Kylie Sabra, Author Of "The Singing Dagger" & Upcoming "The Lost Child"

Written by LadyVictoria Lenoirre












Glam pic of Kylie Sabra done by kaley fancypants, OI Magazine Photographer

Most of you who have heard of or know Kylie Sabra, know that she is

the curator of the Rose Theatre and Art Gallery and is known for her photography, but did you

know that she is an author in real life?

She wrote a novel called The Singing Dagger which was published in 2012.

If you think photography is hard, trying writing an entire novel! That really takes time and

patience.

The Singing Dagger is a novel about intrigue, romance, and lots of drama. It is a “Celtic

fantasy.” Kylie ,who has Scottish ancestry, started writing the novel before she heard of SL. I found

time to question Kylie about her fascinating novel. She invited me to her place for a little afternoon

wine.


What is The Singing Dagger about?...........


You might be wondering about the singing dagger. Kylie said frankly, "There is actually a

singing dagger wielded by a ruthless wizard who thinks he's in control.”

“It is a time of magic or rather magic had been "put on hold" so to speak as many felt it to be a

dangerous practice. But the people of Tara realize that they must once again embrace magic if

they are to survive the onslaught of the wicked king from the South. Although it has magic and

witchcraft in it, I would not say it is Wiccan as Wicca, as a practice, has only been around since

the mid-fifties.


Is it based on SL experiences?..........


The first novel is not, she admits. “I am looking forward to writing my second one though. I

think my experiences here will make it even richer.”


How did you prepare for writing this novel?.............


“I did a tremendous amount of research on Celtic lore and gods/goddesses for the book. Then did

what I wanted. Lol”


Did you hear stories and read about Celtic lore when you were little?.............


“My father told me tales. I think I've always very much felt my Celtic roots. I was an avid

reader. I was reading Tolstoy when many my age were reading much lighter fare. Now! I love

young adult literature. And particularly fantasy. This book however is not for the young adult

audience.”

Cover of the Singing Dagger

So it's darker than JRR Tolkien?!......................


She grins before replying,  "I jokingly refer to it as Tolkien with sex. OMG So sorry, Mr.

Tolkien.”


What are the series based on?................


“The series is based upon a poem, which is indeed a prophecy, which affects three generations.”

It is a poem I wrote, called "The Bane of King Adaire".


Who or what has influenced you to become an author? Do you feel that your experience in SL has enriched your writing in any way?...


“Not for this book it hasn't as it was finished. As to what influenced my writing... I started

writing stories, music and poetry as a child. As well as creating art. As well, I was in corporate

marketing and communications for 15 years as a writer.

I do think that my experiences here will affect the next book. Just in the practice of constantly

writing every single day.”


The Lost Child, the sequel, how would you describe the tone, darker or lighter than The Singing Dagger? When is the tentative release date?...............


“Darker. I'd say it is about a year out. I'm honestly waiting to see how sales of this book go,

but I've had little time to promote it as I should for both SL & RL reasons. My work here at the

gallery is pretty intensive. Additionally, I've focused more on my art and art promotion. Frankly

I’m hoping that promotion will overlap as my name is broadcast about. I write 3 blogs as well.

You really can't run about saying "READ MY BOOK!'. There are too many out there doing that.

Best to let people read your other writings and get a sense of who you are. If they like you, they

will buy your book.”


What are your sites?.............


http://wp.me/2hke0

http://wp.me/P3DnOh-1

http://kylie-sabra.artistwebsites.com/

Amazon link for The Singing Dagger:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Singing-Dagger-Caitriona-Prophecy/dp/147810712X/ref=sr_1_cc_1/190-2312381-6693737?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1372463217&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=the+singing+dagger



“The Singing Dagger” is available in both paperback and kindle. When you

have time, you should read it. In Kylie’s words, “It's a beautiful love story, but with plenty of

violence, mystery and magic to keep it out of maudlin' territory.”..........

Celebrity DJ A.F.I. talks about Secondlife

Written by Carmichael Caudron



Introduction of a real life celebrity in Secondlife™......

beautiful promo glamour shot of DJ A.F.I

DJ A.F.I™ is a celebrity DJ and TV star aka Aubry Fisher (A.F.I stands for Aubry Fisher Ink).
Aubry who has starred in 2 reality shows TLC'S LA INK™, and VH1'S ROCK OF LOVE 2 ,also has upcoming movie projects in the works in Hollywood (Los Angeles) where she resides.
In this interview we will be looking into the past 2 years of her life , where she has visited a virtual reality game called Secondlife.
Many other celebrities have visited Secondlife (SL™) such as Duran Duran, real world companies such as Mercedes Benz™ and along with another estimated 10 million visitors at home have either made an account or live their "second" lives daily on this wonderful virtual reality.

It's not everyday at OI Magazine we have the honor to write an article on a real life celebrity so I was very excited.
I had the chance to talk to her on the phone as well as chat with her avatar in SL.

Along with the details of our conversation, lets look at her journey in SL thus far....

Family in SL....

Rain, Maddox and DJ A.F.I in Secondlife

On Facebook™ she has a professional page and an SL page for her profile and besides listing her DJ schedules , she proudly shows off her friends she made in SL and especially her SL family. To those less familiar with the virtual world, you can do as you would in the real world, after creating your avatar you can create your own first and last name, a career, design, rent a home,anything including raising a family and Aubry is doing all that.
In there she connected with the avatar Maddox Dupont, a native from Australia in real life,a well known hair,fashion and shape designer in Secondlife who owns KMADD & Mad Designs™ with whom she is raising a family that includes her simulated SL children, Rain, Paige,Lucas,Faith,Tana and their furry pet avatar,Andu.
Rain, Paige, and Lucas are all toddledoo (toddler/baby clothing) designers of which Rain has established an online store at Marketplace at this link https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/125519

DJ A.F.I in Secondlife with family and friends

The meeting of her first SL child named Rain is a deep genuine love story Aubry told me,who in real life is a 20 year old girl who roleplays Aubry's daughter in the game.It was something she had never experienced before, filling the void of not having had kids yet in her real life and finding it here in SL.

