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I believe in my dream to be an author. What started this dream? In a way I always wanted to be an author. Since Elementary school I wrote fictional stories. I remember my mom helping me spell out the hard words until I learned how to spell them on my own. And even after Elementary school, I kept writing. I wrote when I was sad, bored, or just wanted an escape from the world. It was in high school, when my first book started taking shape that I realized I wanted to write for a living. I hated being pulled away from the fictional world that I was creating. It was my need to write, the urge to pick up a pen and document my thoughts that made me realize I wanted to be an author. What motivates you to follow this dream? When I think about what motivates me to write and strive toward becoming an author, I think about the impact my writing can have on others. When I wasn’t writing as a kid, I was reading. And I got lost in books when I felt like I needed some sort of a guide. When I was lonely, or just needed time to work something out, I’d open up a new book and somehow always find the answers within its pages. That’s what I think about when it comes to my writing. If I can somehow help someone, or change their day in some small way for the better, then I am happy to do so. I want to become an author so others can get lost in my stories just as I got lost in stories when I was a kid (and even now). What are your goals? I have many future goals for my writing. My closest goal is to get my book Variant Wars – The Prisoners published. After that I would like to continue to write the Variant Wars series and other series that I want to introduce in the near future. I have some long term goals too. I would like to remain an avid reader and writer for as long as time allows. I want to continue to create new worlds for myself and others to explore. And I want to continue to bring up important questions and conversations within my writing as well. Personally I have always seen myself as a writer. One of my biggest goals is just to stay true to my identity as a writer and not let critics and self-doubt tear me down. What would you like people to know and where can we find you? Aside from reading and writing, I love watching movies. I’m an animal lover and an avid tea drinker. Science fiction is my favorite genre, but I also love fantasy. I’m always open to reading new kinds of literature that I can get my hands on. I’m also a comic book fan and a lover of superhero movies. I post updates mostly to Twitter at https://twitter.com/SamBakerWrites I can also be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SamBakerWrites/ I also answer emails at [email protected] For more information about Variant Wars – The Prisoners, there’s a description and details on the project’s Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/321913354/variant-wars-the-prisoners?ref=user_menu … The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P
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I believe in my dream to be a known and respected visual storyteller. What started this dream? This dream started from the moment I saw inspiring movies and videos on the internet. I knew it was the ultimate form of expression. What motivates you to follow this dream? I am motivated by seeing other great filmmakers and content creators who show passion and aren't afraid to be judged. The ones that just go for it despite whatever cultural norms there are and find ways to be original and innovative. What are your goals? My goals are really simple. I want to live in Southern California and be able to sustain myself financially through video creation, all while I'm gradually learning and continuing to get better at my craft. Outside of work I will produce as much as I can for my YouTube channel and collaborate on as many projects as possible. What would you like people to know and where can we find you? I want people to know that I genuinely would like to connect with as many people as possible throughout my life. I think that every relationship/friendship between two people is unique and you just never know who you will really mesh with :) so with that said hit me up! You can find me on YouTube or any other social channel @Pompsie ! The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P I believe in my dream to build a massive network of people who are inspired to create a better future for the planet, for future generations and for themselves. The idea is to network with as many people as possible to amplify our voice and gain leverage over older institutions who aim to maintain a status quo that is neither beneficial to young and upcoming people or the planet at large. Think big oil for example. One of the main goals is to get technology and the drive for knowledge into the hands of as many young people as possible so that technology becomes more innovative, creative and independent than it currently is. What started this dream? Simply seeing how often older generations thwart innovation and human evolution on a private and public level. Whether it is an old fashioned manager who thwarts a young employee’s talents or a big corporation that decides to invest in old technology which will benefit it in the short term but do harm to the environment and future generations in the long term. What motivates you to follow this dream? A more free, more innovative and success driven world and most of all human evolution. I am totally with Elon Musk and would love to see humanity become multiplanetary as a species. I think that getting as many people interested in humanity’s common success, the planet’s health as well as their own success on a personal level is absolutely important for our common future and that of coming generations. What are your goals? I want to maximize my own understanding of modern and newly developing technologies both software or