Tag: lust

The Journey to Mara Prose!

The theme for the upcoming year is all about my journey thus far.  Mara Prose has come a long way since the inception of my brand.  What initially started as a hobby, a past time, a simple way of voicing my opinion; has now grown into an international movement to consistently inspire, empower, encourage and motivate.  I am proudly boasting over 6 thousand followers worldwide and steadily growing every day.

It is that time of year where I need to enlighten all my followers on the future of Mara Prose.

New! Prosey’s Corner – weekly broadcast
Proseys Corner

My new radio show on 4ERadio.com is only getting better and better each week.  As we continue to flourish and gain more sponsors, the time that we broadcast will expand.  We are also planning to add comedic relief to our show in the very near future.  Our show will continue to have special guests who bring a wide variety of topics for discussion.  Please be sure to tune in every Saturday morning 9am CST/10am EST on 4ERadio.com or call the studio line at 323-642-1391.


The Davenports Trilogy

The Davenports Synopsis

Due to unforseen circumstances, we had to push the release date for the first installment to Pre-Sales on February 3, 2018 and official release March 2, 2018.  I picked these two dates in honor of my best friend and baby sister who both have offered a tremendous amount of support and encouragement to the Mara Prose brand over the years.  Book II of the Davenports is tentatively scheduled to be released December 16, 2018.  Stay tuned!

New! The Journey to Mara Prose (An Anthology of Poetry)

I have decided to chronicle my journey to Mara Prose by means of my poetry.  There is nothing I write that is more raw, personal and honest as my poetry.  As I was reading through my poems, I discovered it accurately narrated my struggle towards self awareness, acceptance and my awakening; but most of all the poems encompass the birth of Mara Prose.  You can expect this anthology to be released on May 17th, 2018.

New! Mara Prose Publishing Projects

There is a story in all of us, and I am so proud to announce that more and more people are contacting me to help them find their voice and write their stories.  “Finding Your Voice” has become our new business motto and while we cannot take on all the projects we would like to, we look forward to producing the ones we can.  We have several exciting projects coming up in the new year, so be sure to support our aspiring writers!

New! The Mara Prose Virtual Book Club

Beginning January 2018, I will be holding live chats to discuss our book selections.  These chats will be available on Facebook Live and Instagram Live.  I will definitely have to get used to being in front of the camera a lot more, but I feel it will better engage my book club members.

The Mara Prose You Tube Channel

Is currently in development and not being utilized as a Mara Prose platform.  However, that will change in 2018 and we will release more details on the direction we plan to take with our You Tube videos at a later date.

As always, I want to thank all my Prosers for your support.  I have nothing but love for you and I hope you will continue to follow me on this Journey to Mara Prose.  It is a constant evolution and I promise my brand will always entertain, inspire, empower and motivate!

Until next time,

Author Mara Prose

by Author Mara Prose

Mara Prose Monday: Finding your inner strength in the midst of chaos…

First and foremost, let’s say a prayer in remembrance of 9/11, for Houston flood victims and for Miami.

Mara Prose Announcements:

Please be sure to tune into the Roku Channel: The Book Trailer Channel (Twitter @TBTC_TV ‏) to view my book trailer on your big screen!  See my first reaction to it below:


New Projects in Development:

  • Mara Prose App – the book will also be sold from here in addition to my website.  I am still deciding what else I want to do with the app, so stay tuned.
  • New Writing Projects – I will be ghostwriting a cookbook, a memoir and I also have a new memoir-ish book I am 9 chapters into while continuing to work on Book 2 of the The Davenports.
  • Mara Prose You Tube Channel youtube.com/c/AuthorMaraProse – is now LIVE with only videos of my book trailers at the moment but will soon include 5 – 15 minute segments of me discussing various topics.

Topic for Today: Finding your inner strength in the midst of chaos

Adversity builds strength and character.  Who you really are as a person will reveal itself in the midst of chaos, tragedy and loss.  The catastrophic hurricanes that have hit Houston and Miami have definitely tested the limits of everyone’s stress thresholds.  It was a blessing to see so many coming together to help each other through the storms.  It restored some of my faith in humanity.

So how do you find your inner strength in the midst of chaos?  First, you must identify your touchstone and it must be worth fighting for at all costs.  During the worst times of my life, it is my children who keep me fighting – in particular my son who never allows me to give up.  If I see worry on his face about me, it gives me the swift kick in the ass I need to get myself in gear and keep forging ahead.  Thank you Xavier Floyd for being your momma’s touchstone.
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These storms are much like the storms we all go through in life.  It is up to you to persevere.

