The book delves into the relationship between nature and the interiors of our homes. It also focuses on how to take advantage of nature’s colors and turn them into doable solutions.
“One of the first conditions of happiness is thatthe link between Man and Nature shall not be broken” ~ Leo Tolstoy ~
I have introduced the concept of healing stones based on the colors of the rooms and explained the reasons we might need them. Of course, people do what they want in their home, but when they suffer headaches, depression, or other ailments, never occurs to them it could be related to the colors or other elements missing in their home. The home has a spirit that will love you if you create an inspiring, healthy, vibrant home for the body, mind, and spirit. Everyone will feel comfortable in a home conceived with harmony and that’s when love grows.
I am honored to be featured on the D.G. Kaye, Writer, the Eclectic Memoirist and Conversationalist. Her Q&A today focuses on a bit of my life as a designer and an author. Thank you, thank you, Debby, much appreciate it.
I find it not so easy to talk about myself, first I don’t know where to start, my parents made me an adult, possibly as soon as I was born, and although my life as a child was a happy one, I don’t have many childhood stories that have shaped me in the adulthood. I was born a practical person, knowing what I wanted and pursued it to the best of my abilities. Without further ado, I leave you with the Q&A by D.G.Kaye, click on the link to read the full interview.
It’s always a fun time for me when I have the chance to talk about colors. Today, I was a guest on Elsie Kern’s show with an interesting topic: Fall colors and how to overcome a depression that usually occurs in certain people at this time of the year. What really makes people feel depressed in the Fall? Is it about colors, is it about the end of the year approaching, is it about grieving someone and not being able to let go?
My approach to colors is about sensations, emotions, and vibrations. Colors will help people who want to help themselves and are open to change the paradigm of their thoughts. There are people who don’t believe in the energy of healing colors and fall prey to medications. Before taking the hard path of medications, think of new types of natural healing.
Elsie is a naturopath, in this show she talks about some strategies we can all use to overcome certain issues and not just in this season. Watch the show here, it’s less than 30 minutes.
Elsie Kerns is a clairvoyant energy intuitive combining her expertise in Eden Energy Medicine, Brennan Healing Science, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to assist clients on their healing journey. She has been teaching and mentoring clients in the art of healing, Reiki certification, and VIP healing events for 30 years. https://overwhelmwarrior.com
I am new at this marketing effort with Amazon, I will try it for a while, maybe I will like it. I started a new reduced price campaign on all my ebooks only. This week “The Road To Top Of The World” will be offered at a reduced price. https://amzn.to/2H7ipGE
It’s a travel narrative about a trip I took to Puglia, Italy, with a group of American friends, who knew nothing about the region and ended up discovering a new type of life, full of emotions and new sensations.
Initially, I was going to Puglia by myself that year, it’s my native region, I have family and old-time friends there, it’s special, but not original. My American friends heard me talking about the plans and adventurously tagged along with me. For them, it was like going on a blind date. To say they had fun is an understatement.
During their stay in Puglia, they challenged me to write this book. I asked them: “what would be the tile if I accepted to write it?” I did not even wait for their answer, the title just came out “The Road To Top Of The World”. They looked at each other, nodded, smiled, and then said: “You took us to the top of the world”. That was the end, in my mind, the book had already been published. Five months later it was on the market.
This is a fun book and if you are thinking to travel to Italy in the near future, this book will guide you to a wheel of new emotions. Thank you. Valentina Amazon Author’s Page Goodreads
Valentina Cirasola is a designer, author, TV producer, and a storyteller by nature. Stories told through shapes, lines, forms, and colors are very important to her design career to convey ideas that contribute to the making of a personalized home, reflecting the life’s experiences of people living there. As an author, she writes non-fictional books, they are practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, travel, and cooking.Amazon and Barnes&Nobles
Today I am hosting my talented Friend and Author Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene who is launching a new book, a fantasy novella, a “dieselpunk” story, as she calls it. I learned about the book Hullaba Lulu, when it was made into episodes on the author’s blog with the hint of three-world things the readers would leave on her blog comments, hoping those three things would get worked into a new story and they did.
Valentina, thanks again for letting me visit. Here’s the rest of the information for Hullaba Lulu. I am delighted to host you, Teagan.
The book has a 1920s aesthetic with retro-futuristic technology, a dash of magic, and some creepy settings, along with a crew of misfit characters. Lulu is a snarky, but good-hearted flapper. She and her friends get into all sorts of trouble (often due to Lulu’s clumsiness). They travel on a magical train to a lot of “sideways” places. My one real-world thing is Erte. “Valentina, with your love of fashion and Art Deco, I’m not surprised that you chose Erté” says the author.