hardware related. I think a basic knowledge of coding will be crucial in the future, not only to find a job but more importantly, to be able to fully interact with the new reality that is developing right now. Whether it’s robotics, machine learning, big data analytics, virtual reality or simply programming Alexa Skills, a fundamental understanding of code is going to be necessary to work with all of these technologies. So to summarize: My primary goal is to make myself as technology literate as possible. Right now my main focus is on learning how to code in Python. What would you like people to know and where can we find you? I would like you to know that we have a greater opportunity than ever to evolve ourselves on a personal and on a species level. Whether it’s access to better healthcare, learning how to code, 3D printing or liquid printing, bio-hacking, or simply starting your own Vlog and documenting your life to hundreds of thousands of people, it’s all possible and the only thing stopping you is you. So get started doing. Try as many things as possible and connect with as many people as you possibly can on your journey. Build your skills and build your network! My Medium: http://www.medium.com/@hannesgasteiger … My Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/hagasteiger My Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hannesgasteiger My Website: http://www.hannesgasteiger.com The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P I believe in my dream to inspire one person at a time to become the best version of themselves. I also believe in my dream to help others overcome challenges and obstacles in their life through gratitude, outward focus and self awareness. What started this dream? This dream started about 4 years ago when I was starting my first company, 7twelve Marketing. Prior to this time I had already dealt with many hardships including a lawsuit, losing my nursing license due to identity theft by a my step father and rebuilding my life through odd jobs and poker in my early 20s. While building 7twelve, we were served with a lawsuit, I didn't have a job or any money, I found out that my ex girlfriend who was diagnosed with cancer was living a double life and had turned to alcohol and food for comfort. With strict mental training I was able to overcome these obstacles, lose over 30 pounds for my health and start building my company. What motivates you to follow this dream? The ripple effect of people inspiring other people motivates me to follow this dream. I believe that I've been blessed with the ability to connect with people whether in person or via social media, and it's my mission to use this talent to help change the world one person at a time. What are your goals? My goal is to create a life of freedom and happiness for my marketing team, myself, my family and my future family while inspiring others to become the best versions of themselves. What would you like people to know and where can we find you? I'd like people to know that I'm open to speak with anyone on their level and would love to offer my advice, or just an open ear. They can find me on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @miqk or visit my website www.mikhailalfon.com The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P I believe in my dream to become a published and prolific YA and Fantasy novelist. Success as a writer means different things to different people: some aspire to high sales and bestseller lists, others want critical acclaim and awards/prizes/accolades, still others seek a cult following. For me, the greatest part would be to create novels that readers love; I would love to have my readers discuss their favourite characters, what they want to happen in the next book, and so on - just like I did growing up with all my favourite books. Finding wealth from writing is rare, and part of it is luck, so there is not much I can do to make that happen. But I can work hard to achieve a living income from my art - which would enable me to spend all my working days doing what I love. I'm only in my late twenties, but the older I get, the more I realise we are on this planet for a very short amount of time, so I want to enjoy the days I have here. If I could spend my days doing what I love, I would be a happy man. What started this dream? To be honest, I grew up as a bit of an oddball kid. I was always reading from a really young age: everything from Little Golden Books to those thumping big UBD road maps. I spent so many hours poring over the old World Book set: no Internet or hyperlink-hopping back in the early 90s, just a stack of open encyclopedias strewn across the carpet. My parents took to calling me "Number 5", after the information-seeking robot in the 80s sci-fi movie Short Circuit, who went around droning for "more input". In any case, I was reading anything I could get my hands on, and by the time I was seven, reading took up a lot of my spare time. I realised what made me happy was not just reading stories, but telling them. The day after I realised that, I got a notebook and pen and started my first story. Even though I come from a working-class background and a country town where literary pursuits were really not the norm, least of all for a young boy, my parents always encouraged me in my unusual pursuits, and I never stopped going for what I wanted. What motivates you to follow this dream? One of my favourite books is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It's a hermetic/new age parable about the importance of following your dreams, and I re-read it every few years. There are two strong motivators within this novel (well, I reckon they're strong). The first is that having a dream makes life meaningful, not achieving it, necessarily: as Coelho puts it in his book Aleph, it's not about the station, it's about the train. The second point is that the universe will give you small wins along the way to your