Category Archives: positive influence

Gifts for the Irish

When an author, artist or musician sets out to create, it is usually a personal expression of something they hope to viscerally touch the masses. Because the end product is a personal expression, one can’t expect it to be understood by everyone, but hopefully, the impact intended will move many in one way or another.

I have friends who are artists and they pour themselves through their media, making themselves vulnerable to the expectations and judgments of the masses. Some like, some love, some don’t get it. That’s ok. It’s expected.

Recently, I went to Ireland and at the last minute, I threw some of my books, Gifts of the Crysnix, into my suitcase. I hoped that of all people, the Irish would “get” the story. Centered around a small seaside town, the story could be set anywhere in the world, and that is what I intended. I wanted it to be personal to many but to the Irish, I wanted it to be viscerally owned.

On our travels around the Ring of Kerry, we went by the beautiful town of Kells and its small cove. I turned to my husband and said it could be Galvin Cove! He smiled and nodded. With its cluster of houses overlooking the sea and the amazing Blasket Islands in the distance, this was the kind of place I envisioned as the setting for the book.

Emboldened by this, I took a few books under my arm and went looking for small bookshops to see if they would be interested in selling  Gifts of the Crysnix. To my happy amazement, I was well received.

In Dingle, there is a small bookshop called An Cafe Liteartha, which was my first success. It is an ancient (by our standards) shop where you can buy a book in the front and have a small meal in the cafe at the back and crack your new purchase. The place is tiny, homey and bursting with charm. The manager was so excited about my book, she immediately wrapped it in cellophane and displayed it in the front window! How fun for me to see it there as I walked on.

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The adorable gift and bookstore, Sweet Pea just drew me in! On a quaint corner in Dingle, it offers beautiful treats for the home and person. Jewellery, candles, books and gifts are displayed in the little shop that just brims with personality. I was so honoured to have my book welcomed there!

 

 

In Dublin, two gorgeous bookshops are now home to my book. True to the historical beauty of the storefronts in the Emerald Isle, Books Upstairs and Jewels and Gems can be found in age-old architecture. Books Upstairs is nestled in the heart of Dublin and has seen hundreds of years of history played out on its front street.

Jewels and Gems is a sparkly store offering jewellery, gifts, books and wait for it – chandeliers! My book’s front cover looked pretty nice in there.

There is a very special place called Moy House. It is a boutique hotel near Lahinch that boasts an amazing history, a view to die for, hospitality, service and food to make you think you have died and gone to heaven! Along with the many, many touches of old world charm, there is a library. I couldn’t help wanting to donate a book to it.

I am so happy that I have shared my story with a bit of Ireland. What a gift! It is a story of endurance, faith, honour, courage and being true to yourself to bring about your best life. Very much like the history of Ireland and all that the Irish people have endured.

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It may not appeal to some, but I think it is enjoyed by those who like a bit of charm and magic to help us on our way. I wrote it from the heart. After all, I am Irish. The town of Galvin Cove is named after my family name, Galvin. It is a fictitious place but hopefully will feel like home to all who read the book.

Cheers and Slainte (good health) to all. xoxo

P.S. Christmas is coming! How about purchasing Gifts of the Crysnix for the young dreamer in your life? Check it out HERE and HERE.

Star-Gazing

“Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight. Wish I may wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight.”

How many of us have looked up and allowed a star to touch our dreams? Or maybe launch them? As children, we would look up and chant at the brightest early evening star, holding onto a sacred wish deep in our hearts.

For my part I know nothing with any certainty but the sight of the stars makes me dream.

  download-5Vincent Van Gogh

There wouldn’t be a sky full of stars if we were all meant to wish on the same one.

 images-2 Frances Clark

The stars call to all of us, not just the artistically gifted such as Vincent and Frances. They are there, day (you just can’t see them) and night, and they touch each and every one of us who live on this planet, uniting the world with a sense of wonder.

Imagine… If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and stare.

images Ralph Waldo Emerson

They inspire us to live a better life, be a better person and to challenge ourselves to make a mark. With all that inspiration, they succeed in making us feel humble and very small.

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I’ve loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.     

Galileo Galilei

 

The power of stars is amazing. Just by looking at them, we are filled with a sense of awe. How many time in our life have we looked up and taken a deep breath, stopped what we were doing and breathed out, “Wow.” Some believe the stars have a healing power. I don’t know but I can say that one of my favourite things to do is sit and look out on a starry night and let my mind drift. It is so calming, it must be healthy for me!! 🙂

I have loved painting the stars for my latest book, Mother Nature’s Kiss. I was inspired by the circles in Vincent Van Gogh”s Starry Night, above. I wanted them to be loose and fun so I thought I’d share how I create a night sky.

 

While I am painting I listen to my favourite starry music:

So Long Lonesome, Explosions in the Sky play it here , Light the Night, Tracey Chattaway listen here and Glow, Lights and Motion yes, you’ll love it!

My dreamy music takes me away and lets me create, feel relaxed and happy as I paint and play as I go.

This was just a fun post to share and say hi. I hope you are having a great day and I wish for you a beautiful night. Check out the stars!

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xox

 

Old School

With a couple of weeks to go before school lets out for the summer, the students at Balmoral Hall School must have thought I was crazy when I exclaimed how GREAT it was to be back!IMG_2012

But, really, it was.

I began in Kindergarten and left in Grade 7. The memories are rich and textured and, although the school has changed quite a bit with brilliant new wings and lofty ceilings,

 

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the exterior of the old school is still there and the memories are visceral as I remember how it felt to push out the heavy doors and run down the stairs to the playground.

 

 

 

 

IMG_2007 I was struck by the feeling of belonging as I noticed the beautiful, bronze plaque from a capital campaign years ago, and chuckled at my name engraved on it. I felt proud of the connection

 

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My presentation in the beautiful Sifton Theatre Auditorium went off without a hitch as I reminded the girls to believe in themselves and to fight the fear that holds them back from living their best lives.

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After, I really enjoyed meeting the girls and hearing their DSC00675.JPGdreams of being a writer. There was zero doubt in my mind they would go places and have a significant impact on the world.

DSC00674It was an honour to put a note in a beautiful writing journal.

 

 

 

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I stood under the pictures of the Head Mistresses who were there so many years ago with me. There have been five more Heads of School since and I felt like I entered a time warp.

There is nothing left of the old senior school as I signed in at the new entrance. Complete with a buzz-in system and guard at the front, I wondered, what has the world has come to? as I clipped on my visitor tag.

 

Gone are the days when I used my crutches with my broken leg in Grade 1 and won at “Mother, My I?” under the glass passage. The old swing sets are gone and with them the original and all engrossing pastime of swing tag. The kilts are still there, though, and the prefects and Closing Exercises, and I am convinced the facilities, ethics and dedication toward our leaders of tomorrow are new and improved.

As I walked to my car, I glanced at the old Junior School. Still the tindlestone brick and the many windows we all looked out of, almost every day of our formative years. I paused and looked at one window in particular and a hilarious memory flooded in of when a schoolmate climbed out of it, causing quite a stir as she inched along the outside of the building and climbed in the next one. I remember telling my mom about it and she just laughed along with me. She was definitely NOT old school.

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Many thanks to Balmoral Hall for the warm welcome and the warmest of new memories. There is something definitely intriguing about going back … to the place of your foundation and the seat of your ideals and values and friendships and aspirations … to your old school.

A Creative Writing Challenge!

I’m taking time off writing to write about writing … Yeah, that’s been my focus these days!

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Working til past midnight these past few days, I have had the house to myself (as my husband is away) and I have lived on oatmeal and blueberries and crackers and hummus. I finally got out of the house this morning and treated myself to sushi for lunch. California crunch rolls! Awesome!!

I am having a ball working on a power point presentation for my upcoming gig at the every WOMAN Conference in Whistler in a couple of weeks. Click here to see more. Here is some info on my workshop from the conference website:

Chart Your Best Life! {Navigating new territory to reach your full potential} | Lisa Shore | Author, The Gift of Crysnix | Calgary + Phoenix

Using themes from my book, Gifts of the Crysnix, we will explore how quantum physics can make wishes come true. Through the powers of letting go and positive intention, we will break new ground in the search for creating our best lives. Adventure awaits as we travel to a place where true manifestation begins. Oh, and did I mention space travel? That too.

I  have been researching fun stuff like the effects of quantum physics on the power of intent, how the brain works and scientific backup of electromagnetic impulses and positivity.

It will be a great way to take the messages from my book and share them with women who are looking to change their lives for the better! The whole 3-day conference is super-charged with hikes, skiing, water sports, biking, and inside workouts of every kind imaginable, as well as wonderful dinners and spa options.