Erté was the byname of Romain de Tirtoff. It was derived from the French pronunciation of his initials, R.T. He was born November 23, 1892, in St. Petersburg, Russia—died April 21, 1990, in Paris, France. Erté was a fashion illustrator of the 1920s and creator of visual spectacles for music-hall revues in France. He designed dresses and accessories for women, costumes, and sets for opera, ballet, and dramatic productions, and posters and prints.
I met Erte’ It was the early ’80s, I was in Paris on vacation. I have some friends there I wanted to visit. One evening they arranged a dinner for me with some of their own friends. The evening was pleasant, we exchanged a lot of laughers and I got to know new people and into the arts. After dinner, the new person I met, had promised another friend to come by his place for a drink. That person invited me along. I felt safe, during dinner, we talked about the arts, fashion, and design. I felt no threat, when people are into the arts, are into violence, I thought to myself and I went, I did not know I was going to Erte’s house. Erte’ himself opened the door, he introduced himself as Romain, but he looked familiar, he looked like Erte’ split image. I didn’t want to say “You look like Erte”, therefore I stayed silent. He was not too tall, slim, fully groomed, and attired well in a velvet smoking jacket, or a chamber jacket as it was called. From what I could see, his house was opulent and not so extravagant, considering who he was and the fame that preceded him. I remember one thing, a large aquarium filled with exotic fish dominated one wall. The room must have been a library room, filled with bookshelves, on one side, the desk and an armchair behind it on the other side. I also remember a large bar, with lots of mirrors, liqueurs, and beautiful glasses. We had a great conversation, I saw his drawings and the illustrations of stage design. During the conversation, he told me his nome de plume was Erte’… Lucky me, I got to meet a legend.
My Review on Hullaba Lulu What a fun story! I have never read a Dieselpunk Adventure Story. This will give me the chance to read more of what the author will write in the future. The novel is set in the roaring 1920s, the flappers, the drinking prohibition imposed in the USA, and train travel. Reading this novel, it’s like slicing through time and I love going back in times I have not lived. It’s brilliant how the Author Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene has included futuristic technology, with magic, tarot cards, automobiles and famous people and how well she worked them all in one plot. I love how strong her characters are, Lulu and her friends Pearl and Rose speak their mind and they are not afraid of any situations they face. The novel is short and full of action, it’s funny and entertaining. I truly recommend this novel. Well done Teagan, your imagination is spatial. 😀👋
Snippet Here’s a snippet related to Erté. In this scene, everyone is headed to the Cotton Club… or a strange version of it, anyway. Lulu is sad and one of the automatons stayed behind with her.
How could Ginger have heard that I was sad? That as creepy as the jukebox or the Orthophonic Victrola playing the song I mentioned.
I remember how excited Wicky, Wacky, and Woo had been because they had arranged for Dynamite to sing to Ginger onstage at the Cotton Club. I couldn’t ruin that surprise for any of them.
So, I pretended enthusiasm that I didn’t feel. I admit that I actually did perk up when I saw the gorgeous gown Ginger brought. It was royal purple silk and looked like an Erté original. The rose-gold bot also brought a black boa to accessorize the gown.
“There’s a bit of a walk to the club,” Ginger began. “Will your kitten heels be suitable? Ah! But there is another way. We could take the Rolls-Royce!”
I remembered Valentino had that automobile parked on the street above my grandfather’s speakeasy. You had to admit, the guy knew how to put on the Ritz!
Travel with Lulu and her friends on a magical, dieselpunk train that belongs to the smolderingly handsome and enigmatic man known only as Valentino. They get into all sorts of trouble, usually due to Lulu’s clumsiness. It’s an intense ride through a number of pos-i-lutely creepy settings, including “sideways” versions of Atlantic City and the Cotton Club. At every stop and in between, Lulu ends up creating chaos. There’s no telling where they’ll end up. No, Lulu! Don’t touch that!
Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene’s work is colored by her experiences from living in the southern states and the desert southwest (of the USA). Teagan most often writes one kind of fantasy or another, including the “Punk” genres, like steampunk, dieselpunk, and atompunk. Whether it’s a 1920s mystery, a steampunk adventure, or an urban fantasy, her stories have a strong element of whimsy. There are no extremes in violence, sex, or profanity. Her talents also include book covers and promotional images. She makes all of her own. Teagan is currently exploring the idea of offering that service to others. All of the books by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene are available at her Amazon Author Page( relinks.me/TeaganRiordainGeneviene ) Blog: www.teagansbooks.com
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. Some years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host producing shows under her label: Valentina Design Universe. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire, and inform, while she is living her passion.