dream, to give you some self-belief and help you to keep going. I've had some small wins over the years to keep me going. A short story published in a literary journal in 2009. A bit of freelance journalistic stuff published after that. Another short story in another journal in 2015. A prestigious arts grant that same year. All small victories that tell me I'm on track, I'm getting there, and I can make it. What are your goals? My current goal is to finish the project I have just started: a YA novel that deals with some heavy themes that are close to the bone about the trauma of my own teenage years. It’s big stuff to work on, but it feels important to get it out there into the world. After that's done, I have a YA Fantasy manuscript to rework and then shop around to agents; it's in pretty good shape thanks to a mentorship I had in 2016 with a top editor from the Australian Society of Authors, but I think it still needs some work to be not just marketable, but outstanding. Beyond those two novels, I have so many other projects clamouring for my attention. I published a high fantasy short story earlier this year, The Scroll of Isidor, and I am keen to write a full-length novel set in that world. I have a YA Thriller that is about 1/3 complete and I will eventually want to revisit. And I'm running low on short stories in my arsenal, so I really want to churn out a few more of those and get them out into the world until I have a novel to flog. And if those projects comprise the Bed and Bath sections of my goals/pipe dreams, here's the Beyond: I have what I think is a really cool idea for a short TV comedy series and I would love to write a script for a pilot and see if it has legs. All of this slops around in my subconscious on a daily basis: there's the relatively new adage that a writer's brain is like a web browser with fifty tabs open at once, and I think this is very true. Incidentally, that also describes my actual web browser, so I'm really just a walking mass of chaos. What would you like people to know and where can we find you? My current daydream is that I quit most of my day jobs, sell all my stuff (except my laptop) and live out of a van like Jewel did in the early 90s. It's a very romantic and appealing idea: I can see myself waking up on a smelly old mattress in the back of a combi van, rolling out of the van, stretching my arms, scratching my bare chest, making myself a shitty instant black coffee and sipping that as the sun rises over the beach, and I begin my day of unadulterated writing. Poverty-stricken bliss. Until that fantasy comes true, you can find me on the socials like most other writers. I’m on Twitter (@V8Sheppard) daily, so come and say g’day. Twitter: https://twitter.com/V8Sheppard Facebook: http://facebook.com/HoldenSheppardAuthor Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/holdensheppard Website: http://holdensheppard.com Blog: http://holdensheppard.wordpress.com Smashwords: http://smashwords.com/profile/view/holdensheppard The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P I believe in my dream to become a successful author. By successful, I don’t mean finding my name on the NY Times Bestseller list or winning awards (although, it would be nice). In an industry as robust and competitive as literary writing, success to me would be to have readers enjoy my work. I’ve read a lot in my life, as a kid I would gobble up books by the hundred each school year. Reading to that extent, most books become a blur, they start to mesh with one another. But then there are those few gems where a sentence or a scene has stuck with me years after initially reading them, and that’s where the magic lies. My dream is to be published, yes, but most importantly, to have a reader remember my work. To have the words I’ve written on a page make a difference, an impact, on someone else’s life. What started this dream? My parents would tell my sister and I folktales from Guyana, where they’re from. We really enjoyed those. There’s something about listening to a story, taking in the inflections of a voice and the tone that can really carry it. Some of the first scary stories I’ve ever known were told to me in this way, and I couldn’t get enough. Then, when I was in the third grade, I had an amazing teacher who would dedicate time to read out loud to the class each day. We’d read chapter books, a few chapters at a time. Soon, I found that this became my favorite part of the school day, and when the teacher’s book wasn’t enough, I started going to the library. In a few years, I had read almost every book on the shelf. What motivates you to follow this dream? The enjoyment I receive from reading and writing is plenty of motivation. It is an art-form, and when I let myself write, it’s a very freeing feeling. Winning writing competitions throughout my childhood and college has been welcomed validation. Also, my mom. She was my very first fan. I started writing stories when I was probably seven or eight, and she saw how much I enjoyed it. When I got a little older, my parents bought me a typewriter that I would happily peck away at for hours. I feel very lucky to have been brought up with such support. Today, that support continues with my husband, who is an immense inspiration when it comes to following one's dreams. What are your goals? My goal is to publish two novels within the next two years. A Blight on this House is awaiting its second edit and Mother is mid-way through its first draft. I’d like to continue publishing in magazines, newspapers and other publications, and to continue my blog ‘Articles of Horror’, which is a fun pastime of mine. I don’t see the aforementioned as the end, however, only the beginning of an amazing journey. What would you like people to know and where can we find you? Following your dream takes some serious moxie. Whatever your dream, keep it close to your heart. A lot of people will roll their eyes, thinking that what