A to Z II - F is for Frankness

Hi kids! Today, we delve a little deeper into my personal A to Z challenge. Today's letter is the letter f. F is for frankness.

Joe is a former Marine, and a cop. His position on the SWAT team requires him to tell it exactly how he sees it. Joe cannot help but to be perfectly blunt and frank.

Some might find it offensive, calling him tactless, or maybe even inconsiderate. That's not the case at all. He's simply an honest man. He does not lie. He can't lie - because of his strength of character, and his job.  He is honest. He pulls no punches. He calls it exactly how he sees it.

For people like Claudette and Pete, Joe's frankness is an endearing trait. They love his honesty. They know his heart is always in the right place. They know they will never find another person more loyal or more honest than he.


Michael, however, does not appreciate Joe's bluntness. Joe doesn't hold back, Michael wishes he would. Michael is too sensitive and insecure to fully accept Joe's frank speech. Joe's honesty also means that Michael doesn't always hear what he wants to hear. That is something that Michael doesn't handle well. Not at all.

Whatever your opinion on frankness, it is a very strong trait of Joe's. Good, bad, or indifferent, that's just who he is. Frankness is just one of Joe's many strong qualities.

A to Z Challenge - F is for Feelings

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

It's time for another A to Z Challenge! This year, I want to tell you about a story that is currently a WIP (work in progress). It's the story I'm writing in honor of my baby lovebird, Robert. It's a fantasy story, but it's really a story about emotional healing. So let's examine it by going through the alphabet!

The letter f stands for feelings.

The story of The Good Pirate, Robert is one that is very emotionally driven. It was my sadness in his death that led to me to start to write the story. The message of the story is about emotional healing. So feelings are the foundation of this book.

Now feelings and emotions are a part of any story, that's true. For me, and for this story, though, they are paramount, though. Without feelings, this story would not and could not exist. You can't have emotional healing without emotions, right?

The good thing about this, is that it's not all bad feelings. Yes, there is some sadness. There's also joy, peace, excitement and wonderment...Robert's story does not fall flat emotionally. Rather, it guides us through a myriad of emotions, bringing us to a wonderful place in the end.

Sometimes feelings create the best story lines.

Come on back tomorrow for more A to Z fun!

2015 A to Z Challenge: Pianissimo - Day 6 (F)

 For the third consecutive year, I am participating in the A to Z blog challenge.
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

This year, we're going to go through my latest full-length novel, Pianissimo.

Today is F-day! F is for frankness.

I'm pretty bold in Pianissimo. I wanted to be honest and unabashed. There was a reason for me to write this story, and I share that openly in the book.

I wanted to be frank because I thought that was the best way to get my point across.

You see, for as much as Pianissimo is here to entertain you, it also serves a greater purpose. I wrote it with the hopes of reaching people. I wanted to show the struggles of our LGBT predecessors. I wanted to show the similarities between the hetero and homosexual communities. I wanted to remind us all of our humanity. I wanted to show the stupidity of labels and bigotry.

I'm not sorry that I wrote the book with that much frankness. I consider my writing a gift, but what gift is of use if it's not being used genuinely and with a greater purpose in mind? So yes, I am bold, frank, honest, open, and very clear cut. For me personally, a book with a message behind it is the best the kind.

I hope you'd agree. Check out Pianissimo, and see for yourself!

http://www.amazon.com/Pianissimo-Lauren-Shiro-ebook/dp/B00OEOTZMC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420832795&sr=8-2&keywords=lauren+shiro

A to Z '14 - Family

For this year's A to Z Challenge, I am honoring my grandfather who passed away on April 3, 2013.


F is for family.



I can never say it enough. My grandfather was the rock - the foundation of our family. He encompassed the true definition of family. He loved us all unconditionally. He gave us his love, his time, his energy, his support, his all. He accepted us all.
Words really can never fully describe who he was, or what he did.



He was our patriarch, our cornerstone, our foundation. Our family is because of him. On our family tree, he is the main root.



I could not imagine my life or our family without him. If he had not been present in my life, I could only imagine how different my life would be (and NOT in a good way).

All families are different. I understand and respect that. But that which we idolize about family, that which we aspire to be as individuals and as families are all that he was.

I am forever grateful for my grandfather and for our family.



F is for Family.

F: Fine Arts

What are the fine arts?

I think that the definition of the fine arts is as subjective as art itself.

The ever knowing Wikipedia defines the fine arts as such:

"Fine art, from the 17th century on, is art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept, distinguishing them from applied arts that also have to serve some practical function.

Historically, the five greater fine arts were painting, sculpture, architecture, music and poetry, with minor arts including drama and dancing.[1] Today, the fine arts commonly include the visual art and performing art forms, such as painting, sculpture, collage, decollage, assemblage, installation, calligraphy, music, dance, theatre, architecture, film, photography, conceptual art, and printmaking. However, in some institutes of learning or in museums, fine art and frequently the term fine arts (pl.) as well, are associated exclusively with visual art forms."


So, the fine arts are really quite inclusive. Arhcitecture, assemblage, calligraphy...there really is quite a bit covered under the umbrella term of "fine arts."




For me, it is very hard to choose which are my favorites. I obviously lean towards poetry & writing; I've already disclosed my love of dance. But I love music (I can actually sing, too, so it is safe to say that music is important to me as well); I was with a chainsaw carver for 2 1/2 years and I LOVED working with her and working on her sculptures with her, so sculpting appeals to me. My grandfather's handwriting is very much akin to calligraphy, and since I adore him, I pretty much adore calligraphy as well. My brother is an actor, so of course I love theatre and film. I absolutely admire artists whose mediums are collage, decollage, assemblage and installation as I find them to be so unique and I love that uniqueness. Going back to my beloved grandfather yet again, he was in printing and lithography, so I love printmaking too!

Decisions, decisions.

Realistically, I don't think I need to decide anything. Each one of these mediums simply enriches my life that much more. Why not enjoy all of the fine arts. We lose nothing by doing so, we simply gain enjoyment and enrichment. :)