Welcome to a new book launch by Author James Cudney IV, Hiding Cracked Glass. This is the second book of the Series Name: Perceptions of Glass.
Hiding Cracked Glass
About the Book An ominous blackmail letter appears at an inopportune moment. The recipient’s name is accidentally blurred out upon arrival. Which member of the Glass family is the ruthless missive meant for?
In the powerful sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, Olivia is the first to read the nasty threat and assumes it’s meant for her. When the mysterious letter falls into the wrong hands and is read aloud, it throws the entire Glass family into an inescapable trajectory of self-question. Across the span of eight hours, Olivia and her sons contemplate whether to confess their hidden secrets or find a way to bury them forever. Some failed to learn an important lesson last time. Will they determine how to save themselves before it’s too late?
Each chapter’s focus alternates between the various family members and introduces several new and familiar faces with a vested interest in the outcome. As each hour ticks by, the remaining siblings and their mother gradually reveal what’s happened to them in the preceding months, and when the blackmailer makes an appearance at Olivia’s birthday party, the truth brilliantly comes to light.
Although everyone seemed to embrace the healing process at the end of Watching Glass Shatter, there were hidden cracks in the Glass family that couldn’t be mended. Their lives are about to shatter into pieces once again, but this time, the stakes are even higher. Someone wants to teach them a permanent lesson and refuses to stop until success is achieved.
About The Author Background James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College, a historic but small liberal arts school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a degree in English literature and minors in Education, Business, and Spanish. After college, I accepted a technical writing position for a telecommunications company during Y2K and spent the last ~20 years building a career in technology & business operations in the retail, sports, media and entertainment industries. Throughout those years, I wrote some short stories, poems and various beginnings to the “Great American Novel,” but I was so focused on my career in technology and business that writing became a hobby. In 2016, I refocused some of my energies toward reinvigorating a second career in reading, writing and publishing.
Author Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind and my body. At some points, it was just a few poems or short stories; at others, it was full-length novels and stories. My current focus is family drama fiction, cozy mystery novels and suspense thrillers. I think of characters and plots that I feel must be unwound. I think of situations people find themselves in and feel compelled to tell the story. It’s usually a convoluted plot with many surprise twists and turns. I feel it necessary to take that ride all over the course. My character is easily pictured in my head. I know what he is going to encounter or what she will feel. But I need to use the right words to make it clear.
Author James Cudney IV
Reader & Reviewer Reading has also never left my side. Whether it was children’s books, young adult novels, college textbooks, biographies or my ultimate love, fiction, it’s ever-present in my day. I read 2 books per week and I’m on a quest to update every book I’ve ever read on Goodreads, write up a review and post it on all my sites and platforms.
Blogger & Thinker I have combined my passions into a single platform where I share reviews, write a blog and publish tons of content: TRUTH. I started my 365 Daily Challenge, where I post about a word that has some meaning to me and converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dogs have had weekly segments called “Ryder’s Rants” or “Baxter’s Barks” where they complain about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real. And that’s why they are me.
Genealogist & Researcher I love history and research, finding myself often reaching back into the past to understand why someone made the choice he or she did and what were the subsequent consequences. I enjoy studying the activities and culture from hundreds of years ago to trace the roots and find the puzzle of my own history. I wish I could watch my ancestors from a secret place to learn how they interacted with others; and maybe I’ll comprehend why I do things the way I do.
My reviewon Hiding Cracked Glass Surprise letters always frighten me, it has been my experience they never carry good news, otherwise, why would they keep secrets? Hiding Cracked Glass is made of many characters, all members, one way or another of the wealthy Glass family and every one holds a secret. In the beginning, I felt a bit overwhelmed keeping up with all the personages and all their secrets, but author James Cudney IV, makes them real, their turmoil and family drama are not too far from what people experience in real life. I sympathized with Diane, Olivia Glass’s sister. She helps Olivia overcoming the death of her husband by stirring memories of a trip made to Italy together.
Diane sounds much like all my 5 loved aunts, always very supportive, always ready to help out in moments of needs, always generous with their time, their love, and little less generous with their money. My aunts were the glue that kept the family together, very much like Diane does in the Glass family. She also holds a secret. I have enjoyed reading about this character.
