Jan Marquart's Blog, page 11

When I read Ram Dass' book, How Can I Help, it changed how I viewed my world. It reminded me that we are all alike with life stories of both trauma, joy, and dealing with ordinary days that we yearn to become extraordinary. I read How Can I Help more than twenty years ago yet I still remember scenes where Ram Dass helped people and I can still feel the power of it in my heart. Unfortunately my busy days often allow me to slip off his powerful messages. When I had a clothing store I sometimes found myself reacting to the attitude a customer brought into my shop. One day a couple walked in. I said hello and the wife said hello. I asked if I could help them find an item and the wife said no. The husband was distant and abrupt. His attitude bordered on rude but I figured he didn't want to come into my shop and was there only because he walked in to follow his wife. He appeared bored and anxious to leave. The wife picked out something to buy and as I was ringing it up I asked them my usual question: what brings you to Santa Fe? That's when I realized that again I had forgotten the messages in Ram Dass' book. I had promised myself so many times to remember that we are all suffering in some way and that we need to meet each other with compassion. The husband looked at me and quietly stated that he had come to Santa Fe to get his son's body who had just committed suicide. Then we had a powerful conversation and I found myself comforting this man I, only seconds ago, had judged as rude. Why do I tell you this? I tell you this because we each have our stories. I tell you this because our stories are powerful and need to be written. Without sharing our stories we remain alone, disconnected from the emotions that bind us all together as one humanity. What is your memorable story about someone who changed your day?

When I read Ram Dass' book, How Can I Help, it changed how I viewed my world. It reminded me that we are all alike with life stories of both trauma, joy, and dealing with ordinary days that we yearn to become extraordinary. I read How Can I Help more than twenty years ago yet I still remember scenes where Ram Dass helped people and I can still feel the power of it in my heart. Unfortunately my busy days often allow me to slip off his powerful messages. When I had a clothing store I sometimes found myself reacting to the attitude a customer brought into my shop. One day a couple walked in. I said hello and the wife said hello. I asked if I could help them find an item and the wife said no. The husband was distant and abrupt. His attitude bordered on rude but I figured he didn't want to come into my shop and was there only because he walked in to follow his wife. He appeared bored and anxious to leave. The wife picked out something to buy and as I was ringing it up I asked them my usual question: what brings you to Santa Fe? That's when I realized that again I had forgotten the messages in Ram Dass' book. I had promised myself so many times to remember that we are all suffering in some way and that we need to meet each other with compassion. The husband looked at me and quietly stated that he had come to Santa Fe to get his son's body who had just committed suicide. Then we had a powerful conversation and I found myself comforting this man I, only seconds ago, had judged as rude. Why do I tell you this? I tell you this because we each have our stories. I tell you this because our stories are powerful and need to be written. Without sharing our stories we remain alone, disconnected from the emotions that bind us all together as one humanity. What is your memorable story about someone who changed your day?

Hi all,

Voices from the Land is now an ebook. In a few weeks Kate's Way and The Mindful Writer, Still the Mind, Free the Pen will also be ebooks. Do you think any of my other books would be good as an ebook too? Check them out.

How are the sales of your books? Do you sell more paperback copies or ebooks? I hear ebooks are up 165%. Anyone hear anything about this?

Read my interview with Muffin.
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/...

It's a wonderful site for writers and readers.

Any body hear of everywritersresource.com? Well they accept flash fiction and poetry. They just accepted a poem of mine that they will put on line. I'll let you know when it's out. If you sign up for EWR you will receive it when it is my turn to be published. They publish one a day. Happy writing!!!! Jan

Someone asked me what a channeled book is and I'd like to speak to that a bit. When I write from my own voice I write deeply from what I hear inside me. Most writers would claim that that is what they do whether they write fiction or non-fiction. When I was told by an intuitive to sit on my land and write because spirits living there had stories they wanted me to record, I stepped so far back from the request that I couldn't even entertain what he was asking me to do. When I decided, two years later, to take him up on it, this is how it happened. I sat with the tip of my pen facing the page and nothing came. I was just about to pack up when my pen started writing. Now this wasn't as if I was out of my body nor was it happening without my arm moving. But what did happen was I stepped out of my own way even going so far as to ask myself what was going on because although I could hear the words the way any writer hears them when she writes, the stories were not mine. I've read many channeled books over the years, Ramtha, Emmanuel, Voices from God, Oneness, etc. and I always wondered what it felt like. Then I had that experience and as much as I discuss it with some of my friends the more I get confused about the difference between imagination and honest channeling. All I can say is that when I wrote Voices from the Land, I did so upon a request from a man, an intuitive, I met in Santa Fe. These stories are not mine. They do not come from my voice or any book idea I would ever dream of. Has anyone else had an experience of channeling?

I now have three five star reviews for Voices from the Land on Amazon. Check it out. It warms my heart to read that everyone is enjoying the inspiration and real life stories in this book. The land on the cover is the land it was written on. It was quite a special spot and I loved living on it for 6 years. It was Lamy, NM and if you have ever been to that area you know the further out in the wild you go, the more powerful the land is. I can tell you that it was so quiet out there that at times I could hear God whisper. The voices tell stories of love, survival, hope, hardship and triumph. Jan

Writing well is more than a creative idea. There are things to beware of, such as, having devloped an unrealistic plot or dialogue and most importantly events that involve the law in which the law is incorrectly stated. There are items to add into sentences that bring them alive. There are ways to add intrique without giving the reader too much information. I am always collecting tips and strategies from authors so if I need to consider these things I can go to my file. Does anyone have anything to share or have comments about this? For instance I found out after having had a problem with neighbors keeping my manuscript for Voices from the Land that there is a poor man's copyright. Does anyone want to know this?

Hi Everyone,
Check out my latest writing on www.open.salon.com/blog/janet_ruth on Stories Come From Anywhere and www. freethepen.wordpress.com Letting Your Pen Tell It All

I'm not really a blog kind of person but I like the ability to share my thoughts about writing.
Keep your pen moving,

Jan Marquart
www.awareliving.net website and bio
www.freethepen.wordpress.com
www.open.salon.com/blog/janet_ruth
www.filedby.com
www.goodreads.com
www.shewrites.com
www.Examiner.com
How to purchase Jan’s books:
Kate’s Way www.createspace.com/3498926
Voices from the Land
www.createspace.com/3552509
The Basket Weaver
www.createspace.com/3553668
The Mindful Writer, Still the Mind, Free the Pen
www.createspace.com/3546101
Echoes from the Womb, a Book for Daughters
www.createspace.com/3546083
The Breath of Dawn, a Journey of Everyday Blessings
www.createspace.com/3546000
Write to Heal www.awareliving.net
How to Write from Your Heart www.awareliving.net
How to Write Your Own Memoir www.awareliving.net

I have started a new blog. I'm new at this so if anyone sees something I need to improve -- please let me know. I do hope you like this first entry. Each morning I will write something different.

I will write on mental health well-being, writing and other interesting topics.

Jan Marquart