For me, destiny feels like something I can grow toward rather than something that drags me along. It’s a sense of purpose that develops when I make choices, take risks, and follow what feels right in my gut. I like the idea that my life isn’t locked into one rigid path, but instead shaped by my decisions, effort, and the meaning I create along the way. Destiny gives me room to evolve, to change direction, and to become the person I want to be.
Fate, on the other hand, has never really resonated with me. The idea of something fixed and unavoidable, something I can’t change no matter how hard I try, feels too confining, a trap I can’t avoid. I don’t want to believe my life is already written. I’d rather believe I am an active member, not just a character following a script. That’s why destiny makes more sense to me. It gives me freedom while still giving my life a sense of direction and meaning.
I live in what feels like the driest state in North America. Maybe it’s not, technically but the sun scorches like it’s trying to prove a point. Yet beneath the dust and heat, my community blooms with cultural richness. You’ll find Navajo jewelry sold beside Mexican pan dulce, powwow drums echoing near quinceañera halls, and murals that blend desert mythology with urban grit. It’s not paradise there’s still bigotry, racism, and misogyny here. But in my small corner, I see love defying boundaries, writing inspiration especially in romance.
Desert Romance with the golden sunsets, tense monsoons, and vast open skies. Small-Town trope often used in the romance genre. The quaint towns like Jerome and Bisbee. Sedona offers mysterious settings for paranormal or romantasy tales. Also, Sedona is famous for its “vortexes”, energy centers believed to enhance meditation and creativity make it a hotspot for mystical themes and magical realism. Arizona has some of the clearest skies in the country ideal for romantic stargazing scenes or magical rendezvous.
It is rich with Indigenous mythologies from Hopi, Navajo, and Apache cultures. The spirit beings, shape-shifters, and sacred landscapes is perfect for weaving into fantasy or paranormal plots.The Ancient Sites like Montezuma Castle and Canyon de Chelly is saturated in mystery and ancestral power, presenting real-world links for myth-inspired storytelling. The Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend are not just stunning, they’re virtually storyboard-ready.
Events like Día de los Muertos celebrations and powwows provide rich visual and emotional material for character outline and world-building. The desert can represent isolation, transformation, or resilience the ideal metaphors for character arcs. Creatures like coyotes, hawks, and snakes carry symbolic weight and can be woven into magical or mythic narratives. Monsoon storms, blooming desert wildflowers, and fiery sunsets pose dynamic settings for emotional turning points.
The blend of Hispanic, Indigenous, and Western traditions creates a rich tapestry for exploring identity, heritage, and cross-cultural romance. The Old West meets ancient civilizations is ideal for time travel romances, reincarnation themes, or ancestral quests. Adobe homes, mission churches, and petroglyphs add texture and authenticity to visual and written storytelling.
Cooking soup is my favorite kind of kitchen ritual because it is grounded in comfort. I love that soup begins simply and becomes something expressive. A handful of ingredients, a bit of heat, and time to develop that quiet conversion feels deeply satisfying to me. Soup lets me improvise, adjust, and follow my instincts rather than strict rules, and I enjoy the freedom to build flavor in a way that’s both relaxed and intentional.
It’s a dish meant to be shared, something that warms people and brings them together. Cooking it allows me to take ordinary ingredients and turn them into nourishment, both for myself and for others. In many ways, soup represents the kind of presence I try to bring to my life: adaptable, comforting, and made with care.
Living so close to the Arizona State Fair almost makes it feel like a missed opportunity to experience the rides, the concerts, and the wild food creations they try each year. But my hesitation makes sense. Driving in Phoenix can feel like navigating a maze of impatient traffic, confusing interchanges, and sudden lane merges that seem designed to test your stress tolerance. Add in the parking situation paying premium prices just to leave your car in a dusty dirt lot. Why I say “maybe next year.” The hassle can overshadow the excitement before you even get through the gates.
The fair itself has a lot to enjoy from what I hear from people who go there and from the description on the web. The food vendors offer the classic favorites along with a few creative options. The rides add a fun mix of nostalgia from my childhood memories of going to the county fairs growing up. The atmosphere is lively without being overwhelming, and it’s easy to spend a few hours wandering around, trying snacks, and taking in the sights.
Daily writing prompt
Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.
The one snack I would eat now would be the grape Now and Later. It was the kind of treat you could get for a nickel from the corner store. After school, I’d make a little detour on my walk home, the kind of place where the bell on the door jingled every time a customer walked in.
The owner always seemed to know what I was there for, and I’d grab that small, shiny wrapper like it was the highlight of my day. I’d wander in with a few coins in my pocket, feeling like I had all the riches I needed. I’d grab that little purple pack, tear it open before I even reached the sidewalk, and let the sweet grape flavor carry me the rest of the way home. Those walks, sun warm on my face, backpack swinging, candy sticking to my teeth felt like the simplest kind of happiness.
Writing paranormal romance brings out a very specific kind of creativity in me the kind that wonders, “What if the brooding love interest is actually a shapeshifter who keeps accidentally turning into a raccoon whenever they get nervous?” There’s something hilarious and oddly charming about mixing supernatural drama with the kind of romantic tension that could power a small city. The genre basically hands you a mysterious forest, a full moon, and a dangerously attractive person who may or may not have paws sometimes, and says, “Have fun with that.”
And trust me, I do. Paranormal romance with shapeshifters lets my imagination run wild in the best way. I get to explore worlds where a first kiss might trigger an unexpected transformation, or where the biggest relationship hurdle is “Sorry I missed dinner, I got distracted chasing squirrels.” It’s a playground where humor, heat, and a little bit of animal chaos all mingle together, and I’m more than happy to stir that pot.
Choosing between Superfriends from the 1970s and Scooby-Doo feels almost impossible because both shows hold such a special place in my life. On one hand, Scooby-Doo brings endless fun with its quirky mysteries, adorable characters, and that unforgettable mix of humor and suspense.
On the other hand, Superfriends captures the adventure of superhero, with iconic figures like Superman, Batman, and especially Wonder Woman, my absolute number one hero. Her strength, courage, and sense of justice make the series stand out for me, giving it a powerful edge that’s hard to overlook.
Each show offers something unique: Scooby-Doo delivers lighthearted mystery-solving, while Superfriends inspires with larger-than-life heroes. That’s why deciding between them is so tough. They both shaped my love for storytelling in completely different ways.
Deloris Nash 