Rain in turn considers Aubry her surrogate mother as well as they both have established that deep unbreakable connection. They Skype™ almost daily, talk on the phone and Aubry mothers Rain like she would her real child, it was pretty touching hearing her speak in this way of her close friend from SL.

Meeting Maddox Dupont was also a love story on its own where she tells me one day she just imed him and said, "You are hot,I want to go on a date with you!"

Maddox replied and sparks flew in the game where they have been together ever since.


Designing SL fashion....

AFI Argyle UK Tank Top

AFI Boho Elephant Halter Dress

Recently Aubry has also just begun her own fashion clothing line in SL which she named A.F.I Designs™. She creates mesh clothing designs, male rock designs and female boho (hippy) designs with majority of the textures handcrafted by her.
That day I had met her earlier at one of her homes in the game with my own avatar where she had invited me over to ask me and one of her friends there for our opinion of some of her latest male mesh designs, where she was dressed as her male avatar displaying the clothing.
You can find her store at this link https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/125520 and to buy one of her items you need to register an account and exchange your currency into Lindens which is a very quick and simple process.


Djing in Second Life.....

promo made for her Secondlife DJ sets

The main clubs DJ A.F.I. spins at regularly in Secondlife are club Ambrosia, Rez, I love the 80s, Grind, BAD and Toontopia.
Aubry tells me she is also friends with Phil Kearny who is the owner of Ambrosia, Rez, Grind, and BAD. She continues "He has made a major impact on my game and life and I love him dearly as a friend. He has become a confidant and has been there for me through everything. He is very compassionate and motivating and a very caring friend. I owe him a lot. He pushes me and makes me a better person both in RL and SL ".

She has fliers for each event at the clubs and promotes them on Facebook or in the game (inworld)

DJ A.F.I djing in Secondlife

I asked Aubry what brought her to Second Life to DJ and roleplay plus how secondlifers perceived her being here from her RL celeb status.

"I saw it on HBO, I thought it looked so cool with 3D animations and I tried it out and found I could DJ on it as well.Been there ever since" she answered.

"Overall the acceptance was great" , she told me "but a few people did hate on me being here as they thought only normal everyday people with everyday problems as they put it,should be in the virtual world, to which I said I have as much right to be here as the next person, my status has nothing to do with it, I'm human and have the right to the same escape,relaxation and journey SL offers its players".

Couldn't have been a better answer,I thought and her answer definitely silenced her haters.

As to managing her Second Life keeping it in balance is her manager who checks on her from time to time logging in with his own avatar, who she on multiple times,ejects from her home she told me when he gets too intrusive hahaha.

past real world promo where Aubry performed

Validation was also an issue for Aubry, she tells me "When people saw my avatar, they always seemed to question my identity if I really was who I said I was, so one day I webcammed live during a set in the real life club to put the rumors to rest that I was faking who I was".She has since done several webcam shows as it was naturally well perceived by the audience in SL.

Next I asked if she has told her real life friends, colleagues and family about secondlife .

"In my real facebook I have a picture folder called Second Life, they are aware of it and it's definitely no secret"

The 108 pound 5 foot 6 blonde beauty then told me she enjoys promoting her SL but it is a lot of work as she is very busy with Djing in her real life career while trying to handle her secondlife audience at the same time but she does it because she loves it and she's paid well too for doing it.

She then gave me this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1CpojXrd2w (or see the embedded video we provided above) of her birthday party back in August last year she shared in SL on video listed on Youtube. Needless to say the event was grand and even a Linden employee attended which is rare in SL.Linden employees are people employed by Lindenlab™,the makers of the virtual world of Secondlife who have their own avatars and make sure everything goes smoothly inworld.
She tells me she has befriended several Linden employees now, who enjoy her events and periodically visit her sets!


Photography, Photoshop artist......

Photoshop Photography by DJ A.F.I

example of her client photography work

Photography is another one of Aubry's passions in real life that she is exploring in SL too using Adobe Photoshop™,she is very good at it may I add having seen her work, very skilled.You can schedule an appointment with her if you wish to hire her for any photography work,simply leave her a message inworld or via Facebook to set it up.

In closing......

As the clock turned 5 o'clock in the AM, our phone conversation winded down as I heard her yawning and ofcourse I couldn't keep a lady up this late, I thanked Aubry for her time and hospitality and being so open with me.A great experience for me as a writer in Second Life.

Don't expect to get her phone number out of me though when we talked because even I don't know it, it was blocked on my caller ID as her manager would go crazy if she hadn't made that precaution which I completely understood.

Real Life DJ bookings..........

Thank you for reading our article of celebrity DJ A.F.I (Aubry Fisher) exploring the virtual world called Secondlife.

You may join her group in SL named DJ A.F.I. Fans

Like her SL Facebook page to stay updated on her DJ gigs WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/RLDJAFI 

Like her real world Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/DJ-AFI/114614045270863?fref=ts

Also find her websites at WWW.LADJAFI.COM and https://soundcloud.com/BOOKINGTHEDJ
Follow these links to either book her services in real life or in Secondlife.

 

 

  

Introducing Yves Firlan, