“Resilience is Her Saving Grace” – Nominated for Publication of the Month by Spillwords Press!

On May 26, 2024 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Nominations & Awards98 Comments

Dear Family and Friends,

I am excited to share that my story “Resilience is Her Saving Grace” has been nominated for Publication of the Month by Spillwords Press. In the past, I’ve only submitted poetry, but I stepped out of the box and submitted this fiction short story that is reality for many, so I am thrilled with this nomination! This recognition means the world to me, and it is an honor to be in the company of so many amazing writers. Thank you to Dagmara, her team at Spillwords, and to the readers who offer the most wonderful support of my writing. The email that landed in my inbox last night was…

Dear writers,

We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to every one of you! Your exceptional pieces have been nominated due to popular demand for May’s Publication of The Month.

You have the power to decide the winner by casting your vote here: https://spillwords.com/vote/

We encourage you to share this link with your family, friends, and supporters, as their votes can make all the difference.

Please note that voting will conclude on 5/29; soon after, we will reveal the well-deserved recipient of this prestigious title.

To vote, kindly register and/or log in to ensure your voice is heard.

The winning publication will be prominently featured on the Spillwords.com sidebar throughout the entire month of June, gaining well-deserved recognition from our global audience.

HERE ARE THE NOMINEES:

The Antiquarian by Steven Elvy
Crescendo by Alan David Gould
Resilience is Her Saving Grace by Lauren Scott
The Road Less Travelled by Vidya Venkataramanan
A Squirrel’s Front Teeth Never Stop Growing by Barbara Harris Leonhard
Sun Over Cadaqués by Kate Aranda Nye
The Dark Night of the Soul by Michael Balner
There Are Angels on Earth by Simona Prilogan
Passages – Last Sailing by Gerry Stefanson
(My) Night-Long Lament by Michelle Ayon Navajas
From The Land of Olives by Nada M. Sobhi
Turning Tables by Nova Loverro
In Memory of Harold Bloom by Jake Sheff
French Fry Etiquette by Judge Burdon

To all the nominees, good luck! Your contributions have enriched our platform, and we deeply appreciate your excellent collaboration and participation.

Warm regards,

Editing Team | Editing Department
editor@spillwords.com

Resilience is Her Saving Grace

The tempest held its vigil on the horizon but continued to fool her. Devotion in his eyes mesmerized her whole being, awakened every pulse in her body. Eyes that spoke the language of love where their future glowed like an apricot dawn. She bestowed her heart permission to be swept into his pools of blue…

And yet, every day she anticipates the sting from his hand – the palm or back, makes no difference. The sting smarts like hell, but her heart secures the brunt of the damage. The slaps begin early each morning if she doesn’t move fast enough to appease his caffeine demands. And it’s ironic that he chose ‘chalet’ for his cell alarm because the calming tone contrasts to his horrific demeanor. After he walks through the front door following a day’s work, if she so much as smiles unknowingly to his disliking, his hand finds her cheek, and she feels the strike of skin even before impact. 5 p.m. on the mantel clock makes her heart pound as though trying to make a getaway.

The house that once was a home mirrors a prison. Cameras keep their eyes on her as he watches from his downtown office. Claustrophobia slithers down her spine. She struggles to quell the panic attacks. And her cell is meant only to reach him or to answer his calls. He tracks her like a wild animal. The ring on her finger stole all contact from the outside world – lost like a loved one’s passing. Grieving has no end, but she doesn’t dare misbehave because the pain is relentless.

She recalls the beautiful moments when his hands would send tingles from her neck down the map of her body. What did I do wrong? consumed her every thought when he transformed from loving husband to beast. Thoughts that became so tangled, she couldn’t ruminate until the truth stared her in the face. Her cheeks grew hot like asphalt in August from the realization that the monster had always existed.

Before the perfect couple whispered those two celebrated words on that breezy afternoon, signifying “You are my forever person,” he wore charm impeccably like a well-pressed dress shirt – his kisses intoxicating as jasmine, gentle like summer rain – respect enfolded in each embrace. Then donning satin and lace, the solitaire sparkled like her heart and soul, but true personas can take cover behind convincing eyes and smiles.

How could she have missed the signs? She ponders over and over.

Time – revelations, decisions, and strategies always take time. Her defense, submission, though she loathes appearing weak, and the agony tests her strength. But the path will wend its way, leading her to a door for a fresh start, caressing her bruised face and her body, his punching bag.

Gazing out the window, she watches courage whirl among the cottony clouds. Around the corner, freedom waits with intensity, as though motioning for her to come closer, excited for her new, safe beginning. She witnesses a glimpse of hope in the pink daisy pushing through the crack in the sidewalk.

