Hello everyone! My week stay in Atlanta was wonderful! I have photos to post up from my 2 book signings for SALSA!. They will be up soon. Now, I am happy to announce I’ll be having another book signing at the Book Boutique located on 19 W. Pacific Ave. Henderson, NV. So please mark Saturday, February 23rd on your calendar because I want to see you there from 12 to 2pm.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 14,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 3 Film Festivals
Click here to see the complete report.
Thank you all who visit my blog regularly and also those who just discover it by chance! Thanks also to bloggers who are my top commentors: Let’s CUT the Crap, poemsandponderings, Madhu, and Java Girl
I dedicate this post to all of my followers. Thank you for all your kind support and feed back. And so we are off to a new year. I am happy to announce that I am now working for Henderson Press, a local news paper. I will be covering news worthy events surrounding the arts around town and I will have an Opinion column. This is something I always wanted to do and now here I am doing it!
My dear readers, please don’t ever give up on chasing your dreams down and living them with a passion. Sure, writing is not making me killer bucks, at least not yet hee hee but that doesn’t matter a hill of pinto beans to me. I get such a kick out of living my dream because at the end of my day I know some one benefited from what I do.
As you enter 2013 remind yourself that you are the only one that can do what you were put here on planet earth to do. Many people can do the same job similarly true enough; no one can do it quite like you though! So stand back and let 2013 be the year your surprise yourself! Go for it there is no one stopping you but you and fear. And did you know fear simply is an acronym for: FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL. Let that sink in!
So long 2012, thanks for all the good things you brought me which are too many to name; and thanks for the bad things because I actually learned a lot from them. I go into this new year full of hope and a resolve to keep pushing forward and forgetting what tried to hold me back in the past. I hope you find the strength to do the same.
Take care readers and see ya next year!!! 
-Eva Santiago copyright 2012
Please check out the write up for my book launch. Thanks Henderson Press, for doing such a great job in covering my event!
http://www.hendersonpress.com/local-news/item/1598-author-eva-santiago-launches-latest-book
SUDDENLY
Our first tango in Paris
Your first caress
Your first kiss
Never say never
Good things do happen
Suddenly
One day there is nothing but death
Suddenly life sprouts up
One day it’s bleak
Suddenly I see the sun peak
One day it’s all cold endless nights
Suddenly the nights grow shorter
One day muffled cries into my pillow
Suddenly I laugh tossing my head back
One day I die
From lie after lie
Suddenly love knocks on my door
And my feet hit the floor
I can’t wait to see what’s in store
In a not too distant shore
Un dia un suspiro, One day I sigh
De pronto un escalofrio, Suddenly shivers up and down my spine
Un dia bebo vino sola, One day alone, I drink red wine
Depronto tengo quien llene mi copa , Suddenly you fill my glass
One day I belong to no one
Suddenly you showed up!
EVA SANTIAGO copyright 2012
I participated in this year’s Vegas Valley Book Festival today! My books didn’t come in yet so I didn’t have any to sell at this event. So I had some flyers made up and I went there anyway to enjoy the day, meet new people and get the word out about Salsa! the Taste of Life, my new book. I don’t let anything stop me!
As it turned out, I am glad I went and there was a happy surprise! I was able to read excerpts from Salsa! in front of a captive audience. I love it when things fall together better than when I plan them . I call that serendipity. Here are some pictures from the event. I plan to attend the next one in 2013 and I am sure I will have books to sell then. “When life hands me lemons, I bake a lemon merengue pie!!” -Eva 
-Eva Santiago copyright 2012
A long time ago I heard a preacher say that if we don’t share our talents and gifts with the world, we become thieves. We all have great talents. How many people though, never step out and bless the world with their gifts. Our talents are not just for us. They are to help make this life better and more amazing!
Last night I began a new thing; I hosted a poetry jam at my home away from home, The Coffee House. I was a bit anxious about it. I worried because I was afraid no one would come. Boy did I waste my time worrying!! We had 25+ people show up to our first meeting last night!! Their were young poets and poets from all walks of life. This very talented woman shared a piece about her trip to New Orleans and it was so vivid, her words took be back to when I went to that beautiful place in my teens. This other poet a young man, recited a poem he wrote from memory. I admire poets who can get up to the mic and do that without any prior preparation.
There were several writers from my writing group, WRITING ROYALTY in attendance and they shared as well.
