20 Questions with Author, Cindy Mitchell

This month we meet author, Cindy Mitchell

20 Questions

1. What are you best known for?

I really don’t know to be honest. I suppose many people would know me for having long hair (I have no idea why this is such a big deal, but people often mention it to me!)  Having a lot of animals and making awesome sugar cookies. I have to presume that when I say ‘I’m a writer’, most people think it’s my hobby and not something I am trying to pursue as a career!

2. How did you get involved in your line of work?

 I have been writing since I was able to as a small child. My mom used to bind my books with birthday wrapping paper and string. In my ‘other’ life, I am a small farmer & I have been doing that since 2010.

3. What advice would you give someone just starting out in the same line of work?

 If you want to be a writer, you really just have to start writing. It really is that simple – there is no right or wrong way to do it.

4. What was your last project?

My last project I suppose would be my first published project, ‘Eve’. All my other work is in progress.

5. What’s next?

As my book is the first in a series, the next book will be a vampire novel and will center around a character we met in ‘Eve’ called ‘Olivia’, who is a near 1000 year old Vampire.

6. Name a person in the same line of work as you who you admire

Oh, I suppose I’d have to say the author of this blog now, wouldn’t I? *wink* Or a mutual friend Romany Rivers. Both have been indispensable in offering sage advice on this publishing lark and writing as  a whole.

7. What one thing would you do if you knew that you could not fail?

I’d love to learn a musical instrument actually. I’ve tried before and I’m terrible at it.

8. How do you want to be remembered?

I think just as a good person who was loved. You can’t ask much more than that, can you?

9. What do you love/enjoy most about your work?

 I love that I love it. Being able to do something you love for a living is a wonderful thing. In my case, I get to do two things I am passionate about. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life” - Confucius.

10. What was the strangest or funniest incident you've experienced?

My father used to be a truck driver & delivered almost daily to a place where Andrew’s father used to work, almost 20 years before we met.

11. What do you do in your spare time?

In my spare time I watch movies & TV with my family, read, spend time with my fur-babies and learn how to be self sufficient. I’ve learned to make much of my own beauty/home/cleaning products & I’m currently building up the courage to make soap.

12. Who inspires you?

 I’m inspired by loads of people, too many to mention. My friends & family inspire me the most. Authors inspire me in that even as the world goes more digital, some people never give up and are successful even in a world that is turning against their medium.

13. Describe yourself in 3 words

Writer. Farmer. Life-student.

14. Favourite colour

Purple

15. If you could have dinner with any 3 people alive or dead who would they be?

Stephen King. My brother. Shakespeare.

16. What would I find in your refrigerator right now?

Leftovers, lots of cheese, mason jars and every kind of condiment you can imagine.

17. What is the last book you read?  

The last book I completed was ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest’.

18. What is next to your bed at the moment?  

A lamp, the book I am reading, a box of tissues, a tin of lip-balm, hand lotion,  and an alarm clock

19. What would your one “can’t live without it” item be?

My laptop. Or cheese.

20. Favourite Season

Autumn, for sure. The colours, the ever-changing weather and the general atmosphere. Always makes for good writing days!

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Author Bio:

C.M. Mitchell is a part time writer and part time small farmer. She was born in Ontario, Canada; lived in the UK for fifteen years before moving back home where she resides on a small farm in Quebec.

She has worked a range of jobs, but has always concentrated on writing and learning about genealogy, history, literature and most anything she can learn about living a self sufficient life. 

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/CMMitchellwriter?ref=hl

Blog link: http://cmmitchellwriter.blogspot.ca/

Guest Author - Dr Gary Michael Vasey - Consciously Creating Reality

Happy New Year to all of my followers!

This month we kick off with something a little different. Today's blog post was written by author Dr Gary Michael Vasey and centres on the theme of crafting your own reality...

Enjoy!

Arietta

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Consciously Creating Reality

 by Dr Vasey

If you follow the odd headline around the theme of science, you may know that there is a growing view among certain physicists and others that we live in a hologram[1]. In fact, recent news stories that crossed over from the realm of science include the notion that we are living in a computer simulation just like the Matrix[2] (or better yet – The 13^th Floor) movies. For decades, quantum physics has put you at the center of that Universe as the conscious observer that dictates exactly what happens[3] in your reality. Increasingly, the idea that you create your own reality is gaining momentum in the scientific community.

If you think that this is stuff and nonsense then consider it from another scientific and philosophical angle. Meditation reshapes the brain and brain chemistry[4], convincing yourself that you are still young makes you younger[5], visualizing success works[6] and I could go on and on for pages on this theme. The proof is out there that we can create our own reality the way to do it is also known. It used to be called Magic and those who practiced it were burnt at the stake or worse.

Let’s quickly compare science and psychology against magic and occult to prove my point shall we? In science, the conscious observer dictates what happens. If the conscious observer engages in meditation and visualization, even acting out what it is they desire’, they re-program themselves in a way that makes it easier for them to create the reality they wish for. A magician or occultist goes within themselves through meditation to understand who they are (Know Thyself!) and engages in magic ritual which is nothing more than an elaborate acting out and reminding the subconscious mind of their desires. Is this not the same thing?

This is a central theme in my fantasy adventure novel – The Last Observer (Roundfire Books, 2013). The story involves Stanley who lives a boring and humdrum existence but who loves to read as it activates his amazing imaginative faculties. Stanley’s abilities come to the attention of two groups of magicians who are engaged in a bitter fight over reality. One group wants to change reality by controlling just who gets to create it murdering those who have this ability strongly developed and who will not use it to serve their ends. I blend my practical knowledge of magic with quantum physics throughout the book to build the story that ends with a couple of massive twists and turns that will astound you.

Of course, quantum physics has caused much consternation in the science camp as what has been discovered at the quantum level is so crazy, so weird that its difficult to believe and the implications are quite mind blowing. It has led some quantum physicists and other scientists to make some quite extraordinary statements;

“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself”

 - Carl Sagan

“All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter” 

 - Max Planck

[I can't accept quantum mechanics because] "I like to think the moon is there even if I am not looking at it."

 - Albert Einstein

"Observations not only disturb what is to be measured, they produce it."

 - Pascual Jordan

However, here is the funny thing. None of this is any way, shape or form NEW. Nope. Magicians and mystics have known this for millennia. They came to these same conclusions via meditation and personal insight. Science and scientists must be shaken to the core to know (if they have looked at all) that what they think is new science and discover has in fact, been known since ancient Egyptian times and probably millennia before that.

The biggest part of magic is imagination. You simply have to be able to imagine and to see/feel/hear things that you imagine. One exercise I practice all of the time is visualizing a fire. I try to see it, feel the heat, smell the smoke, and hear the twigs crackling. I find that sometimes, it is tough to visualize something so I imagine that I can. Yes, I imagine that I imagine something..... Weird eh? Nevertheless, you know what it works. Why? Well, because magic is mostly the ability to imagine as I said before. Mediation helps get you into a state where imagination is easier. It is a sleepy sort of state in which the body sleeps but the mind is awake. In this state, your imaginations may take on a life of their own. Suddenly, you are not imagining but experiencing. Careful though, don't jump when you realize this as it will destroy the state of mind that allows this mindful wandering.

We are all magicians creating our reality every instant unless of course, you are what are referred to as a sleeper and you are allowing everyone else to create your reality for you.

---

[1] http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2013/12/our-holographic-universe-it-could-prove-to-be-the-greatest-theory-of-the-21st-century.html

[2] http://discovermagazine.com/2013/dec/09-do-we-live-in-the-matrix#.UsVBz_RDuSo

[3] http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/35328/why-does-observation-collapse-the-wave-function

[4] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/use-your-mind-change-your-brain/201305/is-your-brain-meditation

[5] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130409091219.htm

[6] http://www.sportpsychologytoday.com/sport-psychology-for-coaches/the-power-of-visualization/

Author Bio - Dr. G. Michael Vasey

Gary has written nine books on a remarkably wide number of topics ranging from energy and commodities to (real) magic.  He also blogs extensively both in his professional career as an industry analyst in the commodities space, and for fun as a hobby.

His first book was an account of his studies with an occult school or, as he prefers to put it, an account of being a real magician (Inner Journeys: Explorations of the Soul) published by Thoth in 2005. This led him to the idea that a book in his professional field might also be useful as well as profitable and so Trends in Energy Trading, Transaction and Risk Management, A Primer, appeared in 2006. Since this was sponsored by his clients and self-published via Amazon’s publishing house, it turned out to be a very profitable venture and spun off a second edition in 2010 and another book about ETRM software in 2008.

In 2006, he was asked by Wiley Finance to collaborate with a colleague on a book about energy hedge funds. He has also submitted chapters to a variety of other books on the topics of energy risk management and hedge funds.

In 2012, he published material about the hexagram as an esoteric symbol, along with a colleague, through specialist publishing house – Datura Press and began work on his first novel – The Last Observer – published in 2013 by Roundfire Books.  In between, he self-published two short volumes of poetry titled Weird Tales and Poems for the Little Room. A third book of poetry combined with blog posts from Asteroth’s Domain will shortly appear as Astral Messages.

He continues to blog avidly at garymvasey.com and asterothsdomain.com and is currently at work writing the prequel to The Last Observer and a book about the role of the Fool in esoteric work.

Complete List of Works

Astral Messages (Createspace) -  to be released

The Last Observer: A Magical Battle for Reality (Roundfire Books), 2013

The Mystical Hexagram: The Seven Inner Stars of Power (Datura Press), 2012 (with SC Vincent)

Poems for the Little Room (G&G Group sro), 2012

Trends in Energy Trading, Transaction and Risk Management Software 2009-2010 (Createspace), 2010 (with Patrick Reames)

Selecting and Implementing Energy Trading, Transaction and Risk Management Software: A primer (Createspace), 2008 (with Patrick Reames)

Weird Tales: Otherworld Poetry (Booksurge Publishing), 2006

Energy and Environmental Hedge Funds: The New Investment Paradigm (Wiley Finance), 2006 (with Peter C. Fusaro)

Trends in Energy Trading, Transaction and Risk Management Software, A Primer (Booksurge Publishing), 2006 (with Andrew Bruce)

Inner Journeys: Explorations of the Soul (Thoth), 2005

LINKS

Author website: http://www.garymvasey.com

Author Blog: http://www.asterothsdomain.com

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dr-G-Michael-Vasey/e/B00B8NWTWA/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1378725797&sr=1-4

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Last-Observer/418556618230291?ref=hl

Twitter page: https://twitter.com/GMVasey

Publisher website: http://www.roundfire-books.com