Author
Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
Check out some other fanged monsters– download my books:
Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
Stay safe out there!
Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
PS: One of the best ways to recharge is with a book. Download mine now…
Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Amazon
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
A good friend of mine just died unexpectedly. I’ve known him longer than anyone I’m not related to; he was in my life far longer than he wasn’t. I can’t picture what it’s going to be like going forward,
He was a huge influence on me, probably more than I’ll ever realize. One of his influences, for which I’ll always be grateful, was music. He introduced me to so many good bands: Bauhaus, The Cure, Henry Rollins, Stan Ridgway, The Residents, Devo, Dead Kennedys, Talking Heads. The list goes on. But the big one was the Ramones. They were his favourite, and they ended up being one of mine too.
So for Stuart, I’m sharing “Rockaway Beach,” written by Dee Dee Ramone, his favourite member of the band. Please give it a listen, and think about the people who helped you become who you are.
I also want to share this video that I saw a couple of weeks ago. It made me feel better, and hopefully it’ll help someone else feel better too.
Take care ♥
Aspasía S. Bissas
Sometimes you don’t realize how much you need something until you get it. In my case what I needed was a happier plant.
My calamondin orange was suffering in a too-small pot for far too long. I kept putting off re-potting, wanting to do it after we moved, but since that’s taking longer than anticipated I finally decided to take care of the plant now.
After transferring it to a bigger pot, pruning, and staking it, I was tired, but also feeling accomplished. It was like a weight had been lifted. Giving the plant what it needed made me feel good. I highly recommend it.
I also discovered that my once-tiny houseplant has gotten huge! It really wasn’t obvious until I was finished and took a step back. How dwarf is a dwarf citrus tree anyway?
By the way, you can use calamondin oranges to make cake, juice (aka Filipino lemonade), or– if you’re like my SO (who also snacks on lemons)– you can eat them straight off the branch, rind included.
What little thing has lifted your spirits lately? Share in the comments…
My character Mara loves plants too. She’s also a vampire. Download my books and find out more…
Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
Is anyone else feeling stuck lately? It could be winter blahs. It could be two years of mostly staying home and not being able to go anywhere fun or interesting. Or maybe it’s just something everyone goes through once in a while. Whatever the reason, if you’re feeling meh, you can bring back a bit of the spark by injecting some creativity into your day. Give these a try…
Put on some music and, as the saying goes, dance like no one’s watching. It’ll get you energized and maybe even spark some inspiration.
Skip the recipes and see what you can put together with what you already have on hand. If cooking’s not your thing, order in and get something you’ve never tried.
Break out a creative or problem-solving game– basically anything that involves active participation instead of just following instructions. RPGs (like D&D) are perfect for this, although you generally need at least three people and a few hours to get the best experience.
Blank paper + the writing tool of your choice. Don’t overthink it– just scribble away.
Go for a walk or just wander around the house until you find something that catches your eye. Try to get as many different photos of one object as you can.
Let your mind wander and see where it goes.
Rearrange the furniture in a room, or plan out your dream house. See the potential in your space.
If there’s something around the house you’ve been thinking of getting rid of, see if you can figure out how to improve it or find a new way to use it.
Pick (or have someone pick for you) two random things (e.g., a bear and a pair of socks). List everything you can think of that the two have in common (like, a bear and socks are both fuzzy).
Pick a song and make up new lyrics for it. You can write them down if you want, but it’s more fun to make them up as you go. The lyrics don’t have to be deep– sing about what you’re making for dinner or about your pets or how you’re feeling at that moment.
At its heart creativity is all about seeing things in a new way. Have fun and don’t overthink or self-edit. It probably won’t solve your problems, but being creative can set you free.
What do you do to stop feeling stuck? Share in the comments…
Books take you to new worlds. Download one of mine now:
Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
Aspasía S. Bissas 