you’ve bitten off is unrealistic. But the truth is, everything is unrealistic until it is accomplished. Even if I never publish a novel, at least I tried, and in the end, that to me is worth more than all the eye rolls in the world. If you’d like to keep up to date on my work or to just say hello, drop by my website www.christinapersaud.com and you can read my blog at www.articlesofhorror.com. I also tweet regularly @EerieChristine. The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P I believe in my dream to become one of the most exciting fighters on the planet. What started this dream? Watching movies and UFC at a young age started this. Never back down is the movie that actually started this. After watching that movie the next day my dad signed me up for karate at age 8. What motivates you to follow this dream? What motivates me to keep going is pride for my families name, raw passion for the sport, and money. What are your goals? My goals for the not so distant future are to win the ummaf fights I have coming up which is a 3 day tournament. In the distant future I will become UFC world champion. What would you like people to know and where can we find you? I'd like people to know that the product of what you see in the cage and out is partly from my parents and my coach Bubby Mitchell, my training partners (Lathon Lawson, Quinten Culpepper, Homer Mangram, Kevin Smith, and Jake Clevenger). You can find Chase on Instagram at @chachabumbumboutwell. The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P I believe in my dream to make an impact in the MMA industry. This business is crazy sometimes. There are a lot of people that are involved in MMA for ALL of the wrong reasons, and I pride myself on NOT being one of those people. I have developed life long friendships with so many awesome people in this sport, and have developed great business relationships with many people at the same time! I am helping fighters reach their dreams by giving them an opportunity to fight on a very big platform in the Midwest. It sounds corny, but all of us that are involved wether it be staff or fighters, are working together to achieve our dreams and goals. What started this dream? I started like most people that are now involved with mma, as a fan. A fan of old school fighters like Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Anderson Silva, etc. Watching those guys on TV is what got my hooked on the sport. The organization I work for now, KnockOut Promotions, originally started hosting events in a venue called Proball. Proball was a baseball and softball facility that was owned by my parents at the time, and my involvement with KnockOut Promotions was very little. I was the parking lot attendant at the shows. I didn't always get to watch all the fights, but I loved even being a small part of the process. Over time I just started getting more and more involved, getting more familiar with the fighters and how the business worked until I was obsessed with it. I loved everything about it. The marketing, the promoting, I LOVE getting people hyped up to see some amazing fights. It's my passion. The original owners of KnockOut Promotions decided to split up, and When the opportunity presented itself for me to become the President and Matchmaker, I never looked back, and I've been doing this job ever since! What motivates you to follow this dream? My motivation comes from a few different things. Like I said before, I want to make an impact on the sport. I have a lot to offer and I truly try and do things the right way. I have a great relationship with every fighter and manager that we do business with, and the reason for that is because I am straight up with everybody. I am a nice guy, I love to joke around and have a good time with everybody, but when it's time for business.. it's all business and I become a very straight up person. This method of business has helped me gain the trust of the fighters and managers, and it's a method that I will continue to use. What are your goals? My goals are to help run a successful MMA promotion, to provide a platform that each fighter can use to reach THEIR dreams. To always be respected and to continue to conduct business the way we have since day 1. Eventually I would love to make enough money to make this my full time job. Anybody that is involved with the business side of MMA knows that this business controls your life. The countless hours you have to dedicate towards this is unreal, but it also doesn't always pay the bills, so I work a full time job on top of this. I truly believe that one day this sacrifice will all be worth it! What would you like people to know and where can we find you? You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and twitter. Just search Matt Frendo and you'll see me profiles! You can find the promotions Facebook account at www.facebook.com/KOPROMO you can find our Instagram by simply searching for KnockOut Promotions on Instagram also (@kopromotions). The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P I believe in my dream to one day make the N.Y. Times best sellers’ list for novels. I believe this dream, pertaining to my work life, is achievable. The reason I have faith that it will happen is because I write relatable stories that come from deep within my very being. I do not have a specific genre of writing, as I have two dramas, Until One Day and Some Other Time, two romantic comedies, Exception to the Rule and Sex for Fun, and one intense love/drama, What The Heart Can Hold, novels published. I write stories that both tug at the heart strings while also bringing a smile to the readers face while they become immersed in my novels. My books have five star reviews from both male and female readers. I believe that it will just take that “one person”, someone of influence, to read one of my novels and the word of my work will spread like wildfire. My first four novels have a Gay male character