Tag Archives: philosophy

3 Things My Characters Taught Me

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Not long ago, I submitted Hard Road Home, a literary novel, to Writer’s Digest Self-Published Awards Contest. Though I did not win, the judge who read my work had this to say:
“…HARD ROAD HOME is, like its title, a hard read, simply because of its subject matter. When Cas’s grandfather dies, her life rapidly falls apart into a spiral of abusive adults, alcohol, drugs, etc. It’s certainly intense material, and Walksfar writes about it vividly—I only can hope that much of it didn’t come out of direct experience, but the vividness of the writing did make me wonder about that. The character of Cas is certainly compelling; it’s difficult not to root for a character who doesn’t crumble under the weight of such torment and abuse.” (23rd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards)

In writing this book I drew from the experiences of children who had been subjected to horrendous abuse and still managed to overcome that adversity in order to pursue useful and, sometimes, heroic lives. The common denominator between those young people was that they never gave up; no matter how bad things seemed–they put on their big-girl pants and kept moving forward.
NoRoadSoLong

LESSON 1: Never give up!

My newest literary novel, Beyond the Silence, also tackles serious issues in our culture: domestic violence, marital rape, depression, anorexia, and the unjust loss of one’s children. In this book, Barb Hensen comes to realize that in order to live one has to have the courage to dream.
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LESSON 2: Find the courage to dream!

It isn’t only the protagonists in the literary novels that speak to me. In Run or Die, a mystery/thriller, Jaz Wheeler’s lover tells her that she needs to step beyond her current limiting circumstances.
aliciaDoSomethingGood

LESSON 3: Become all that you can be!

There you have it–some of the wisdom of my protagonists.

To check out the full array of novels, go to: http://www.amazon.com/Aya-Walksfar/e/B00CMVAKKK

#Highway530: In Memoriam

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A TRIBUTE TO THOSE WE LOST AND THE FOUR LESSONS THEY LEFT BEHIND:
March 22, 2014 10:37 A.M.
aDarkTime

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Sorrow seemed to swallow us whole.
light in darkness

We came together–to search for an elusive miracle. We found that miracle in each other, and in the children who shouldered a burden that no child should ever have to lift. They came–from the young Cub Scouts who raised money to the children who helped serve food to the workers to the teenagers who stocked shelves.

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In a community grieving, we found the first hint that
light

We came to accept that
NoMatterHowLong

Eventually, we realized

thoseWhoSeemGone

Four lessons grew from the soil of that tragedy:

footsteps

beauty

savor

Though life holds disappointments, broken dreams,and sorrow
butterfly

This blog post is dedicated to the 43 people that were lost when the Highway 530 Mudslide took out the small community of Steel Head Drive and the surrounding area once known as Hazel, Washington.

Many of these image quotes can be found in Biker Granny’s Motorcycle Philosophy
http://www.amazon.com/Biker-Grannys-Motorcycle-Aya-Walksfar-ebook/dp/B019APE7W2

For photos taken during the search and rescue efforts after the slide:
http://www.seattletimes.com/news/highway-530-mudslide-east-of-arlington/

FROM THE FULL ARCHIVE OF THE EVERETT HERALD’S COVERAGE OF HIGHWAY 530 MUDSLIDE: CURRENT ISSUES FOR SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS OF SLIDE:
http://www.heraldnet.com/section/osomudslide
FEB. 26, 2016
Now, there will be no mudslide trial before mid-to-late September.King County Superior Court Judge Roger Rogoff changed the schedule in a Feb. 18 ruling that came after lawyers for Snohomish County, the state of Washington, and a timber company all said more time is necessary.The delay was opposed by lawyers representing the families of the 43 people who were killed and dozens of others who were injured in March 2014 when a wall of mud and trees raced across the Stillaguamish River valley.“It cannot be underscored more deeply at this stage that Plaintiffs deserve their day in court,” the lawyers wrote. “The trauma of survivors and surviving family members endures while this case is prolonged and remains unresolved.”

4 Things You MUST Remember!

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Life doesn’t always go according to plan and right on schedule! What can a person do? Whether you are fifteen or fifty-five, here’s a few suggestions from Biker Granny.

  1. Even rivers sometimes get blocked, yet the water simply finds a way over, under, around, or through the obstacle. Be like a river.waterfall 1 waterfalls A waterfall is a river that has found a way over an obstacle. Some do it quietly; some do it with joyous abandon.
  2. Flowers always smile after a rain–they lift their heads and rejoice in the sun. Rejoice in the moment, however, different it is than what you planned. Be like a flower. magnolia bloom
  3. In the face of adversity and difficulty, trees cling and thrive on mountainsides. Strong, tenacious, persistent. Be like a tree. tree in rock
  4. You are a child of Creator, and no matter how many plans fail to bear fruit, you are a wonderful part of creation. And you are worthy. PurposeAndBeauty

To read more of Biker Granny’s Motorcycle Philosophy, pick up your copy today! http://www.amazon.com/Biker-Grannys-Motorcycle-Aya-Walksfar-ebook/dp/B019APE7W2
If you’ve read Biker Granny’s Motorcycle Philosophy, please take a moment to review it!

4 INSIGHTS INTO LOVE

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“You are the light of my soul; the fire of my heart.”