Until next time, stay safe, love thy neighbor and never lose your inner strength.

~ Author Mara Prose

by Author Mara Prose

Thursday Thoughts: Wobbegong (A Mara Prose Poem)

Picture courtesy of Tokyo Ghoul Wiki – Fandom

You are motionless in your emotions
You give no chase, you only entice
Your duality camouflages who you really are
You prey on the weak and diminish the strong
Your attack is not expected, your victim is left severely wounded
And although you are slow to pounce
You can devour a soul in a fraction of a second
Your third eye is not wisdom, it is deceit
You are a bottom dwelling succubus
Your bite is often unprovoked
Your ambush is renowned and your victims are many
You will suck your lover’s heart dry and go on to the next
The lover will be left exhausted, jaded and in extreme pain
Oh Wobbegong, why do you feed on the weak and strong alike?
Mend your heart, nourish your soul, find a true passion
You feel empty because you are empty
Your sole purpose is to consume but you are never fulfilled
Oh Wobbegong, sorry to say you will never rise to the top
Your place is designated to the bottom
You cannot ride the backs of others
So go back to your corner and hide
Because Wobbegong, you are nothing but a bottom
dwelling leech waiting for your next casualty

wobbegong shark

~ Author Mara Prose

by Author Mara Prose

Wednesday Wisdom: Is Instagram Ruining Our Female Friendships? by Amy Leak

Picture Courtesy of Tom’s Guide

This article: Is Instagram Ruining Our Female Friendships?  by Amy Leak is everything!  I honestly could not have said this any better.  I think we have all been guilty of this at one time or another.  The key is to admitting to our envy and working to fight against it.  We all need to stop looking at these small moments in time captured by Instagram and Facebook, and realize they do not equate to a happy life.  It only takes a few seconds to smile for the camera and what is not captured, is all the hidden traumas, insecurities, and life challenges that every individual is going through.  I find people who stalk other people’s accounts looking for some sort of evidence that they are not alone in their misery very sad.  I also find it sad that people post seeking validation or purposely trying to incite envy in others. 

We all have problems.  We all have things we are going through and none of us are perfect.  Yet, no matter how many times you repeat that, people still fail to grasp that concept and will continue to compare their lives to others.  It is true that misery loves company but if you find that you practice that often, you have some re-evaluating to do.  Sadly, it is simply the world we live in.

I think we all need to take some time and disconnect and self reflect.  I say that a lot in my blog posts but it is true.  Stop pretending to be someone that you are not.  Try to really be honest with yourself.  It is a hard thing to do but it can bring you so much peace of mind.  For me, I don’t see a lot of my friend and family’s post because I have filled my Facebook and Instagram timelines with stuff I like to regularly see – such as news articles, anything about writing and celebrity gossip, lol!  All my social media is very Pinterest like; I follow things that appeal to my intellect.  I say this because it might be a solution for someone else who has difficulty feeling inferior about their life due to other people’s posts.  If someone gets under your skin, just un-follow them.  There is no need to criticize them or roll your eyes about whatever they share, just simply remove yourself from their page. 

Please take the time to read this fantastic article and take it to heart. ~ Mara Prose 

In case the link above does not work for you, here is Amy’s Huffington Post article:

The familiar envy-inducing selfie. Many of us can agree we’ve wasted many morning commutes erratically scrolling through aspirational images of our female peers with a sinking sense of depreciation.

The Ugly Truth

Why do we look at these selfies? Aspiration. Motivation. #Goals.

What does this actually achieve? Comparison. Self-criticism. Envy.

Envy is an ugly thing. We don’t want to admit we feel inadequate or that we are doubtful of ourselves. Instead we feel envy that stirs up feelings of competition in all of us. She has something we want.

Competition is a defence mechanism for inadequacy. The truth is, we’d rather feel a sense of competition than admit she has something we want. And what does competition lead to? Individualism.

Now don’t get me wrong, individualism is good. However, there is a sort of individualism that produces a false independence, a fear of social intimacy, an unfounded assumption of others. The sad thing about the individualism that I’m talking about is that it is one that is immobilised by insecurity.

Let’s be honest, we are never going to achieve the exact same success we see on Instagram. Everyone’s measure and nature of success is different. More concerning still, these images are deliberate reconstructions and are not always authentic or achievable. As a result we’re breeding inferiority amongst women.

The Ugly Cycle

Why do we upload these selfies? Recognition. Affirmation. Achievement.

What does this actually achieve? A search for an identity on other people’s terms.

