Tag Archive for: inspiration

Dragon Con 2023 Schedule for Isabelle Hardesty

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I am so happy to be back at Dragon Con as an author panelist!

 

Here is my schedule with times and locations. I will have my books on sale there, and have two different times in my schedule below to sell books directly to my readers!  I can’t wait to see you there! Click here to see photos of me at Dragon Con on my Instagram account from previous years.

 

Title: Women Redefining Creativity: A Trailblazing Writers’ Panel
Description: Embark on a captivating journey as we celebrate women’s perspectives in the realms of publishing, writing, editing, and comics. Join this enlightening panel discussion that unveils the power and influence of female voices in shaping our creative world.
Time: Fri 11:30 am
Location: Hanover AB Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

 

Title: Signing Showcase Diversity Track
Description: Authors from Women Redefining Creativity: A Trailblazing Writers’ Panel will sell their books at this event
Time: Fri 01:00 pm
Location: Overlook Westin (Length: 1 Hour)

 

Title: Paranormal YA Fiction
Description: Vampires, werewolves, ghosts – paranormal is back in YA in a big way. Let’s talk about the books about things that go bump in the night.
Time: Fri 05:30 pm
Location: A707 Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

 

Title: The Gather: Welcome Home!!!!!!
Description: The best Gathering around of authors and fans! Who knows what surprises and treasures are to be found. We have more authors than the app will allow us to list, so you will be sure to find some great books to take home with your amazing Con stories.
Time: Fri 08:00 pm
Location: International South Hyatt (Length: 4 Hours)

 

Title: YA Today: Are there Boundaries? What are They?
Description: What’s going on in YA fiction? What are the kids looking for? How far can a writer go? How far is too far?
Time: Sat 11:30 am
Location: Embassy EF Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

 

Title: YA Novels that Readers Will Love
Description: As you write your YA novel, are you thinking of the audience? Reach out and touch that kid–or adult who loves YA–and make them love your characters and your books.
Time: Sat 04:00 pm
Location: Embassy EF Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

 

Title: Writing Outside Oneself: Stories and Characters that Go Where We Have Not
Description: The best part of Fantasy is the ability for authors and readers to live many different lives and see many different perspectives. It can be tricky to do so while not causing harm, our panelists will discuss this and ways to learn what we just don’t know.
Time: Sat 07:00 pm
Location: Embassy CD Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

 

Title: YA Page to Screen
Description: You found out your favorite book is coming to the big screen. You’re both excited and anxious. Past experiences — from bad casting to leaving out essential plot details — are enough to make us all more than a little nervous. Is the book almost always better than the film or show?
Time: Sun 10:00 am
Location: A707 Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

 

Title: Self-Publishing for Young Adult Audiences
Description: What makes for success in the YA self-publishing space? Let’s talk to authors who succeeded and how they did it.
Time: Sun 05:30 pm
Location: A707 Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

 

Title: Maps: More than Squiggles on a Paper
Description: Which comes first the map or the journey? We will explore how maps have been used in our favorite stories to provide structure and context to a world as well as how our authors created their own maps.
Time: Mon 11:30 am
Location: Embassy CD Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

 

Brave Enough to Pick Flowers

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Sometimes in life I’ve doubted myself and thought my ideas weren’t good enough.  We believe others have a special gift or power.  But then you step into your truth and see that all along, you’ve had the power. Your ideas are good enough.

There I was, with yet another chance to pick a perfect bouquet. In all the times I’ve had the chance to make my own bouquet from a field of flowers, I wasn’t brave enough to do it.

 

 

I’ve seen hundreds of bouquets. I think of the exquisite bouquet I held when I got married in 2007. I think of the Hollywood bouquets given in gestures of love in classic movies and television shows. I think of the many bouquets I’ve received and given. Those bouquets, each and every one of them, seemed perfect.

Well, I stood in the flower garden section of the U-Pick farm on a crisp Saturday morning with my son and husband, and I looked at the flowers. The flowers danced in the wind. I wasn’t sure if it was an invitation or a dare.

