Books

Born in Lisbon, Portugal, descendant of pirates, poets and bards, I sailed to America not so long ago to meet the love of my life, who has supported me to follow my dreams.

My dream is to write books that will inspire future generations to share their stories, worlds, and adventures.

Beyond the Cliff & Courage started as a way to heal my arachnophobia.

The idea came to me (literally) when I was driving to work and an itsy-bitsy spider started to descend from the car roof in front of me (image below) I sang the traditional song, to keep calm and continue driving safely. I sang so loudly that the people in the car next to me turned to see.

The little spider didn’t run away with my singing. In fact, I believe it kept her longer than necessary dancing on a string in front of my nose. No spider, car or person was harmed during this trip. I let her go and named her Valia.

When I arrived home I began to write.  

If you walk without your phone in your hands you won't miss it.... What?

The joy.

There is inspiration in every corner. A story ready to develop, a sketch, even an idea for a painting or the shape and color of the next cake.

I recently started to appreciate walking to my appointments more than taking commuting. The things I have been missing...

Let the past go with each step you take.

I started to focus on my path and then looking forward to what I would discover the next day and the next.

I play this game often. Naming simple things. Tree, stone, flower, bush, post, building...

The next day I realize the building has windows, glass, doors, doorknobs, steps...

The next day I notice the blue door is my favorite. I wonder how many people crossed it... how many stories...

It's a world out there. Don't just rely on pinterest or social media feed to discover it. Create your own inspiration boards.