Whole Made Of Pieces

InsecureWritersSupportGroupIWSG meets the first Wednesday of every month. A community of brilliant writers led by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Visit the Insecure Writer’s Support Group website and database! You’ll find everything from writing to marketing, along with encouragement and support!

Whole Made Of Pieces – Jonsi

We can instantly connect to another human being clear across the world and share in their trials and tribulations. We can read something stirring from another continent. We can hear the music of emotions pour from across the sea. We can see a breathtaking rendering from beyond our boundaries. This global community goes beyond physical distance–it transcends our spirits. We are linked by our hopes and dreams, by our fears and faults, by our need to matter.

We all matter.

Never stop reaching out to each other, helping each other, guiding each other. Someone, somewhere is in need of a meal, a bed, a laugh, a hug, a shoulder to cry on…to lean on. Our thoughtfulness, our acknowledgment can make all the difference.

There is no wisdom greater than kindness.

To my wise dragon friend, Al Diaz, I promise to be a powerful piece of this amazing whole–this community built upon compassion and respect. I will strive to make a positive difference in the lives of those I touch, whether across the sea or beyond our boundaries.

Golden Scale AwardWhat will you strive for this holiday season?

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Tree of Life: Branching Out Winners

treeoflife_branchingout_badgeI believe in the power of music to inspire and guide our Muse. Music evokes emotions in their purest form, the seed of every story planted firmly in the soul of the notes. As the tale takes root, it bends and bows to every ear.

What started as an idea, born of music, grew into an epic journey–each branch a different voice, each leaf, a different song. Each of these gifted writers, empowered with imagination and the passion to create, went above and beyond the call of music…for this, I thank you. You took us on a magical journey, one we shall not soon forget…

It is with great enthusiasm that audiomachine and I present the winners of the Tree of Life: Branching Out collaborative writing challenge.

audiomachine‘s Top 3 Favorites:

“Solstice Sun” by Al Diaz

“The Truth” by Ruth Long

“The New World” by KC Hunter

Top 3 Fan Favorites:

Amy Willoughby-Burle – Final Hope

C. Lee McKenzie – Tree of Life

Elise Fallson – Equinox

Winning Fan Commenters:

Jin Chae
Yolanda Renee

* The top two Fan commenters will be sent a signed copy of audiomachine’s Tree of Life album–please send me your home address via “Contact Sam”!

Congratulations to all the winners and to all the incredibly talented writers who contributed to this groundbreaking collaboration!

Inspiration is a powerful force, it calls to the greatness living in all of us–listen closely for the story your soul wants to tell…

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Many Branches, One Tree

InsecureWritersSupportGroupIWSG meets the first Wednesday of every month. A community of brilliant writers led by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Inspiring Soundtrack: Audiomachine – Tree of Life

For this month’s post, I want to send my heartfelt thanks to the talented group of writers that exceeded the Tree of Life: Branching Out challenge I set out before them in a way I never would have dreamed.

Each of these writers possess a unique gift for the written word. They collectively merged their storytelling skills to create an overwhelmingly beautiful saga, wrought with meaning and woven with the essence of music.

With each new voice, the epic tale grew, branching out in unique ways that reflected the individual while honoring the whole.

I am in awe of their abilities, their strength, their enthusiasm and their support.

I may have planted the seed, but it is you who breathed life into it. Rooted in passion, it thrived on your imagination.

You are the branches of this, the Tree of Life.

It is an honor to have worked with you, and on behalf of audiomachine and myself, I cannot thank you enough for the incredible journey…treeoflife_branchingout_badge

Amy Willoughby-Burle, John Wiswell, M. Pax, Al Diaz, Gary Philip Pennick, DL Hammons, Susan Scott, Ruth Long, Djinnia, Daniel Swensen, KC Hunter, Shannon Kenoyer Lawrence, Tina Downey, Beverly Fox, Michelle Wallace, Mina Lobo, Gwen Gardner, Angela Brown, Lisa Shambrook, Sarah Wesson, Leighton Williams, Elise Fallson, Vidya Sury, Damyanti Biswas and C. Lee McKenzie

Tree of Life Composers:
Paul Dinletir
Kevin Rix
Danail Getz
Jeff Marsh
Steffan Michael Koch
John A. Graves

Special thanks to:

Marc D’Amour of audiomachine, for his continued support of this project!

Jennifer Redstreake Geary who gave our collaboration a visually stunning logo!

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Tree of Life: Branching Out Featuring Al Diaz

treeoflife_branchingout_badgeWelcome to the TREE OF LIFE: Branching Out collaborative writing challenge, where creative minds meet epic movie music. To read the collective story in its entirety as it unfolds and for more details on this groundbreaking collaboration with Audiomachine click HERE.

Today’s featured guest is the celebrated Father Dragon himself, Al Diaz–an artist, philosopher and gifted storyteller. For a healthy dose of fiery food for thought, stop by the creative cave of Father Dragon Writes.

Inspiring Soundtrack: Audiomachine – Solstice Sun – Tree of Life

Her raced heart drummed in her ears. The twig grew faster at her touch. “Life.” She gasped, enraptured by the miracle she was witnessing. The flowery scent filled her senses.

She touched the tip of a branch, another twig emerged. Giggling, she tapped a couple of branches with the same results. She laughed and spun on her heels, her arms raised to the sky. She had the power of life in her hand!

She danced around the tree, leaving a trail of green after her touch. The more blossoms she saw, the more excited she became. “When the Wise Elders entrusted me with the mission to turn the Tree of Ages into the Tree of Life, I never thought it would be this easy.” Her fingertip stung and the starlight twinkled. “Oh, it hurts now.”

“Zoe, the act of giving life is anything but easy. It involves effort and, often, pain.”

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© 2013 Al Diaz

ATTENTION FANS: You can WIN an autographed TREE OF LIFE Audiomachine album by LEAVING COMMENTS! On August 17th, two lucky readers will be chosen at random from the comments section of the story excerpts. The more you comment–the better your chances are of winning a piece of cinematic history! We want to hear from YOU!

Tree of Life_Album Cover

TREE OF LIFE is available NOW! Click on the following links:

Purchase a CD from CD Baby
Download it from iTunes
Stream it on Spotify      Download it from Amazon       Purchase a CD from Amazon