Category: Tea & Conversation

Toi drinks a cup of tea while contemplating some aspect of her Eternal Curse Series and then writes about it. In the post itself, she shares an image from her Tea pinboard on Pinterest. She may also talk about other books she’s written. Currently discontinued. See Author Insights for story and inspiration updates.

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EC: Giovanni's Angel Full Moon Tea & Conversation

Tea and Conversation 16: Cancer

teaNtalk

Today I’m sharing a picture of some tea drinking tips and benefits I posted on my tea pin board.

Please do not copy this image. Click image to share on Pinterest.

Today in my meditation I’m thinking about Eternal Curse and Full Moon, and I’m writing about: Why cancer?

I’m sure, for those of you who’ve been around for a while, you’ve heard about Abraham’s story and know that I’ve recently been involved in raising funds for the American Cancer Society. Well, I’m at it again, even though I’ve toned it down quite a bit. In my new story, It’s Like the Full Moon, another character is laid to rest by the hands of cancer.

When I originally wrote Eternal Curse and decided to inflict one of the characters with cancer, I did so because I knew that it was an affliction most readers would immediately be able to identify with. It wasn’t until much later that I realized just how much my life had actually been impacted by the disease. Then just after the release of Eternal Curse, I lost someone to cancer and my whole world was turned inside out. It hit me hard.

I didn’t realize before then that I had managed to push aside feelings of sadness and grief for others and had been able to look away and hid away the hurt. I didn’t realize just how much I had been influenced by all the instances of loss until I experienced it for myself. I understood then that cancer had, and would probably again, find its way into my writing.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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EC: Giovanni's Angel Tea & Conversation

Tea and Conversation 15: Prayer

teaNtalk

Today I’m sharing a picture of “Morning Coffee” art print by mindymcpeak I posted on my tea pin board.

Please do not copy this image. Click image to share on Pinterest.

Today in my meditation I’m thinking about Eternal Curse and I’m writing about: Why prayer?

In case you didn’t know, my ECS is about the intermingling of humans with angels and demons. Maybe I’m just not cool enough for the “in” crowd, but it irritates me when people complain about the one prayer that appears in my story. All religions aside, unless I’m missing something, how else would someone who believes in a god communicate with it, if not through prayer?

Yes, this is a highly spiritual story and most of the ideas are based on Christian theology, but I’m not writing a parable. This isn’t a bible story and no one is being converted. Why is this so difficult for people to grasp?

Let’s take into consideration characters like Marvel’s Nightcrawler. This character is a Roman Catholic and isn’t quiet about it, yet he still has a huge following. Then there are other character that are associated with Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and other gods, to which prayer is needed in order to bring forth their powers. Oh and what about that show, Supernatural? Those Winchester boys aren’t exactly saints, but every time they get into a bind, they pray to Castiel and he comes running to their aid.

Maybe it’s not prayer that people have a problem with; perhaps it’s the idea of being associated with a particular religion. In any case, the prayer fits into this story; it belongs there and I’m holding firm to my decision to include it. Also, I won’t back down from including others down the road if they too fit into the story.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Full Moon Tea & Conversation

Tea and Conversation 14: Fathers

teaNtalk

Today I’m sharing a picture of a Mr. Tea mug I posted on my tea pin board, just because it made me laugh.

Please do not copy image. Click image to share on Pinterest.

Today in my meditation I’m thinking about Full Moon, and I’m writing about: Why fathers?

Are you familiar with the term, “she has daddy issues”? If you are, you know that this is not a good thing, but it’s also a bit exaggerated. Plenty of people in this day and age have issues with their fathers without it leading them into a- let’s say, a life with very few inhibitions.

I’ll be the first to admit that I too have issues when it comes to fathers. I was blessed to have a wonderful father growing up, and to this day, I’m still daddy’s little girl, but unfortunately he’s not my birth father. If you’d learned anything about me and my writing to this point, you probably know that my father issues and that of others have found a place in my writing. When it comes to tales of fathers, I think I get into a bit later on in my ECS, but for now, It’s Like the Full Moon, holds the monopoly.

In this story, I paint a picture of two very different fathers. One father is a great provider but not really much of anything else, and another father, though non-traditional, is a wonderful support and friend. I think what’s most important about these fathers that I depict is how their lives and behaviors help shape who their children have become. One son strives to make his father proud knowing it will never be enough, while another has based his entire ideal of love on the relationship his father had with his mother. It really makes you stop and question your own actions and views when you consider that what one person does can shape the life of someone else.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords