Posts tagged ‘Las Vegas’
Life Choices: The Event in Las Vegas at the Hotel Tropicana
Once in while, not often, quite rarely in fact, a person comes into your life who shakes things up. Sometimes you don’t realize it at the time, but only when you look back from a new place, do you see the change. The shift might have been that subtle. But because of them, you made a life choice that set you on a new path.
Judi Moreo did that for me. Her belief in me and her words, You are more than enough, kept me going when I might have given up. Now you have a chance to meet Judi and hear her message in Las Vegas in March. And as a special little treat, you can hear me too! 🙂
Yes, I’ll be speaking on the same program as Judi Moreo. I can hardly believe it myself. So many dreams coming true! But I wouldn’t be sharing this great weekend with Judi and the other authors of “Life Choices: It’s Never Too Late” or with the keynote speakers Jeff Civillico, Anne Abernathy, Casey McNeal, Tim Goodenough and Aimmee Kodachian if I hadn’t made the choice to accept. I could have given in to my fears and doubts and said “no.”
The day I decided to speak at Life Choices: The Event, I had a nightmare. I dreamed I walked through the doors at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas and could think of nothing to say. My mind was a complete blank. Of course, I woke up in a sweat. Of course, it meant I have stage fright. I hope you won’t see that on March 25th. 🙂
If you are struggling with finding your life purpose – if you feel disappointed in what you’ve achieved – if you’ve always wanted to do something, but never dared – ACT NOW! Come to Las Vegas in March. Spend the weekend with people who have changed their lives, who have fulfilled their dreams – and with others who want the same thing, but aren’t quite sure how to go about it.
It costs a little money and effort. Most things of value do. But if you register before Jan 31, you’ll get a big discount and the chance to bring a friend at a fraction of the fee. You can pay a small deposit now and the remainder in installments. You’ll even get fed! There’s a welcome reception, a Saturday lunch and a Sunday brunch included. You can lunch with one of the Life Choices authors and have the chance to talk with them personally about the choices they made in their lives that got them where they are today.
Register Now! Get the Super Early Bird discount and bring a friend. Go to this link: Life Choices: The Event
Please use PYPSN in the speaker code box so I’ll be notified you signed up. 
note: The Hotel Tropicana has been recently renovated. It’s beautiful! All in white.
Book launch! Life Choices: Pursuing Your Passion
I haven’t been here in a while, but I haven’t been idle. Libya, women’s issues and nuclear have been occupying my time on twitter and on my other blog, www.sandraoffthestrip.com.
Now it’s time to announce the book launch in Las Vegas of the newest in the Life Choices anthologies, Life Choices: Pursuing Your Passion. Twenty-six great authors and speakers got together to produce a collection of amazing life stories of sacrifice, dedication and hard work to achieve personal goals.
Judi Moreo of Turning Point International edited and published the Life Choices series: Navigating Difficult Paths, Putting the Pieces Together and Pursuing Your Passion.
“The Muses Whisper” is my own personal journey from ordinary (well, kind of) person to writer, author and novelist. It’s also a statement of my hope that the muses continue to sing in my ear.
Look for my story in the first Life Choices book, Navigating Difficult Paths. “A True Love Story” is a wild tale of chasing my man across continents and how that odyssey turned into a fairy tale. Knights in shining armor do exist!
The launch is at the Tropicana Hotel, Saturday June 11 in the Monte Cristo Room from 10am – 4pm.
Authors will be speaking throughout the day and available for book signings. They’ll also have their other books, tapes and courses on hand for sale.
Life Choices: Pursuing Your Passion
Turning Point International's new book
Turning Point International will release yet another “Life Choices” anthology in March 2011. I’m happy to say that I’ll be a contributing author once again.
With the title, “Pursing Your Passion,” it shouldn’t be hard to guess that my contribution, “The Muses Whisper,” is insight into how I found my passion – writing romantic, sexy and edgy historical adventures. I hope it’s also a statement about how it’s never too late to follow your dream.
The book launch will be in Las Vegas March 11. I look forward to meeting with the other 25 authors, who all have great personal stories about pursuing their own passions.
If this Life Choices book is anything like the previous two, each story, like each contributor, will be unique. I love working with such inspirational, dynamic people who have made their Life Choice to follow their dreams.
Sandra and Sabrina Writing Space
Sandra and Sabrina writing space
I’ve had several people ask me where and how I write – “how” meaning the creative process. The “practical how” is that I use a laptop connected to a larger screen so that I can work off of two screens at once.
This photo is of my writing space. As you can see, a lot is going on.
Egyptian stuff is part of my getting in the mood to write my novel which takes place in modern day Las Vegas and in Ancient Egypt during the Late Period.
You’ll see:
- colored map of the Nile
- a photo I took of the shore from a boat on a Nile Cruise
- several books, including English translations of ancient Egyptian literature and art books on Pharaohnic Egypt
- the necklace I wear which is a copy of an original Late Period piece
I’m working on a new cover for Sex and the Zen of Shopping.
- You will see a couple of printouts hanging above, plus the front cover on the big computer screen which is displaying Photoshop.
- I’m also considering a slightly new title – something shorter. Sex Zen and Shopping: Live Rich by Shopping Smart
- I’ve been working on the interior and cleaned it up a bit. It will have less of a “homemade scrapbook” look about it.
The screen saver on my laptop is the view from the front terrace of our house in Shell Beach California.
I love boats. That’s pretty obvious from the photo.
The bookcase contains:
- My library of cookbooks in English, French and Danish. You might be able to just see Julia Child’s “Mastering The Art of French Cooking.” I bought my copy in 1973 at a garage sale in Los Gatos California!
- copies of “Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths.” This is an anthology of great stories put together by Judi Moreo and published by her new publishing company Turning Point International. She’s already at work on the next anthology which will be about putting the pieces back together again. My contribution to Life Choices is the story of how I met my husband and shamelessly pursued him. It’s a true story of hitchhiking on land and sea, taking chances and going after what you want.
- My many copies of the I Ching
- Books by female authors written for the female market which I have read in the last few months. The genre is pretty much romantic fiction of all kinds. This is part of my research for my new novel.
- On the top shelf I have copies of books of authors that I know or have met.
- The small orange book with black binder that’s turned on its side is the scrapbook I kept of my world travels – especially North Africa, Paris, England and Mexico/Central America. Most of the entries are from the early 70’s. I’d like to put it into a memoir form. But right now I am really loving writing fiction.
Non-book items on bookcase:
- The stone statue on the bookcase is Toltec and over a thousand years old. It was a wedding gift when we married in Mexico City the first day of spring (March 20) 1975.
- The briefcase on the top of the book case was a gift from my First Reader (Sex and the Zen of Shopping) Barb Johnston which she gave me at the book launch of Life Choices in January in Las Vegas.
- The name plaque Sandra Nielsen is from my days as a School Board Trustee 1994-1998. It reminds me that trying to do good can be very costly personally. It keeps me from getting involved. It’s time for someone else to play Joan of Arc. I admire all politicians even though their politics can make me crazy. I once heard it said, “In the world of politics, friends come and go, but enemies collect.” Amen.
You probably didn’t miss my Japanese Zen priest who sits directly over my head and hopefully guides my spirit. I bought him at a little “antique” shop in 1999 in Shell Beach. The owner loved his stuff so much and had so much of it that you had to stand at the doorway and point to what you wanted to see. He also wanted a $20 deposit before he would bring it to you! Needless to say, he didn’t make a lot of sales. He was found dead at his desk one morning by his son. He hadn’t come home the night before. 89 years old and he died of a heart attack in the midst of his beloved treasures. From the position of his body, it seemed that he put his head down and went to sleep, never to wake up again. We should all be so blessed!
Life Choices Las Vegas Book Launch Celebration
Most of the 26 authors, publisher and editor with friends and family celebrated the successful launch of Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths in the Nielsen suite at Palace Station Las Vegas. After a memorable day of book sales and mini-talks by each of the authors, the Life Choices group relaxed and debriefed with wine and goodies – a great way to top off a great day.
Contributing authors Bob Walker and Sandra Gore Nielsen
Contributing authors Sandy Kastel and Andrea Chestnut
Contributing author Deborah Clark with Paulette White
Host Rex Nielsen, Jesper Nielsen of Tajine Publishing with contributing author Stephen Philpott
President Ange Milburn, Sandra Gore Nielsen Fan Club
First Reader and featured shopper, Barb Johnston - Sex and the Zen of Shopping
My Inspiration for Sex and the Zen of Shopping: Live Rich by Shopping Smart
Sex and the Zen of Shopping author Sandra Gore Nielsen with bargain purchases: BCBG pants $11, Victor Costa jacket $25, Nine West knee-high faux python boots $30, Chinese vases $10
I’ve been shopping in exotic places most of my adult life. But what used to be just a fun and adventurous addition to “normal” shopping turned to necessity when our world suffered a financial meltdown. It’s the same story being told over and over again by hard-working, smart people who carefully researched their investments and never considered themselves wild speculators. We were lied to and we got robbed.
But we were “lucky” to sell a furnished high rise condo in Las Vegas with only a $90,000 loss. We made it out on the beginning of the slide, but before the fall over the precipice. We rented a 1,000 sqft condo, moving in with clothes, coffee table, kitchenware, artwork and air mattress.
With a budget of $2500, I furnished the condo in style and comfort. I was surprised that everyone didn’t know how to do that. I was more surprised there are people who think buying “used” or “discount” is beneath them. I suspect those numbers are dwindling. Reality is that we all have to change the way we live.
“Why not write a book about surviving the economy in the style we deserve?” In fact, the first working title was “Surviving in Style” because that is exactly what I feel I’m doing – surviving. My Saturday mornings were spent on shopping safari’s with my shopping sister Esperanza, always with a strict budget and always coming home exhilarated. I felt especially poor one weekend and took only $15 to the Swap to return with a silk kimono, silk peignoir and a flat of fresh, ripe mangoes.
I began to carry my camera. I wrote my ideas, not only about what you could find where, but about the mindset to let go of inhibitions and hang-ups –to get over yourself! Sex and Zen of Shopping: Live Rich by Shopping Smart grew from a hope that I could help others, that I could share a fun (and practical) alternative to feeling down and broke. That’s not a state that I enjoy and don’t think is a place anyone should ever be. I do sincerely hope that Sex and Zen can help you live rich, look good, have fun and be happy.
New cover for Sex and Zen shopping book
S. L. Gore 
Finished First Draft of “Isis” – first of Red Mirror series
Sandra celebrates finishing 1st draft of Isis in the Red Mirror Series with husband Jesper and Garden Dude David Georgi at writers bench
Yesterday afternoon was a first in my life. I had finished the Egyptian part of my novel on Saturday: plot strings tied up, emotionally satisfying ending.
Isis was set to go back to Las Vegas and I had this panic that I wouldn’t be able to do it – to finish the book.
I needed to get several characters to the right place, set everyone up for the next book, and leave the reader feeling good.
Over dinner my husband and I discussed the men characters as they are incarnated in Las Vegas.
Thanks to his suggestions, I fleshed them out solidly in my mind. They became real.
I let them germinate on Sunday, played around with some scenes and dialogue, and had Easter dinner with friends. Then Monday, April 5, I sat down and put them in the scenes I had envisioned and let them go at it. By 5:00 pm I finished.
99,539 words – 6 weeks
Isis ended up with a different guy than I intended, but she made her choice. And there’ s always the next book and the next visit to the past to get another.
I actually cried. It was crazy, but I just had to cry. It was the emotional release of childbirth. No kidding, it was that profound.
My husband and I went for a walk along the ocean and then up to our local cafe for fish tacos and a Corona. They have a Taco Hour special, everything 2 bucks.
Then I put on my Egyptian wig (check out photo) and we cracked a bottle of Veuve Clicquot with our neighbors Carol and David, who have lived Isis with me. David and I meet at the writers bench almost every sunset.
Joy, great joy is the best description I can give.
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April 6, 2010 at 5:48 pm 4 comments