But biding her time means life, and staying alive is her objective. She must bleed toughly. Resilience is her saving grace and not meant to be scattered on the floor, anymore.
She must be smart to be free.

If you’d like, you can visit the original post of “Resilience is Her Saving Grace” on Spillwords by clicking here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Thank you for stopping by! Voting will conclude on Wednesday, May 29th, so I would greatly appreciate your vote here: https://spillwords.com/vote/ If you don’t have an account, registering is required, and I know one more account and password is a lot to ask of you, but please know that I appreciate your time! And if you already have an account, simply log in and click on the circle next to my story. 💞🙏

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
Spillwords images and email courtesy of Spillwords Press.

I appreciate you and your wonderful support!
Hugs,
Lauren ❤️

Counting the days!

On January 30, 2024 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Nominations & Awards, Poetry47 Comments

Time is flying, minutes are passing by at lightning speed, the days are staying lighter a little longer, and tomorrow, Wednesday, January 31st, is the last day to vote! Again, thank you to Dagmara and her team for publishing my work. I’m honored to be nominated for this award, and to be among wonderful friends who are amazing writers! As far as I’m concerned, we’re all winners! 🎉🎉

To vote, you’ll need to log in, and I know this can be challenging. But I do appreciate your time, effort, and support! I really do! 🙏

In order to cast your vote, simply click here. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! ❤️

I’ll leave you with a poem from my book (the poem from which my book found its title) to guide you through today and days to come. I’ve shared it before, so enjoy for another reading!

Ever So Gently

Sometimes we get lost
in our thoughts…
losing focus of the stars
lighting up the night sky.
We tumble too deeply
into the frontal lobe,
allowing negative thoughts
to awaken, to throw a tantrum.

Remember, the breeze carries
burdens down rivers
and across oceans,
majestic trees sway with joy,
sheltering from shadows,
and the light shines even if only
a slight glimmer slips through.

Its glow will grow ever so gently
into a bright beacon of hope
rising with the golden sun
bringing clarity to our vision.

A collection of poems about nature,
love, and the mysteries of life.
Click on the image to purchase your copy.
Thank you! 💚

Nomination for 2023 Author of the Year from Spillwords Press!

On January 26, 2024January 27, 2024 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Nominations & Awards, Poetry90 Comments

Dear Family and Friends,

What a surprise I discovered last night to find an email from Dagmara at Spillwords Press informing me that I have been nominated for Author of the Year for 2023!

The following nominees for Author of the Year are:

SmithaV
Michelle Ayon Navajas
Cindy Georgakas
Lauren Scott
Suman Pokhrel
Verity Mason
Nial Crowley
Vidya Venkataramanan
Caroline Ashley
Adele Evershed
Rob Wilcher
Dawn DeBraal
Ernie Stricsek

So, this is the time when I ask for your vote, and voting begins today and will end on Wednesday, January 31st. You will need to log in to vote, but all I can do is ask. You may cast your vote by clicking on this link: https://spillwords.com/vote/

A soft reminder, I was voted Author of the Month for May 2023 where I shared that exciting news here: https://baydreamerwrites.com/2023/06/01/spillwords-press-author-of-the-month-for-may/

I also had the pleasure and privilege of doing an interview with Dagmara, which I shared in the post below:

SPILLWORDS INTERVIEW IS LIVE TODAY!

A Big Thank You to Dagmara K. and her team for recognizing my work and for this wonderful nomination!!!!

** Please remember that you’ll need to log into Spillwords to vote, and voting is happening now and will end on Wednesday, January 31st!

Good luck to all the amazing authors!

Thanks so much for your kind support! ❤️🙏🏻

Photo credit for flowers goes to me.
Spillwords logos from Spillwords Press.

A collection of poems about nature,
love, and the mysteries of life.
Click on the image to purchase your copy.
Thank you! 💚

Nomination from Spillwords Press!

On February 26, 2023 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Nominations & Awards, Poetry, Writing87 Comments

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I was so excited to receive this email from Spillwords Press:

Dear writers,

We want to congratulate you all, as your pieces have been nominated due to Popular Demand for ‘Publication of The Month’ for January & February!

You can vote here: https://spillwords.com/vote/

After clicking on the above link, you’ll see my poem on the right sidebar on the very top, “The World is Broken.”

Voting will cease on Wednesday, March 1st, and soon after we will reveal the winner.

Please note, you need to register and/or login to vote.

The winning publication will be featured on Spillwords.com sidebar during the entire month of March.

I am truly honored to receive this nomination and to be among so many talented authors!

Photo by Sebastian Arie Voortman on Pexels.com

If you haven’t read my poem, “The World is Broken,” you can read it here .

Now, the last thing I want to ask anyone to do is to create another account and password! I’m sure the mental cabinet you stash away your millions of accounts and passwords tilts as much as your TBR!!! But, it doesn’t hurt to ask, right?

So, would you be so kind as to vote for me before March 1st? I would greatly appreciate your support! But there is no pressure to create an account and I understand that dilemma. 🤗

Most importantly, Thank you for stopping by, for voting if you do, and for simply reading and considering!

Wishing you all a fabulous week ahead! ❤️❤️❤️

© Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
Spillwords Logo: credit to Spillwords.com
Photo of woman: credit to Spillwords.com to accompany my poem.

Smorgasbord of Fun

On May 3, 2018 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Awards, Blogging21 Comments

Two lovely friends recently nominated me for awards and a quote challenge. Even though I haven’t
participated in awards for years, I feel compelled to graciously accept them both. However, instead of nominating individuals, I’m leaving it up to anyone who wants to follow through. It’s too hard to choose, anyway, because you’re all deserving!

Part 1 – I was nominated by Sarah at secretartexpedition.wordpress.com for the Blogger Recognition Award. Thank you so much, Sarah, for thinking of me and for the beautiful words you wrote about my blog, too. In accepting this award, we need to write a brief story of how our blog was started. So, here goes…

“When I turned fifty and since I love to write poetry, my son suggested that I start a poetry blog. I had never blogged before and really only heard about the world of blogging after watching the movie, “Julie and Julia” about a woman (superbly played by Amy Adams) who sets a deadline of one year to prepare all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” Meryl Streep played the role of Julia exquisitely. As Julie cooked throughout that year, she also blogged about her experiences, some good, some stressful. Not only was it a great movie, but I was intrigued.

Soon after, I took my son’s suggestion, and that was in 2011! Throughout the years, it’s been an enlightening journey of making amazing friends, as well as, a growing experience in writing.”

In accepting this award, we’re also supposed to give advice to new bloggers, so here is mine:
“Think of something you’re truly passionate about, then embed that passion into your blog posts. Don’t worry about stats – just have fun, then see what follows.”

Here are the Rules for the Blogger Recognition nominees:

Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide links to their blog.
Write a post to show your award.
Attach the award to your post.
Write a brief story of how your blog started.
Give a piece of advice to new bloggers.
Select the other 15 blogs you want to give the award to.
Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them.
Be inspired to live your best life every day.

growingselfbloggerawardimg_7849-e1495735162603 Sarah also nominated me for the Growing Self Blogger Award.

This award has been created by Roda from over at Growing Self and you can read in her own words what it is about:

“The Growing Self Blogger Award has been created to acknowledge and celebrate amazing individuals, in the blogging community, who are persevering through life’s challenges not only to GROW as individuals, but to reach out and help others GROW as well.”

Thanks again, Sarah! I’m honored on both counts!

And here are the rules to this award:

1. Put the award logo/image on your blog.
2. List the rules.
3. Thank the individual who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
4. Describe the award and mention the creator: Roda _ Growingself.blog.
5. Nominate up to 5 blogs. Remember, the purpose of this award is to specifically celebrate those individuals who have made a difference in your life or the lives of others.
6. Give at least 1 reason why you nominated each individual.
7. Notify your nominees of the award.

I want to finish this part by saying that if you haven’t visited Sarah’s blog yet, please do so. She is the most amazing painter, and each time I pop on over, I am in awe of her talent. Below is her recent painting of Franklin – watercolor on paper, April 2018. Isn’t he absolutely adorable? And Franklin is just one example of Sarah’s ability to beautifully portray nature with the means of a skilled artist.

duckling

Part 2 – I was nominated by Annika at annikaperry.com to participate in The 3 Day Quote Challenge. I’ve always loved quotes and their ability to personally resonate for some reason or another.

For the next three days, I will be posting a quote and explaining why it’s made an impression on me, though life probably won’t allow me to do posts three consecutive days in a row. So, rules are meant to be broken! 🙂

To the challenge…The rules are as follows:

Thank the person who nominated you.
Post a quote on 3 consecutive days.
Share why this quote appeals so much to you.
Nominate 3 different bloggers for each day.

Thanks so much to Annika for this nomination! She is an amazing fiction writer, who can tell stories that evoke every little emotion inside of you. Her debut book, “The Storyteller Speaks” read more like a #1 on the bestseller list. It was a page-turner and definitely a book that can’t be put down. Please pay Annika a visit and while you’re there, you can purchase a copy of her book simply by clicking on the book image on her sidebar. It’s as easy as that!

