Stephanie's Studio

Having stated my thoughts on what makes a lovely reader and blogger in the post Blogging Award , I want to share my Wonderful Team Member Readership Award  n ominees , right here and now. You'll want to check out their blogs, if you haven’t done so already. I’m not going to nominate everyone at once. For today, I am sharing nominees living abroad (Outside of the USA). These creative souls are either in a country of choice, for work, as Ex Pats or were born where they currently live. Their unique perspectives allow me to do something enjoyable—a bit of armchair travel. They reach out, crossing borders broken up by the internet, while expanding our horizons in the process. What I enjoy about this group of bloggers is that they enrich their readers by expanding our ways of envisioning the world and our place within it.   1.        Jyotsna (India)  Dreams and Dimensions!  If you ever wanted to go to India, visit the shops, see t...

Did my last installment from "No Barren Life", on the post called "Sharing No Barren Life"  leave you wondering what happens next? My bad. Here is another little excerpt from the next chapter of my novel that I am trying to get published independently with the help of  Pubslush . Without further delay, here is the excerpt...enjoy it, and if you have it in your heart, contribute  to this meaningful project today. It is a short walk. First we passed by the turquoise Arafura and Timor Sea. We then headed inland, cutting through ghost gum trees and low growing ancient cycads. I took off my shoes to fit in and walked my tender feet through the underbrush. “This is part of your dreaming. The ancestor beings residing here know and love you.  They’ve been watching and listening.” Nana tells me.  I step into the billabong, letting the cool water caress my sore feet and aching calves.             B...

After careful thought and a lot of deliberation, as well as conversation here in this blog space, I have decided to seek crowdfunding to publish my debut novel, "No Barren Life." As you know, it has had a difficult path to publication, as it is not an easy book to read. With an experimental style, it is a book that tackles head on, troubling topics such as child sexual, emotional and physical abuse. These are tough topics for anyone to face but they are also all too real. The book isn't a downer though--far from it. Yolanda the main character, is gifted magically and assisted by an array of characters equally gifted, and able to traverse different worlds to change her troubling situation. These characters include her tree whispering and Hoodoo practicing Grandfather, her babalayo of Santeria Uncle, and a group of powerful women who are also Aboriginal healers that she meets in Australia. Ultimately this is a coming of age story about self-determination and transforma...