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Here is a picture I found in “Resonance”, a fabulous book I read to hone my presentation skills. It sums up the gist of my presentation. Powerful words from an exceptional lady.

 

 

 

 

 

And here are some screen shots from my presentation.

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My points are emphasized through the ancient musings of Marcus Aurelius, the profound wisdom of the Eastern concept of Ikigai and beautiful imagery from the web to bring my message home.

 

 

 

 

 

I include excerpts from The Harvard Business Review and cite the experiments of Drs. Joe Dispenza and Masaru Emoto to demonstrate the power of our mind.

One such experiment involves targeting thoughts to two different containers of rice in water. In Tokyo, 2,000 people directed loving thoughts and hateful thoughts to the two different containers that were in California!

The rice with loving intention sent to it was white and fluffy while the sad, hated rice became black and rotten. This experiment has been recreated on YouTube several times and the same result happens.

I decided to put the trial to the test myself so here are my rice containers. They’ll hopefully be showing some results by the time I get to Whistler!

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I’ll have to get back to you on whether this worked or not!

Check out the every WOMAN conference details. everywoman.ca You may want to attend! If I don’t see you there I’ll be sure to let you know how the conference went. 🙂

Bye for now – I have to get back to work!

 

 

 

Reviews with a personal touch.

I knew that when I finally published my book, Gifts of the Crysnix, I would be “putting myself out there”, leaving myself open to criticism (both good and bad) and becoming vulnerable to sharing my life with the masses. Being a very private person, I think that is the reason it took me so long to pull the trigger, so to speak.

I took so many years, in fact, I began to ask myself if I would live to regret not publishing it at all? My answer was, YES, and so I steeled myself as I went about answering the promotional questions my publicist put to me with honesty, candor, and the silent hope that I was doing the right thing. Although it went against my core of being happy to stay under the radar, I realised that I would never be able to reach my potential readers and share my message if I didn’t just suck it up and go for it.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the tremendous, positive response and support I have received from friends, strangers and (wow?!) the reviewers. Below are a couple of reviews I have received recently.

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I am so touched that someone took the time to snap a couple of pictures of my book in their home – on a table and in the hands of a reader who is my target audience. My heart swelled to see that picture! My book … there in the hands of a young woman comfortably settling in for a good read …

Thank you so much to the gals at GROOVINMOMS for the time and effort they put into the review.

Here it is:

GROOVINMOMS review

 

The second review reveals some personal points from my past that are tender issues. After I lost both of my parents, I grew into womanhood feeling that no one had my back. I had to figure out life on my own. The life lessons I learned are some of the ones I wrote the book around. They are the reason why I wrote it. If I can help a young person figure out life a little by reading Gifts of the Crysnix, then I will have had their back. It means everything to me.

Many thanks to the people at Mystic Living Today, an e-zine about our mystic life. They wrote a very sensitive article about my book and me.

Have a look:

The Gift of Life Lessons

Hi from Signal Hill Indigo!

Hi Folks!

Check out the video on the link below for an introduction to my latest blog entry. 🙂

Hi from Signal Hill Indigo
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Recently, I had the immense pleasure of walking into my local big bookstore, Calgary’s Signal Hill Indigo, and seeing my book on the shelf there. Imagine how thrilled I was!

The staff at Indigo were incredibly welcoming. Stacey Kondla was a pleasure to work with and through the day, different members of the staff came up to me and introduced themselves to make me feel like a part of the gang.

My table was set up next to the Starbucks so, you can imagine how good the traffic was! I had my best day of sales ever and absolutely loved meeting so many people who were interested in my book.

 

 

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The day was magical as I soaked up the buzz of a big, beautiful book store and soaked in the aroma of coffee. The traffic was constant and I finally sat down for a quick bite at 2:30 across from my set up. It was pretty cool to look over at it and think to myself, “Hey, that’s MY stuff!”

My colouring page was a hit too. It’s always nice to give out a free gift. I also brought along my guest book which gave me the lovely opportunity to meet a lady from out of town who invited me to her town when I drive to Winnipeg this summer! I will take her up on her offer and look forward to meeting the people of Medicine Hat, AB!

 

 

As ever, the day was one to remember. I love talking about the messages in Gifts of the Crysnix. I get so excited to see the faces of the people I’m talking to light up with the desire to learn how to create their best lives.

 

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We truly have tremendous power over our destinies. Let the Crysnix  show you how.