And lastly, there was a young woman by the name of Leslie Stein who shared her 365 Soul Notes with us and she inspired me!! I plan to have her as a featured artist soon! This is her picture https://www.facebook.com/SoulNotesWithLeslieStein
I broke past the fear and I did something I always wanted to do! The Henderson Poets will meet every Tuesday night at 7pm in The Coffee House located on 117. S. Water Street, Henderson, NV. If you are local, come by and join us! Next Tuesday, Derik Jordan, a local guitar player will be our featured artist. This young man played Walk The Line and he sounded just like Johnny Cash!! Please like our The Henderson Poets Group Page on Facebook!https://www.facebook.com/TheHendersonPoets
-Eva Santiago copyright 2012
Broken Window
What does it mean
When I look in your face
And your soul is blank
When I look in your face
And your demons stand as in rank
What does it mean
When I reach out for a hug
You look down at your shoes
And all you do is shrug
I’ll tell you what it means to me:
Stop looking through that old broken window; it’s busted from years of rocks pelting it. First stone you threw, it cracked from top to bottom. It was not a clean break- jagged,taking up the whole window. Then came bigger rocks, chipping away at the surface,until one day a huge boulder came crashing through…such a terrific noise it made! What a great explosion, it took out all the glass. Now what’s left is an empty window pane; the house is debris filled from the winds that blow in from all the four corners. Dust,rain,leaves all blowing in. And this is the window you want me to keep looking through? No thanks, I’ve better things to do.
-EVA SANTIAGO copyright 2012
Still can’t get it together this week? Well laugh it out! Happy Tuesday all
I was at The Coffee House last night enjoying open mic night once again. The music was jumping and so was my pen! It inspired me to write these 2 poems. Nothing tops live music as a wonderful muse to put my pen to work! Enjoy your week-end my amazing readers 
BEATS
The beat, the beat,
I feel the heat.
I feel you deep.
I feel you slow-
Oh, the beat is wild!
It makes me smile.
That slow,
undulating,
pulsating,
cascading BEAT!
I feel alive!
I feel all right.
The beat-it’s deep from inside,
it makes you glide.
Every human heart is alive,
as long as you draw breath,
you’ll feel the beat.
You’re gonna fall in love-
trip up and fall headlong…
LET YOURSELF GO!
Don’t EVER hold back.
The beat, the beat,
it’s gonna kick ya,
’til you can’t get enough.
The beat baby,
yeah, that’s what I mean.
The beat, the beat…
C’mon feel the heat!
-EVA SANTIAGO copyright 2012
UNIVERSAL
The Universe sings,
Alive with a new song.
Creations beckons us,
Fly if you have the wings
Let yourself feel.
Let yourself feel for the first time.
Let yourself feel human,
Let yourself know it’s all good.
Tell your heart-it’s ok to cry.
Tell your heart-it’s ok to fail,
After you try and try.
Next time you feel as in a jail;
Tell your heart:
My soul is not for sale.
-EVA SANTIAGO copyright 2012
WORDS: They come cheap for some people. Someone tells you they love you and you just met them, raise your brow and question it. I love you, Te Amo can be thrown around at a whim these days. Those words are power and can render an affection starved soul weak. Don’t say them if they mean nothing to you because truth is, they can devastate . Or if they don’t ruin, cheap I love you’s can make a soul numb. It’s very much like the songs played on the radio; when a new hit is overplayed, the newness of the tune wears out quickly and soon what you enjoyed, you grow to despise. Same thing happens with prematurely, overly spoken I love you’s .
Oh wait, you might think you can never say I love you too much. You can never have enough love right? Don’t say I love you to someone if you aren’t prepared to back it up with action. Love is sacred, let your I love you’s be that way too.
He says, “ I love you.” But then he slaps her.
El dice,” Te amo” y se lo dice a todas.
I love you, Te amo, Je ‘taime, Ich Liebe Sie,
Powerful words,
Use them wisely.
Say them when you know they are true.
Say them to warm a heart-
Without offering false hope in what can never be.
I love you, Te amo, Je ‘taime, Ich Liebe Sie,
Don’t withold them,
When they need to be said.
Don’t make your loved one a beggar.
Don’t wait ‘til tomorrow,
What needs to be said-
Have the guts to say it today
I love you, Te amo, Je t’aime, Ich Libe Sie,
Say it for all the right reasons.
Say it ‘cause you mean it;
Otherwise throw it all into the sea
EVA SANTIAGO COPYRIGHT 2012
