sometimes with excitement, sometimes with apprehension of what the next bend in the road may bring. And, it was in these extremely remote places that we got to know each other all over again and found a sense of contentment in living simply. Thoughts of self-sufficiency and to living more in-tune with nature crystallized into ideas for our new home.

THIS STORY CONTINUES IN

The TALES2INSPIRE™    Topaz Collection

 

 FINALIST – 2012

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Luke is an Electronic Systems Engineer and Computer Scientist with a passion for sustainable technologies that can help make our life easier and reduce our impact on the planet. Luke seeks to challenge our thinking about sustainable building and living. It is not about spending a fortune to achieve a meagre gain. Rather, it is about living a comfortable life, lowering your dependence on consumption, and living in harmony with the earth and all things around you. Luke lives at Budgeree House with his wife Leanne, and his three children – Lauren, Ryan and James. Click here to visit his website. 

* THE PLAIN MANILA GIFT – by Erica Kosal

The gift came disguised as a plain manila envelope with pencil marks scrawled on the front of it, outlining my work address. The gift came on the day I was returning to work after a much too-short maternity leave.

The gift came on the morning that I was overwhelmed contemplating what my future held: my very ill husband was undergoing treatment for Lyme Disease that was hitting his neurological and muscular systems badly, my 2 year old son and my infant daughter were not getting to know their daddy, and I was needing to juggle my full-time job at a liberal-arts college in order to pay for medical bills.

The gift was buried in the giant stack of mail that awaited my return to the office. Most of the mail was the typical professional type. Most of the mail was easily discarded into the recycling pile. I remember feeling my anxiety ease that morning as my “look through” stack got smaller and smaller. Then it happened. The strange unprofessional envelope was discovered. It was thin and the handwriting was somehow familiar.

I looked at the writing more  closely. Because I am a professor and tend to see a lot of writing samples, I have learned some general flags over the years. For example, males in general (although there are certainly exceptions) tend to have a looser style to their text. The writing is more angled, sharp, and one letter falls more closely to the next than with the “typical” female script. After looking at the address for a few seconds, I decided it was written by a male. Then I looked at the return address. It was from a beach town in my state. I didn’t know anyone from this town. Then I looked at the name: D. Night. “Could this be the same Dan I knew from graduate school?”

I wondered what happened to Dan. We were both in the same statistics class one semester and ended up in a study group together. He was that type of guy who connected with everyone. He smiled big, shook hands firmly and honestly, and always spoke kindly. We lost touch after graduate school as we each went our separate ways.

Curious if this was my long-lost friend, I opened the envelope. There was a single sheet of paper in it, with Dan’s tight script again.

THIS STORY CONTINUES IN THE 

TALES2INSPIRE™   EMERALD COLLECTION 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Erica Kosal speaks on and writes about resiliency stemming from her husband’s serious illness and battle for his life. She is the blogger of Traveling Troubled Times, and the author of the book: Miracles for Daddy: A Family’s Inspirational Fight against A Modern Medical Goliath (2012, Burro Publishing). It is available for purchase at http://www.miraclesfordaddy.com Erica and her husband also maintain a website, Bounce to Resilience, which is designed to provide information and help to people experiencing extreme stress.

Listen to this interview with Erica.

Get more info, ‘how to’s’ and ‘what if’s’ about Lois’ Tales2Inspire project, 

 

* YOU NEVER KNOW – by Jim Lawrence

You never know who you will encounter in this life. Sometimes we ‘luck out’ serendipitously and meet someone very special. I had the good fortune to meet Jane and her boyfriend, Victor while I spent a month in a cottage that I painted for my cousin, Pat, on the Florida coast.

Jane lives in a quiet ‘over 55’ community on the Treasure Coast of Florida. Although Jane is in her mid-sixties she still radiates with a positive energy! I feel very fortunate to have met her and Victor and to be able to call them friends.

Jane’s mother tried to self-abort Jane and gave her up for adoption shortly after she was born. Jane’s mother was a life-long alcoholic; incapable of nurturing a child. Jane grew up in a series of abusive foster homes.

Jane’s school experience was not much better than her home life. In the third grade, Jane’s dyslexia and undiagnosed ADD led to her extreme embarrassment. Her teacher made Jane use yellow construction paper and paste to make a ‘dunce cap’ and write the word DUNCE on it. Jane was told to sit in the back of the classroom, wear her new creation and to be QUIET! This occurred on an almost weekly basis for the whole school year.

As time went on Jane’s school career got even worse. At one school she was periodically paraded into other classes as an example of malnutrition. The school nurse would ‘excuse’ Jane from whatever class she was in at that time to take her into other classrooms and then announce to the other students,”Make sure that you eat so that you do not end up looking like Jane.

Jane went to college and met Marty and fell in love with him. Marty was a strapping man, well over six feet tall and handsome. Jane was only five foot two, perky, bright and full of life.  They married and had all the visible ‘trappings’ of a successful marriage and family life.

STORY CONTINUES IN

TALES2INSPIRE™    The Sapphire Collection

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Jim Lawrence is a native of Providence, RI. He earned a BA degree in History at the University of Rhode Island in 1976. Jim has been a lifelong learner who enjoys traveling, studying Russian and Spanish and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. He is an artisan in stone and wood who is writing his first non-fiction book about ADD (attention deficit disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in an attempt to help other families cope .

WINNING TALES INDEX

            

Inspiring Tales by Talented TALES2INSPIRE™ Authors

AS I AM – by Dr. Karen Pirnot

DON’T WORRY MOM – by Cecile Bell

It’s a DOG’S WORLD

BECOMING GRANDMOTHER – by Charlotte Snead

DRAGONFLIES AND THE GREAT BLUE HERON – by James Osborne

A FATHER’S DAY GIFT – by Jenna Ludwig

The FLOWERS  – by Cheryl Stewart

GARDEN OF MIRACLES – by Heidi DuPree

The GIFT OF FAMILY – by Pat Surface

The HEART OF HOME IS HOT CHOCOLATE – by Mary Romero

A LEAP OF WORDS – by Cami Ann Hofstadter

A MAGICAL MEDITATION GARDEN – by Micki Peluso

MAINTENANCE FOR MY SOUL: The Man From Nowhere – by Cami Ann Hofstadter

MIRACLE – by Susan Haley

And the MUSIC PLAYS ON – by Charles Musgrave

NEW LIFE IN THE COUNTRY – by Luke Potter

NO SUCH WORD AS CAN’T – by Lois W. Stern

PAPPY AND THE BAND LEADER – by Rod DiGruttolo

The PLAIN MANILA GIFT – by Erica Kosal

A PROFILE OF COURAGE – by Tina Chippas

PROOF OF LIFE – by Melissa Delago

SMILE POWER – by Pauline Hager

WHAT IS LIFE? – by Melissa

UNLIKELY CONNECTIONS – by Anne Knorr

THE VOICE: A MEDICAL MIRACLE – by Stan Cupery  M.D.

YOU NEVER KNOW! – by Jim Lawrence

Inspiring Tales Brought to you by Lois W. Stern

BASKETS FOR HOPE

CODY

COOL, FRESH WATER

DANCING WITH THE STARS – 94 YEARS YOUNG

A GLASS OF MILK

HAPPINESS IS CONTAGIOUS, SO DANCE!

JEFF AND FREEDOM – A CIRCLE OF HEALING

JUST A PICKLE AND A CHAIR

OPOSSUM ON MY SHOULDER

JUST LOVE THOSE GARDENS! –  Part 1

JUST LOVE THOSE GARDENS! –  Part 2

The LACE TABLECLOTH

NO SUCH WORD AS CAN’T  

PLASTIC SURGERY FOR A PIG?

The REMARKABLE TALE OF TWO ELEPHANTS

WHAT’S THIS? A SEEING EYE DOG FOR A BLIND DOG

Inspiring Tales – Authors Unknown

OLD GUY AND A BUCKET OF SHRIMP

OLD JOE AND THE CARPENTER – A Tale from Appalachia

AM I A FIREMAN YET?

The WEDDING GOWN THAT MADE HISTORY

WELCOME

I am the author of two award winning books about different aspects of aesthetics (physical beauty): Sex, Lies and Cosmetic Surgery and Tick Tock, Stop the Clock ~ Getting Pretty on Your Lunch Hour. Beyond those topics, I love to read and write short stories to touch the soul – stories that I call “inner beauty tales”.

Suspecting that many writers might have one inspiring story to share, without having enough for an entire book, I set out to find out. And that’s how TALES2INSPIRE ™ began and developed as an “authors helping authors” project/contest. I am committed to providing each talented author with a platform for building their own fan base, and providing them with the opportunity to have their work published in a short story anthology.

If you think you might have an energy renewing, spirit uplifting story in your heart and head, please visit my website to

Get more info, ‘how to’s’ and ‘what if’s’ about this Tales2Inspire™ project. 

For Facebook fans, here is another way for us to connect. Visit my Facebook Page, a melding of inner beauty and physical beauty postings.  And if you like what you see there, please let me know by clicking on the LIKE button at the top of the screen.

Click to Discover the Many Dimensions of Beauty

WATCH AND LISTEN

A LIVE INTERVIEW ON THE WRITER’S DREAM SHOW

A LONG ISLAND, NY CABLE TV NETWORK

Want to learn more about Tales2Inspire™?

You can meet me during a cable TV interview with Linda Maria Frank, host of The Writer’s Dream. This interview took place at one of the LTV studios situated several miles west of East Hampton, LI, NY., currently airs on three Long Island, NY cable TV networks, and soon will be expanding to other cable stations. Each segment is also posted on her Writer’s Dream YouTube Channel, Facebook and more.

CLICK HERE.

Linda and I are working to make TV appearances on her show a long distance reality for Tales2Inspire™ Winners.

It was quite a day!

Being a guest on the Writer’s Dream was quite an adventure for me. I had a full day of interviews, with a morning session on my books about physical beauty (Sex, Lies and Cosmetic Surgery and Tick Tock, Stop the Clock ~ Getting Pretty on Your Lunch Hour). So if you want to learn some intimate, up-front-and-personal details about me, and the writing of those book, this is the show you don’t want to miss.

Watch it here