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“Relationships are more like flowers than fairy-tales. They’re living, dynamic things. They need to be out in the open air and the sunshine to survive.”  Jesse Markham, Good Intentions

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“The ones you love are butterflies…don’t cage them up or they will die….Love can only live when it is free.” Rene Lawson, Good Intentions

“You have to hunt for what’s real then find the courage to keep it.” Rene Lawson, Good Intentions

“Showing emotion is what the strong can do. The weak can’t afford to.” Patricia Markham, Good Intentions

“Yes, I loved her. I loved all that she was and all that she couldn’t be. I loved her in her imperfections as much as I loved her perfections.” Maddy St. James, Good Intentions

Burning Heart Image: courtesy of Chrisroll/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tulips and Butterflies Image: courtesy of Anekoho/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

To learn more about the characters quoted here, be sure to read Good Intentions, available at : http://amzn.to/1e4c0tF  or from Barnes and Noble at: http://bit.ly/1lOTv0m

Visit the link at the top of this Home page to learn more about the award winning novel, Good Intentions.

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FIVE FANTASTIC FINDS!

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FIVE FANTASTIC FINDS!

I #lovetoread. Always have. I grew up surrounded by violence and beset by poverty. Reading saved my life. That love of reading has never left me.

Today I would like to share five books that I have enjoyed. Perhaps you will, too.

1. The Reluctant Cowboy by #ElizabethGarcia.  (literary, romance, gay) (http://www.westtxwriter.wordpress.com)

As a lesbian woman, I found The Reluctant Cowboy all too real. The issues faced by Jed Petersen are heartbreaking, yet the way he overcomes them reminds me of courageous people in the #LGBT community that I have known.

I highly recommend this book for its honesty and its integrity. It does not gloss over reality, but takes those realities and creates an inspiring story of love and courage. And Elizabeth Garcia does all of this while weaving an intriguing story. I stayed up all night reading it.

2. The Value of Life  by #AndyCrowson (thriller)(http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/andycrowson)

Young boys are kidnapped. Josef Lindahl , a rookie #detective with a psychology degree, is brought into the case. A ransom note arrives, but there is no monetary amount. That is left up to the parents to decide. Josef believes he knows what the kidnapper wants, but it is guaranteed to cause trouble at police headquarters.

A unique twist to a well-known story line. I love finding books like this.

3. Anathema: Causal Enchantment Series, Book 1 by #K.A.Tucker (paranormal, vampires)(http://www.facebook.com/K.A.Tucker.Author)

Evangeline, a young woman with emotionally distant foster parents and no friends, meets a beautiful older woman, Sofie. Sofie offers what Evangeline craves the most: to connect with someone. She is even willing to overlook Sofie’s erratic and violent behavior, monstrous dogs and terrible nightmares of white-eyed monsters. But what she doesn’t understand could very well get her killed.

Tucker has built complex and interesting characters that I rooted for even when I didn’t like them. I have all three books that are available in this series and anxiously await the final book.

4. The Heat of the Moon by #SandraParshall (Book 1, Rachel Goddard Mysteries)(http://www.sandraparshall.com)

Rachel Goddard, a young veterinarian, is slammed back in time when a client’s dog is hit by a car during a thunderstorm.Flustered, the client leaves her three-year old daughter alone in the clinic’s reception area. The child is  crying, “Mommy! I want Mommy!” when Rachel finds her. The child’s cries trigger a flashback of Rachel with her baby sister, Michelle, abandoned during a thunderstorm at night. Haunted by baffling memories, Rachel seeks the truth behind the flashbacks. Her psychologist mother battles to prevent Rachel’s quest. The heart breaking truth Rachel uncovers forces her to make an unthinkable choice.

Sandra Parshall is a new discovery for me. I am enjoying her books: good  writing, well-developed characters, solid plotlines.

5. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (philosophy)

Published September, 1923, this book is considered Gibran’s masterpiece. I discovered it at age 15. For me, it is not so much a masterpiece as it is a book of meditation, a book that forces me to view the world with a different perspective, a book that always enriches me.

One of my favorite passages deals with Gibran’s philosophy about work.

“Work is love made visible.

And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.”

Gibran’s words sit on my heart every time I lay my hands on the keyboard and begin writing. My novels, short stories and poems have indeed been ‘love made visible’.  I hope others find not only entertainment in my work, but also words to take away with them, to turn over in their minds and to perhaps discover a different perspective.

What books do you love?

I would love to hear. Leave a comment here or join me on facebook and share your FANTASTIC FINDS.

Find Aya’s novels at:    http://www.amazon.com/author/ayawalksfar

Sketch of a Murder: The Avenger is killing wealthy prominent men. Sergeant Nita Slowater must work with her  contentious superior, Lieutenant Williams, to stop the killer before an innocent man dies.

Dead Men and Cats: Megan Albright and Janie Sampson, a lesbian couple, must stop a murderer who is targeting gay men and cats.

Good Intentions: Bev Ransom’s best friend and employer, Rene, dies unexpectedly. In her quest to learn more about Rene’s mysterious past, Bev uncovers a twenty-year old secret that devastates her. Who can she trust when no one is who they seem to be?

Visit with Aya on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/ayawalksfar

Be sure to stay tuned to Aya’s  blog for updates on novels, author interviews and all things write:  http://www.ayawalksfar.com