Thursday 9 June 2011

A World Without Books

By Pandora Poikilos

Today's post is the first stop in conjunction with the Blog-A-Licious Blog Tour a fantastic blog hop that brings together bloggers of all genres, backgrounds and locations. The blog featured after Peace from Pieces is the heartwarming How About This. Do stop by and say hello to her and the other participating bloggers. I'm pretty certain some of us are even having giveaways and contests. Enjoy! For a full list of all participating blogs, click HERE.

A world without books will most definitely be a world without expectations. We will not have the opportunity to learn and grow from the experiences of others. Even worse, we will not learn the lesson of having expectations for ourselves.

If we did not have books, we would not have Charles Dickens and if we did not have Dickens, we would not have Great Expectations in more ways than one. Charles Dickens had one of the hardest childhoods any child would ever know. He worked long hours for very little money to help his family and very few people thought anything good would come from such a debt ridden family. And yet, centuries later, with his work still influencing so many of us, this is a fact one would find hard to believe. If anything, Great Expectations has taught us to believe that things aren't always what they seem and most times life will surely give you the expected in unexpected ways.

Hope
Years ago, when I had lost everything and left only with the clothes on my back because I had trusted the wrong people, a family member told me that once they had had a lot of hope for me. But crippled with so many failures, a rare medical condition which no one understood and not turning out the way they had wanted, I was now a failure. There was no more hope for me, she said. She then let out a series of dramatic sobs to the point one would have thought someone had died. I crumbled. Even if I hadn't felt like a failure before, her words crushed me to the point of insignificance. I sort solace with two of my oldest friends. Both have been around even before I was diagnosed with BIH, stayed on as the pieces fell apart and irrelevant of distance, time or issue, both offered hope. Every time we spoke, they would listen, they would comfort but two reminders were constantly drilled into my thick skull and depressed emotions. The first was "you do not give up on hope, ever". The second was "pick up a pen and write". Now, after more than a week of being #2 on Smashwords > Best Seller list the experience still feels surreal and yet, it is happening.

Faith
I first wrote Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out as a blog post. The title seemed apt as I was on the brink of my shunt surgery. When I actually received comments, I thought, "impossible", people were actually reading my work and were asking for more, and so it bloomed. One article to my very first novel. I had been sending out Frequent Traveler (which will now be my second novel) for months and months, each time it was rejected with a politely worded letter that my work was suited for some other publishing house. Then I thought, instead of taking myself apart about the rejections, I would take the story apart and send out Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out, instead. A fellow writer said, keep writing out the chapters, someone would be bound to spot it. When my publisher first wrote in and indicated interest, I thought "no, I must be dreaming". I read the email at least three times, closed it and opened it again just to make sure I was reading it right. So, here's the second expectation you must have. Faith in God. Faith in yourself. You have a talent. If you haven't found it, keep searching but it's there and you're not that worthless, no matter what people say.

Love
After a night out with the guys and as he sat chomping KFC, Peas blurted out "will you be my girl?" I laughed. I thought it was hogwash. I didn't trust him. More to the point, I didn't trust myself. What if I screw this up? What if I do something later on and he'll hate for me it? As it is, he knew bits of me, everything others had hated about me this person was sitting and saying, he wanted more of me. I didn't believe that I was capable of receiving love. I was wrong. We all need love. Be it the love that mends the broken bits of you, the kind that takes you back no matter how silly you've acted or the kind that reaches out to you when you fall, we all need it. It may not come from the people you expect and it most certainly won't come when you want it, but it'll be there when you need it. God knows how much to give you, when to give you. Trust in this. Expect love.

So, if there is one thing I can pass on from my humbling experiences in life, thus far, I will tell you this, the next time someone tells you "the absence of expectations is the absence of disappointment, do not listen. Have expectations. Keep them great. It'll be a very bumpy ride. You'll even get bruised, sometimes very badly. Sometimes, you'll come to an abrupt halt or even fall off your ride. But you'll grow. And if you do not grow, you do not live. Love and light.

Thank you being a part of the Blog-A-Licious Blog Tour!
Should you like to receive a complimentary copy of one of the following
1. Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out (Fiction, Novel)

2. Writing 101, 10 Simple Tips to Establishing Yourself As A Writer Using Social Media (Non-Fiction)
3. 10 Ways to Stop Your Panic Attacks Quickly, Simple techniques to keep your panic attacks from getting the best of you (Non-Fiction)
- feel free to leave me a comment with your email address or email me at pandorapoikilos@gmail.com

20 comments:

Tina Hoggatt said...

Loved your post, Pandora, and the subject. Thanks for including me in the tour.

kate said...

Hey Pandora

Love your write up =)

I would love to recieve a copy of both the non-fiction books if possible?

Hope you like our section on the tour!

Kate & Ashley

Sonia Rumzi said...

Amazing as usual! Inspiring!

Roy Durham said...

thank you Dora for the tour and this wonderful post. i have mine up how, should be a lot of fun. fath, hope and love is what makes up the soul and you have a shinning one thank you and god bless

Unknown said...

Hi Pandora, Great blog post. Thanks for the blog hop.

Shelley Workinger said...

Good for you - I am so saddened by how many people crush others and I admire your strength for fighting for yourself! What you put out into the universe does come back to you :)

griefcase.blogspot.com said...

Reading your post, I'm better equipped for a "bumpy" ride.