as the female protagonist’s best friend. I am a gay friendly author. Each of my Gay characters is different, as I believe there is a stereotyping of Gay men in our society that needs to stop. I do not mention that any of my characters are Gay in any of my book synopsis on my book jackets. Why? Because their sexual preference should not be an issue, as it is not an issue for heterosexuals. What started this dream I have always made up stories, ever since I was a child. I just didn’t write them down. I had an active imagination. I would go to bed at night and close my eyes and make up characters, scenery, costumes and dialogue. These stories would lull me to sleep. As I became older the stories never stopped, they only became more detailed and intensely in-depth in my mind. But, I never wrote them down. I did attempt to work for Hallmark when I was in my 20’s, sending them a folder full of what I believed to be great paragraphs for greeting cards. Their rejection shifted my career to a different path. I had school, a career, a marriage, a divorce, then becoming a single mother of two children (ages 3 and 5) kept me busy. There was no time to write, only to create stories in my mind at bedtime. When my children attended high school there was more me time, and that’s when I started to write my first novel, What The Heart Can Hold. What motivates you to follow this dream? What motivates me to follow my dream of writing is the thrill I get when creating characters, which become real to me as I write them, and being in total control of what the characters do and say and most importantly how the novel ends. When writing each story, I am taken from reality and into a world I create. When I complete a novel there is a sense of accomplishment, however, the process continues onto the next novel, as there is always another idea for another story waiting in the background. What are your goals? With respect to my writing, my goal is to have as many people as possible read my novels. I believe that my stories are ones that a reader can become totally engaged in and be swept away to a different reality, and if only for a little while, they can live through one of my characters and enjoy the roller coaster of emotions my novels bring. Being a writer is extremely satisfying for me. When I meet a reader who tells me they cried during certain parts of my novels, it brings me joy. The knowledge that my mere words on paper, stung along in my writers’ voice, can evoke tears from someone is a powerful feeling. What would you like people to know and where can we find you? What I would like people to know about me is that being a mother is my proudest title. Being a novelist is my second. I raised two strong, independent, beautiful daughters who have both recently graduated from college and are just starting their careers. When my youngest daughter read my first novel and expressed how much she loved it, it was a feeling like no other. I do wish everyone who reads a book would write a review for an author. It makes such a difference when people are searching for a new book to read and there is a review that can help them decide if the book is for them or not. I can be found at charlottesymonds.com, Goodreads.com and on Amazon. I hope you check out my reviews on these sites and decide to give a new author a chance. You just might be amazed that the new kid on the block is good and your new favorite author. I love hearing from my readers. You can contact me at [email protected] and on Twitter @CSymondsauthor Special note: From May 13 - May 15, Charlotte will be giving away her e-book "Some Other Time", on Kindle away for free to celebrate Mother's Day. The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P I believe in my dream to write supernatural and psychological suspense books full time. Women can and do write awesome dark fiction! What started this dream? I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was five years old, churning out stories about a family of fish living in fear of a bear who managed to stalk them under the ocean. (It was a talented bear.) But my attraction to darker themes was solidified in high school, thanks to a writing teacher who hated what he called “Disney endings.” The darker I got, the more he loved it. What motivates you to follow this dream? Besides a deep love of telling stories and connecting with readers—and the fact that I just have a weakness for this stuff—you could say I’ve upped the ante. I re-mortgaged my home and quit a successful freelance journalism career to give myself the time to turn this dream into reality. What are your goals? My goals are to introduce more people to dark fiction, and show them how much fun it is to be (safely) scared. I’m also a travel addict who sets her books in haunted places all over the world, so continuing to visit these mysterious locations is extremely important to me. What would you like people to know and where can we find you? I don’t bite, and I love to hear from readers, fellow writers, and travelers. J.H. Moncrieff writes psychological and supernatural suspense novels that let her readers safely explore the dark corners of the world. She won Harlequin's search for the next Gillian Flynn in 2016. Her first published novella, The Bear Who Wouldn’t Leave, was featured in Samhain’s Childhood Fears collection and stayed on its horror bestsellers list for over a year. The first two novels of her new GhostWriters series, City of Ghosts and The Girl Who Talks to Ghosts, will be officially released on May 16, 2017. When not writing, J.H. loves visiting the world's most haunted places, advocating for animal rights, and summoning her inner ninja in muay thai class. To get free ebooks and a new spooky story every week, check out her Hidden Library. Connect with J.H.: Website | Twitter | Facebook The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P |
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