 

There were too many wonderful choices! Too many amazing colors! There were also sunflowers nearby, and I love those–they make me think of Van Gogh. As my mind raced, I realized I was losing my courage.

 

And then I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and enjoyed just being among the flowers. I opened my eyes and walked up to a pink flower and began collecting.

 

I made my bouquet one flower at a time. I walked to another flower, and added it to my collection. I did this about a dozen times, until I had a bouquet that made my heart smile.

The only way I was able to brave the overwhelmingly beautiful field of flowers was to focus on one flower at at a time.

One flower.

 

Now, whenever I have the opportunity to make my own bouquet of flowers, I know it will be the perfect blend of colors and scents.

 

 

Isabelle Hardesty is a Miami native who uses her creative work to share her experiences growing up in South Florida. She is committed to creating rich and strong female characters in her books. Hardesty wants young people and women of color to see themselves in her novels and know they are a meaningful part of the world they’re in.

Hardesty received her BFA from Pratt Institute and has worked in NYC as an assistant fashion designer. Her rich and textured life experiences allow her to create characters and plots that engage readers. One common thread in all of her professional experiences is that storytelling is always king.

Isabelle Hardesty’s first published work was a short story that was published in an anthology. This short story grew into The Delacourt Shapeshifter Trilogy.

Hardesty wove her love of magic and nature into her most recent novel, Midnight in Belle Fleur. 

She will be a panelist at Dragon Con 2022.

Isabelle Hardesty lives with her husband and son in the Pacific Northwest

5 Quotes for Creativity

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Discover these inspiring quotes that celebrate creativity!

These two quotes are perfect for a project’s beginning:

“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.”

— Maya Angelou

 

“Creativity takes courage.”

— Henri Matisse

 

These two quotes will inspire you to keep going, when you may want to give up:

“If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”

— Barack Obama

 

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

— Albert Einstein

 

The following quote is perfect for some who may think that growing older means they must give up on their dreams:

“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”

— Gabriel García Márquez

 

I hope these inspirational quotes will help you achieve your dreams!

Please email me at: isabellehardesty (@) gmail dot com with any questions or comments.

~Isabelle

Related blog posts by Isabelle you may enjoy:

Pre-order your copy of The Witch of Belle Fleur today!

 

 

Isabelle Hardesty is a writer of young adult fantasy.

She enjoys writing about characters who are like people you know and people you want to know.

Isabelle lives in Seattle with her husband and son. She loves being with her family, eating chocolate, and connecting with readers. When she is not writing, you can find her either researching for her next book or painting.

 

An Inspiring Gift

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paint brushes next to drawing book and water color palette
Mr. Flaum called me to the back of the classroom. He looked serious.

I couldn’t imagine why he’d want to see me. I was a good student, so I wasn’t too worried. But, I was a little concerned because, like most teens, I was a talkative middle school student.

I stood in the back of the room with him and relaxed once I saw him smile.

He said, “Isabelle, I’m giving this sketchbook to you because you’re an outstanding artist.”

Me? I liked drawing and loved painting, but I had never been told that before. I raised my eyebrows. This was much better than I expected. I reached my hands out and held the sketchbook as though it were covered in gems. This wasn’t my first sketchbook. But it was my first sketchbook given to me by an art teacher.

“Thank you,” I said. It felt good to know that Mr. Flaum thought my art was good. It’s quite simple but also profound.

A teacher’s day can be full of paperwork, phone calls, meetings, field trips, classroom issues, and students. Yet, countless teachers stop and recognize a student and influence a child’s life, with a simple gesture.

That sketchbook helped give me the confidence to pursue my love of art and creativity. I have had the pleasure of exhibiting my work in Paris and received my B.F.A. from Pratt Institute. I have had the honor of being an art teacher in fantastic schools in both Miami and the Metro-Atlanta area.

My writing is a celebration of my creativity and owed in part to my love of art, which was fueled by a simple gesture from a caring teacher.

Isabelle Hardesty

YA Fantasy Author

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