Thank you for sharing your eloquent words.

Linda Della Donna
founder/director
Griefcase.net

Mari Sterling Wilbur said...

Yes, life can be a bumpy ride. I never take anything for granted. I love your work and your posts. I'm looking forward to viewing all the links on Kriti's page. Great idea you have.

http://www.mariscamera.blogspot.com/

john said...

Great post! Inspiring and thought provoking.

Kriti said...

Dora - all I know is life is going the right way for you now. I am so happy for you and so very glad I found you here in Blogosphere. I so wish we could have met somewhere sometime... maybe that will happen too - I am half way through "Excuse Me, My Brains have stepped out" and I am in love with it. Thank God for books cause that is also what is bringing me closer to you.

Jim said...

Good thoughts you have posted up Pandora! Stay ever hopeful.
Hey, I got my post up for the tour.
http://www.youtube.com/user/naankuse1

Babz Rawls Ivy said...

There is no trumping the human spirit! Real friends love you and support. Those that couldn't stand with you did you a favor by walking out and leaving. You have all that you need to create the life of your dreams. YOU ARE DOING IT!

I am so thrilled to be apart of this blog-a-licious tour.

Anonymous said...

"Have expectations." So true. (Also, I love your icon of the week!)

Thanks for arranging the tour.

Sonia Rumzi said...

Hello again! Still love that post. As usual inspiring and encouraging. Hugs to a wonderful friend, writer and blogger. Thanks for all!

Finding One's Way said...

Dora,
Thank you for inviting me on the tour..
Loved you story : )
I have to say you are a marketing queen.
I am leaving my link to A World Without Books.
Finding One's Way

Ravenmyth said...

This is a great idea...I have always loved books and been an ardent reader. I feel some of the best stories told are those through life experiences...how boring things would be if everything was perfect..(then we would not need books, because there would be nothing to learn)..

The strongest most inspiring people are those who " Live" life...it's joys, bumps, griefs, diappointments, loves...etc...

Give me life anyday..write those books, blogs,stories...etc and lets learn!

divalush said...

Thanks for inviting me on the tour! Loved reading your post, it was very inspirational! Congrats!

Diane said...

Really enjoyed the blog and what everyone had to say. Very inspiring. Thank you.

Your Blog Host - Janet Beasley said...

How inspiring, and how I can relate to your way of thinking. Illness that no one recognizes, losing it all, and discovering Faith, Hope, and Love through God. Congrats on a wonderful post. I am so liking this blog tour, and am honored to be a part with so many great authors. ~Janet~ JLB Creatives jlbcreatives@gmail.com

Stacey Donaldson said...

Wonderfully inspiring post. I'm so glad you didn't give up, you're a writing natural! I found you on Book blogs and I will be stopping by the other blogs on the tour as well.

So nice to meet you, you are destined for success!

Stacey@ www.thewritetomakealiving.com

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Books Sold - 6 Nov 2011 to 31 May 2012

Some of you have asked me for my total number of books sold to evaluate KDP Select so here it is. Bear in mind, that results will vary based on genre and author. Good luck and remember, Keep Moving Forward.

Total - 120,836

1. Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out
Amazon Kindle - 42,559
Paperback -
Smashwords -

2. Frequent Traveller
Amazon Kindle - 35277
Paperback -
Smashwords -

3. Dora's Essentials - Books, Blogs & Smiles 1
Amazon Kindle - 462
Smashwords -

4. Mirror Me Martha (Short Story)
Amazon Kindle - 281
Smashwords -

5. Drive On Hope (Short Story)
Amazon Kindle - 190
Smashwords -

6. Blog-A-Licious Directory 2012
Amazon Kindle - 1
Smashwords -

7. Pandora's Reading Room 1
Amazon Kindle -
Paperback - N/A

8. The Cat That Barked (Short Story)
Amazon Kindle -

9. Dora's Essentials - Examining Anxiety
Amazon Kindle -

10. Dora's Essentials - Books, Blogs & Smiles 2
Amazon Kindle -

11. Elevenses from Around the World
Amazon Kindle -

12. Genetically Modified Foods vs. Sustainability
Amazon Kindle -

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SherbetBlossom

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Blog-A-Licious - Blue Frogs Legs

Blog-A-Licious - Pretty All True

Pretty All True

Blog-A-Licious - tbaoo

tbaoo

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Blog-A-Licious - The Invisible Art

Blog-A-Licious - Rediscovering Domesticity

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Blog-A-Licious - Quiver Full

Blog-A-Licious - Cori's Big Mouth

Blog-A-Licious - Great Fun

Greatfun4kids

Blog-A-Licious - Busy Wife

Blog-A-Licious - Steps To Happiness

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Blog-A-Licious - Toby & Max


Blog-A-Licious - Amelie

Raising Amelie

Blog-A-Licious - Peas In A Pod

Blog-A-Licious - Riley

Blognostics - Poetry

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My Awards - September 2010

My Awards - September 2010
Awarded By Jo Frances

My Awards - May 2011

My Awards - May 2011
Awarded By Alejandro Guzman

My Awards - May 2011

My Awards - May 2011
Awarded by Kriti Mukherjee

My Awards - April 2011

My Awards - April 2011
Awarded By Roy Durham

My Awards - June 2011

My Awards - June 2011
Awarded By Sulekha Rawat

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