Now for my quote. Funny thing is I heard “Have it All” by Jason Mraz today for the first time and absolutely loved it. What first came to mind after listening to both words and music was simply happiness! Happy, Happy, Happy! After watching the video, you can’t help but feel good. So, instead of sharing a quote, I’m going to share the first part of this song, which is more like a wish for you…

“May you have auspiciousness and causes of success
May you have the confidence to always do your best
May it take no effort in you being generous
Sharing what you can, nothing more, nothing less
May you know the meaning of the word happiness
May you always lead from the beating in your chest
May you be treated like an esteemed guest
May you get to rest, may you catch your breath

And may the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows
And may the road less paved be the road that you follow

I want you to have it all (have it all)

And now you have reached the end, but not without the video link so you can get yourself some happiness, too: https://youtu.be/BFkTu8Y1KLs.

Please note: I was able to link the video, but for some unknown reason, I was unable to link Sarah and Annika’s blogs, but you can copy and paste. They’re in red font so not to miss them.

I hope you enjoyed this post, in spite of its lengthiness, and found some little tidbit that brightens your day….because “I want you to have it all!” ❤

A, B, C, D, E, F, G ♫ ♫

On August 20, 2013 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Awards, Nominations & Awards12 Comments

It’s been awhile since I’ve followed through with awards, simply because of life and time limits, not because they weren’t greatly appreciated. So, I
recently received this ABC award (that I don’t remember receiving in the past) from a lovely lady and new friend,
Cha, at http://www.dontchawannadream.wordpress.com

She is a wonderful artist that I’ve enjoyed getting to know just recently.
She also has a big heart and a constant “smile.” If you haven’t visited her blog, please do so, you won’t be disappointed! Merci beaucoup, Cha! xxx

Here are the rules for this fun award:

1) Thank and link back to who nominated you.
2) Say something about yourself with a word or a phrase beginning with each letter of the alphabet.
3) And of course nominate some other bloggers for the award!

So here goes…and I admit to cheating a bit…some have more than one word! 🙂

A– Affectionate B– Bride, 24 years ago C- Caring D– Dancing, love it E– Emotional F – Friends, loved the sitcom G– Gemstones H – Hugs & Hubby I– Ice cream, Mint Chocolate Chip J– January (wedding anniversary) K– Kids (2) L– Lattes M– Music & Mountains N– Never Give Up! O– Ocean
P– Pets, dogs to be specific Q– Quarters (meter $) R– Reading, Rainbows & Rivers S– Singing T– Tim McGraw U– Understanding V– Vanilla W– Wine
X– X-rays (from the past, this was tough) Y– Yoda, George Lucas lives near us Z– Zealous 🙂

Instead of choosing specific bloggers to pass this on to, I leave it up to you! If you’d like to play along and pass it on, then please feel free! This was really fun and even a little challenging! I hope you enjoyed and thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful day or evening! Lauren ♥

Photo credit to Google Images

The Sisterhood Award/The Addicted Blogger Award ♥

On September 30, 2012 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Nominations & Awards18 Comments

The Sisterhood Award

I received this award, from Francina, seasonspoetry.com, and
Renee, positiveboomer.net. Francina’s blog exudes elegance and adventure, through her beautiful photography and travel journals. Whether she shares her emotions through her own writing or through writing of another poet, her blog is a “must!” Renee’s blog offers a daily blast of healthy inspiration to go on your merry way. She emphasizes that it is never too late to get in shape and lead a healthy life! Pay them both a visit; you will not be disappointed. They are both lovely ladies and I am so glad they are in my “Sister Circle!” Thank you both very much! ♥

I hadn’t heard of this award before and am truly humbled to be part of the “Sisterhood!” And truthfully, if there were a Brotherhood Award, it would be my pleasure to hand it to those male bloggers whom I also follow!

The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award.

One of the rules of the award is to tell people 7 things about yourself, hitherto not mentioned on your blog. I have shared some things about myself in previous awards, so I will try not to repeat myself or cause you to

Seven things about myself:
1. I am blessed to have met so many wonderful women through blogging. I feel as though I’ve known you for years!
2. Although, I have many great memories from the past, I wouldn’t want to go back in time. I’m comfortable and happy with my life right now.
3. It’s rewarding and fun having older kids (21 & 17), spending time with them as adults, but it’s still hard letting go. I’m not very good at it, but I’m definitely working on it!
4. I love the country and mountains the most.
5. I may be going back to school (still considering).
6. In January, my hubby and I will celebrate 24 years of marriage.
7. I visit our local library often to check out more books to read; it’s almost as good as visiting Sees Candy!