This is a losing battle.

Rather than sitting back and voyeuristically judging other women and ourselves, we should be forming real connections and relationships.

We can all build ourselves a digital avatar, an online personality through a carefully manipulated lens, a reward system based upon a reliance of others. What Instagram is actually doing is setting us apart more. It’s manufacturing a cycle built on destructive individualism and competition between women.

“My life is better than yours.”

I’m not saying you shouldn’t be able to share your lives with your friends. But there is such thing as a balance and sharing intimate snaps for the right reasons. We shouldn’t feel the need to find an identity in relation to others.

Rather than sitting back and voyeuristically judging other women and ourselves, we should be forming real connections and relationships. Instagram makes it very easy to become passive, detached from reality and unsatisfied.

I’ve got a few pieces of advice, my fellow females. Next time you meet someone (virtually or physically) that begins to stir up envy, just think:

She is an individual who is more than her image.

She has insecurities of her own, like you.

She has helped you understand more about what you might like to achieve in your own way.

You will fulfil your own personal ambitions on your terms.

Stay awesome and support each other, Ladies.

by Author Mara Prose

Tuesday Thoughts: Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds, And That’s Okay by Pardis Alia via her blog Thought Catalog

I felt this was perfect for Tuesday Thoughts, enjoy! ~ Mara Prose

unsplash.com“Time heals all wounds.” We’ve heard it before. It’s the saying that we’ve held close and hoped would tend to our hurt. We’ve put the bandages away. We’ve tucked the polysporin back into the medicine cabinet. And we’ve hoped, however in vain, that the days passing further away from the moment life cut into us…

via Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds, And That’s Okay — Thought Catalog

by Author Mara Prose

Mara Prose Monday: Obedience (Bible.com – YouVersion Devotional)

I begin everyday with a series of devotionals.  Today, I thought I would share one that really hit home.  ~ Mara Prose

Everyone hates being told what to do. “What right does so and so have to give me advice and telling me how to live my life? They have no idea what I am going through….You’re not my mom!!!”

One of the hardest things for people to accept is advice, yet sound, biblical advice is life-changing. All of the best advice will ultimately drive people back to one thing…obeying God.

Too many people want microwave answers to slow-cooker issues. They want to get immediate relief for the pain that took months or years to create.

You have to get real and realize that if your way worked, you would not be in the situation you are in. Free will on the other person’s part may play a big part of that, but realize that you had a hand in the matter too. They are not 100 % at fault, if you are willing to be honest.

In this world, obedience can be misinterpreted as control, manipulation, or fear. In God’s world, obedience means boundaries, protection, and love. When you live obedient to God’s direction, you will feel the safety that only He can give.

When you choose to be disobedient to God’s life-giving direction, you are choosing to be a slave to the way of the world, which results in pain and hurt. Being obedient to God will not be easy, but it will bring you the healing you need.

Prayer

God, today I choose to obey your Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Help me to stay strong each day as I follow You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

by Author Mara Prose

Friday Frankness: If I Was Who I Am Today…

I have been thinking back to who I was and who I have become.  If I was who I am today, a lot of people would never have been in my life.  There is a lot of nonsense I would not have entertained.  There are a lot of decisions that would have been made differently.  There are a lot of relationships that would have never existed.  My path would have been entirely different.

There are people who did not deserve my kindness.  There are people who did not deserve my tolerance.  There are people who did not deserve my love, and there are people who didn’t deserve my trust.

However, there were also good individuals who did not deserve my wrath.  There are those who did not deserve my callous treatment of their feelings.  And there are others who did not deserve my false friendship towards them; still others who did not deserve my neglect.  There are many people I pushed away, that I probably shouldn’t have.  But if I am honest with myself, I don’t miss them.

I do not like to regret things.  Everything that has happened to me up to this point, had to happen so I could become who I am today.  If I regret these things, that would equate to me regretting who I have become.  I have no regrets because I am who I am.  All the things that have taken place in my life and the decisions I made were decisions that I felt were in my best interest at the time.  They were not always the right decisions to make but I made them and I have wholeheartedly accepted the good and bad outcomes.

I feel like my life is just beginning.  I have an entire new lease on life; a life that better suits my personality.  It probably doesn’t make sense to the masses, but it makes sense to me.  I wake up everyday renewed, refresh and eager for what the day will bring.  There were many, many years that was not the case.  So if I was who I am today, I may not have arrived at this place of serenity.  And that would have been a tragedy.

~ Mara Prose

 

 

by Author Mara Prose