The twists and turns of the Glass Family’s vicissitudes are interesting and mysterious enough to keep the readers turning to the next page and find out what happens. I felt I was there, in that house, with all the members. The author did a great job to keep me reading all the way to the end. I am a practical person, who doesn’t read many family dramas, therefore the author succeeded. His writing is clear and his voice strong. If this is going to be a sequel, I look forward to the next story. I recommend this book, it’s a true gem. So glad you crossed my path James.
People come into our life for a reason I met Author James Cudney IV, a year ago, over the internet when I was doing the launch of my fourth book. We connected immediately and became friends. James is an accomplished writer, he wrote nine novels in three years, some of his work has been translated in Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Italian. In 2021 he will release a new book co-authored with a “surprise” writer (TBD). On his blog https://thisismytruthnow.com, he has reviewed over 1,000 books; he shares several fun features, including the Book Bucket List, Tips & Advice, Author Spotlights & Book Alerts, and the 365 Daily Challenge, where he posts a word each day that has some meaning to him, then converse with everyone about life.
James Cudney’sGenres, Formats & Languages I write in the family drama and mystery genres. My first two books are Watching Glass Shatter (2017) and Father Figure (2018). Both are contemporary fiction and focus on the dynamics between parents and children and between siblings. I’m currently writing the sequel to Watching Glass Shatter. I also have a light mystery series called the Braxton Campus Mysteries with six books available. All my books come in multiple formats (Kindle, physical print, large print paperback, and audiobook) and some are also translated into foreign languages such as Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German.
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. Some years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host producing shows under her label: Valentina Design Universe. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire, and inform, while she is living her passion. Amazon and Barnes&Noble Goodreads Amazon Author’s Page
My friend, I will call her Delphina, says the colors of Autumn are negging colors. Every Autumn she falls into a self-inflicted melancholy, and low self-esteem. For certain people, Autumn means the end of another year, the natural evolution of life galloping where they don’t want to go.
Pumpkins Dolls
All my life I have lived in European cities with cement and glass buildings with very little vegetation. I craved nature, its colors, its scents, and the peaceful feeling. In my youth, when my friends went strolling downtown, I went to the country instead, where I could admire the change of seasons, feel part of nature, and being in the company of calmer people. It wasn’t until I came to the USA when I first had the real taste of nature. It was Autumn in Virginia, and for the first time, I saw purple trees, red trees, yellow trees, all aligned as in a painter palette. I remember often taking slow rides on roads not too busy with traffic, just to soak in all those colors, with the sun going in and out of the foliage and chasing me. I felt full of joy, and a great sense of gratitude to have eyes that could see all that beauty.
Every two green trees, there was a colored tree. Later, I learned that all those colored trees weren’t a game of nature. City landscapers plant trees with a color scheme in mind and are positioned at a zig-zag pattern, so when they grow look aligned. The variation of colors is meant to keep drivers awake on the wheel.
Velvet Pumpkins
I told my friend, Delphina, to think of Autumn’s colors like jewel tones colors, she likes jewelry a lot, just like I do. I would like her to start referring to colors as a ruby red, emerald green, topaz yellow, amethyst purple, it would make her feel abundant, opulent and everything around her would change value. She would not feel like a negging middle-aged woman, as she sounds in the Autumn, she would feel precious and needed instead. She does not listen. 🙄
I adore the warmth of Autumn colors, and I adore the autumn food available in this season. In my home, I change the season decorations as the seasons revolve. I don’t go overboard, I keep it simple, just a few details change, the rest stays the same. This is an area in my studio where I allow some display. The leopard purse is a lamp, its warm color at night gives the room a special glow and it goes with all the golden tones you see around it.
The leopard lamp
In another area of my studio, under a large “oeil de boeuf” mirror I display small ceramic pumpkins with a collectible Mr. Pumpkin. The room feels happy and warm. This is where I work, I like to feel in tune with each current season, the sensations and emotions they all bring. In the rest of the house, I have seasonal fresh flowers once a week.
Mr. Pumpkins
Outside my entry door, I might place a pumpkin or two while they are in season and that is all.
Decorating with the seasons doesn’t have to be a chore or difficult and neither expensive. As long as one acknowledges the changes life brings and enjoys them. Celebrate the changes, please. Ciao, Valentina Amazon Author’s Page Goodreads
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. Some years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host producing shows under her label: Valentina Design Universe. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire, and inform, while she is living her passion. Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble
Welcome! Immerse yourself in the colorful world of Modern Tropical, an eclectic lifestyle brand for people who love the retro-modern beach aesthetic. It is produced by independent award-winning artist Kristian Gallagher.
Valentina Expressions 