 

VickiOart Sip ‘n’ Shop

Heading to my friend, Vicki O’Connor’s for Sip ‘n’ Shop, the “art happening” on Thursday, here in Fountain Hills AZ.

Check out her amazingly beautiful collage art paintings and accessories at  VickiO art .
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I’m bringing my book, Gifts of the Crysnix  ,

 

 

 

 

and Charis Lyons will have her Blue Shark Diva jewelry creations there!

If you are in Fountain Hills this Thursday, December 17th, 4-7pm stop by!

For more details http://vickioart.com/vickio-art-events/

Have a wonderful day❣

The Calgary Book Launch

 

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This week I had my first Calgary launch party at Self Connection Books. The store has a private event room and the facilities to webcast so I was able to connect with my readers in person and through the web. It was so cool to know I was reading to people across the United States and Canada.

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Of course, I made too much food but I had to provide a feast! I printed out excerpts from a couple of feasts from the book and displayed them on the tables along with the food.

 

 

And who could forget the purple frosted sparkly cupcakes and the shortbread cookies with the fancy purple “C” from the cover? Ok, I get a little crazy when there is a chance to decorate with icing as my friends and family can attest …

 

The day was really fun and, as always, it is such a treat for me to share bits and pieces from the book. For my reading, I chose the scene where Princess Amethyst is interpreting the Laws of Light in her Volare Solus ceremony.

As I began, Princess Amethyst took the podium and cleared her throat… I smiled to myself and read on.

The reading began on page 180 and included the first five Laws:

‘know thyself’

‘be a vessel of harmony’

‘live in a state of gratitude’

‘leave the world in a better state’

‘never forget our purpose’

During the Volare Solus, which is a coming of age ceremony, the young adult Crysnix demonstrates his or her maturity by not only reciting all the Laws, but offering a personal interpretation of them.

How would you explain them apply them to your life?

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Thanks so much to everyone who joined us in person and through the webcast. I really appreciate your ongoing support.

How Odin Saved the WORLD

 

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This is a happy story about my grandson who may not save the world one day (or maybe he will…) but, when he was born, he pushed my heart into that place of expanded love that only a grandparent can know. He saved my world by filling it with love beyond.

It is the story of passing on goodness. How appropriate that I can pass it on for free?

http://www.blurb.com/ebooks/555842-how-odin-saved-the-world

Throughout my publishing journey, there have been many lessons. One of them being that it is very hard to determine a reasonable price for your book once you have gone through all the hoops of actually doing the work and getting it published. I never promoted this book because I couldn’t expect someone to buy it through Blurb or Amazon at the ridiculous price they posted for it.

So, please don’t buy it! Just have a fun look on your tablet, computer or smartphone – and pass the goodness on! 🙂

 

 

 

Ten Points From “Gifts of the Crysnix”

  1. Fight the fear that holds you back.
  2. Find strength in humility.
  3. The power of forgiveness can set you free.
  4. Live by the Laws of Light to reveal the best version of yourself.
  5. Live your best life by working through your goals and  your dreams will be fulfilled.
  6. Can the power of a wish change your life? Greet each day as if it has already happened.
  7. Trust yourself; the universe is waiting to deliver if you just ask.
  8. If thoughts have mass, wishes have power. Quantum physics makes them come true.
  9. Listen to your inner voice. It is trying to make you believe.
  10. Gratitude can save your life.

As I work at the final stages of pulling together my publicity campaign, I am thrilled at the prospect of sharing myself through my book. I have to be careful not to give too much of myself away and spread myself too thin. Like the locket in the story, we can keep a talisman close to our hearts to help us remember to be kind to ourselves.

It can be anything to trigger the reminder. A piece of jewellery, a favourite piece of clothing or even a scented cream. Through the day, it’s a good thing to stop and take a moment to honour our health, our gifts and our lives.

Queen Rose paused and slowly presented her daughter with a finely tooled, heart-shaped locket held on a delicate necklace of shimmering pearls and crystals. Princess Amethyst tenderly opened it to find bits of purple, pink and white crystals sparkling inside. “This is a piece of yourself so you do not give it all away,” her mother said. Excerpt from Gifts of the Crysnix

Queen Rose paused and slowly presented her daughter with a finely tooled, heart-shaped locket held on a delicate necklace of shimmering pearls and crystals. Princess Amethyst tenderly opened it to find bits of purple, pink and white crystals sparkling inside.
“This is a piece of yourself so you do not give it all away,” her mother said.
Excerpt from Gifts of the Crysnix