Author: Auroras & Blossoms Page 2 of 32

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The Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Focus on Julie A. Sellers

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On August 13, 2024

In Latest book releases, The Warm Mug of Cozy Corner

Welcome to our mini-series on A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology, which celebrates the writers whose stories are featured in Volume 2 of our yearly anthology.

Today, Julie A. Sellers is sharing what inspired her story “The Takedown.”

Everyone has probably had one of those coworkers—an insufferable individual with a nails-on-a-chalkboard personality that blends utter incompetence with bootlicking and credit stealing. I certainly have, and in truth, I’ve known more than one in my years in the workforce. I’ve often imagined what it would be like if such a detestable colleague finally met his comeuppance. “The Takedown” was inspired by this line of thought as I envisioned poetic justice for all those coworkers.


Julie A. Sellers is the author of the 2023 High Plains Book Award Finalist novel Ann of Sunflower Lane (Meadowlark Press, 2022) and Kindred Verse: Poems Inspired by Anne of Green Gables (Blue Cedar Press, 2021). She was the Kansas Author’s Club’s Prose Writer of the Year (2020, 2022, 2023), and the Kansas Voices Contest Overall Winner in Poetry (2022) and Prose (2017, 2019). Julie’s creative prose and poetry have appeared in publications such as Flint Hills Review, Kansas City Voices, 105 Meadowlark Reader, Cagibi, Wanderlust, A Warm Mug of Cozy: Volume 1, Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies, Unlost, The Very Edge, and Kansas Time + Place.

Julie was born and raised in the Flint Hills near the small town of Florence, Kansas. Those great expanses of tallgrass prairie and reading fueled her imagination, and she began writing at an early age. After living in several states and countries, she is happy to make her home in Atchison, KS.

Website: https://julieasellers.com

Thank you for sending us your story, Julie! We know people will love reading it as much as we have.

In the meantime, don’t forget to order your copy of A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Volume 2.

CLICK TO GRAB YOUR COPY

Cendrine & David

The Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Focus on Anne Elliot

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On August 6, 2024

In Latest book releases, The Warm Mug of Cozy Corner

Welcome to our mini-series on A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology, which celebrates the writers whose stories are featured in Volume 2 of our yearly anthology.

Today, Anne Elliot is sharing what inspired her story “The Norman Conquest.”

The idea for the story came after spending the afternoon with my husband, Norman. He was a bit alarmed by the storyline but I’ve assured him it’s a work of fiction (he says he’s keeping a copy as an insurance policy, I expect it’s taped under his desk labelled “In case of my death“).

I really enjoy creating comic situations for characters. Life has its sad and depressing moments, this is some kind of therapy, relieving the stress and sparking a little happiness.


Anne Elliot lives in England and got the idea of someone bumping off Normans after spending the afternoon with her husband, Norman.

Thank you for sending us your story, Anne! We know people will love reading it as much as we have.

In the meantime, don’t forget to order your copy of A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Volume 2.

CLICK TO GRAB YOUR COPY

Cendrine & David

The Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Focus on Lisa M. Lane

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On July 30, 2024

In Latest book releases, The Warm Mug of Cozy Corner

Welcome to our mini-series on A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology, which celebrates the writers whose stories are featured in Volume 2 of our yearly anthology.

Today, Lisa M. Lane is sharing what inspired her story “No Good Deed.”

My story “No Good Deed” had two inspirations. The first was being on a jury for a murder trial where the body was found in an amazingly tidy garage. The second was being able to see the islands off the coast of California after weeks of fog. I began to think, what would happen if a body was found in a garage but the murder was actually committed off-shore? Would Rosie McMahon and Lou, my characters from Bummer at Luna Beach, be able to figure it out? I thought they would, or at least Rosie would, if she just had one good clue!

Author and Historian Lisa M. Lane writes in several genres. Her mysteries, historical and contemporary, feature a light touch with timely underlying themes. Her novels include Before the Time Machine, a literary novel about a historian investigating H.G. Wells, and the Tommy Jones Mysteries, which take place in mid-Victorian England.

Lisa lives in San Diego with her woodcrafting husband David and their cat Sabrina.

Website: https://grousablebooks.com

Thank you for sending us your story, Lisa! We know people will love reading it as much as we have.