Instead of following through with 7 (as the rules state) or even more nominations, I’m going to break the rules, hoping the blog award police don’t come after me. Every woman who has visited and supported me in any way, please accept this Sisterhood Award. You may have simply stopped by for a brief look, or liked, commented or followed. It doesn’t matter…there are too many wonderful “sisters” to choose from and I can’t leave anyone out. So, if you are inclined, take this lovely award and pass it on. There is no pressure, of course, and if you choose not to accept, then I’m going to echo Francina’s words by saying “tuck it away somewhere as a token of my appreciation of your creativity.”

The Addictive Blog Award

The Addictive Blog Award was given to me also by Renee at: http://positiveboomer.wordpress.com. Renee is a warm and kind soul who shares an abundance of healthy tips, not to be missed! Please visit her and you will love her ongoing inspiration for a healthy life! I’m very appreciative, Renee, thank you so much for thinking of me for this award. Again, I hadn’t heard of this one and since my one year blogging anniversary is coming up, I suppose it is fitting! Although, I’d like to replace “Addictive” with “Passionate!” 🙂

The rules for this Award are as follows:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link them back.
Thanks so much, Renee!

2. Share a little bit about why you started blogging.

I had always loved to write poetry, but the nudging from my son to start this blog is how it all began. Being a novice in this new land of blogging, I wasn’t sure what to expect or what I really wanted to get out of it. I have been given so much more than I ever anticipated. Meeting people all over the world is beyond amazing, reading other’s poems is not only enjoyable, but a big part of learning. The friendships made are priceless, so there are many more facets to blogging than simply blogging in itself! It has been a most rewarding journey and I thank you all!

3. Copy and Paste the award onto your own blog.

4. Nominate up to 10 other bloggers you think are addictive enough to deserve the award.

It is so hard to choose and leave others out, so please check out my blogroll for some of my favorites. Again, I’m breaking the rules! However, just so you know my blogroll is an infinite list and needs updating! All of you are absolutely wonderful!

Another big Thank You! ♥

Lauren

Blog Award Appreciation ♥

On June 27, 2012June 30, 2012 By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Nominations & Awards24 Comments

I would like to thank all of you wonderful bloggers who have nominated me for an award in the past several months. Some of these came during the time of my Mom’s illness and passing and some are more current. So I apologize for this delayed post…As I’ve said in the past, I am very humbled, grateful and still a bit stunned that my writing has touched so many others. I appreciate your time taken to visit my blog, click the “like” button or leave a lovely comment. Unfortunately, due to other time constraints, I won’t be able to follow through in the usual manner, however, I do want to acknowledge these amazing bloggers:

Renee: positiveboomer.wordpress.com: One Lovely Blog and Versatile Blogger
Archana: ravenousforlife.wordpress.com: Very Inspiring Blog
Cynthia: songsofseasons.wordpress.com: Commenter Award
Himanshu: bulletinamaelstrom.wordpress.com: Leibster Blog
Martha: inlovewiththelord.wordpress.com: One Lovely Blog
Sharon: figmentsandimagination.wordpress.com: Hug Award
Dianda: catsnco.wordpress.com: One Lovely Blog
Autumn & Gabby: autumnsunshineandgabrielleangel.wordpress.com: One Lovely Blog, Writing Award
Wendell: foreverpoetic.me: Hug Award, One Lovely Blog, Kreative Blogger, Reader Appreciation Award, Writing Award
Maribel:maribelskidneystory.wordpress.com:One Lovely Blog
Daoud: mmmluck.wordpress.com: One Lovely Blog
Tim: thecreativejuicer.com: One Lovely Blog, Very Inspiring Blog
Shalvika:shalvikap.wordpress.com: One Lovely Blog
Ahmad: a7madkhalifa.wordpress.com: Sunshine Award
Pauline: newfoundlandtraveller.wordpress.com: Reader Appreciation Award
Red: mommasmoneymatters.com: Sparkly’s Comment Award

Many of these wonderful people, I consider my friends and many others, I’ve recently met and look forward to getting to know better. They offer beauty through writing and photography, sharing inspiration, motivation, spiritual guidance, love, smiles and laughter, heart tugging situations, love for Mother Earth, and so much more…I ask you to visit their sites, if you’re not already following them! 🙂

I also give my sincere “Thanks” to everyone else who stops by. I am truly moved by the response I’ve received since I started this blog eight months ago, from one who “writes from the heart.” ♥

Hugs and Blessings to you all!

Lauren xo

Photo from our backyard~ 🙂