In the meantime, don’t forget to order your copy of A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Volume 2.

CLICK TO GRAB YOUR COPY

Cendrine & David

The Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Focus on Andre DeCuir

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On July 23, 2024

In Latest book releases, The Warm Mug of Cozy Corner

Welcome to our mini-series on A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology, which celebrates the writers whose stories are featured in Volume 2 of our yearly anthology.

Today, Andre DeCuir is sharing what inspired his story “The Body in the Bog.”

My story  is set in the middle ages, 12th century, I would say, as I have always been interested in the literature and art of the period.  When murder mysteries happen to be set in the middle ages, then I am extremely interested.  I have read the works of Ellis Peters and Margaret Frazer, and their works have inspired me to try my hand at a medieval murder mystery.   I thought about a royal valet as a possible protagonist because in helping a royal person look his best in public,  he would have to have a keen eye for detail, a skill that would be most helpful in solving crimes as well.

I recently became interested in the poetry of Irish poet Seamus Heaney, who has written poems based upon the discovery of “bog bodies,” bodies of medieval people almost perfectly preserved because of the makeup of the bogs.  These two interests were combined in the story “The Body in the Bog,” a story that I would call a medieval “cold case”!

Andre DeCuir’s work has appeared in publications such as Adelaide Literary Journal, Blink-Ink, Heron Tree, Mystery Tribune, Shotgun Honey, Origami Poems Project, Gay Flash Fiction, Dialogual, and The Rose and Thorn Journal.

Thank you for sending us your story, Andre! We know people will love reading it as much as we have.

In the meantime, don’t forget to order your copy of A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology: Volume 2.

CLICK TO GRAB YOUR COPY

Cendrine & David

The PoArtMo Anthology Series: Focus on Cendrine Marrouat

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On July 18, 2024

In Inspirational Artist Series, The PoArtMo Corner

Hello everyone!

Welcome to our PoArtMo Anthology Series, which celebrates the artists whose work appears in The Auroras & Blossoms PoArtMo Anthology: Volume 5.

Today’s guest is Cendrine Marrouat, co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms, who has contributed a very unique set of poems. She explains what inspired her pieces.

Those who know me are aware that I love challenging myself as an artist. I believe that it is one of the most effective ways of getting rid of writer’s block.

Over the years, I have created several poetry forms, which are all inspired by the Haiku: the Hemingku, Kindku, Pareiku, Sixku, Sepigram, and Vardhaku. (Three of them have also involved David Ellis.) I invented my own type of flash fiction, called the Flashku, too. So, I wanted to share a few examples of those in this year’s volume, as well as a short story that reinvents the myth behind sunsets and sunrises.

I have been passionate about the Haiku for two decades. Its minimalistic approach makes it a very challenging form to master. I also consider it one of the greatest poetry forms ever created. To be impactful, the Haiku requires a deep dive into the exploration of one’s emotions. It is not something I have experienced with other forms—at least not as strongly.

That is exactly what the forms I (co-)created are all about.

Whenever I start working on a piece, I want to do more than just entertain readers. My biggest goal is to inspire them to sit and think about the world around them, and (re-)learn to enjoy the little things.

Of course, not everyone will relate to my message. But writing from a place of self-worth and self-understanding has helped me remain grounded. I would not be the artist and person I am today without it.

Bio:

Cendrine Marrouat is a French-born Canadian photographer, writer, poet, painter, digital artist, podcaster, and the multi-genre author of 50 books. In 2019, she co-founded Auroras & Blossoms and PoArtMo with David Ellis. She is also the (co-)creator of several poetry forms and a type of digital image.

Cendrine writes both in French and English and has worked in many different fields in her 21-year career, including translation, language instruction, journalism, art reviews, and social media.

Website: https://creativeramblings.com

Cendrine, thank you for supporting Auroras & Blossoms! We know that people will love your work as much as we all do!

That’s it for this year’s series! See you in 2025 for the next volume of our PoArtMo Anthology. In the meantime, don’t forget to purchase your copy of Volume 5! See below for more information.

The Auroras & Blossoms PoArtMo Anthology: Volume 5 is available! Click here to purchase your copy.

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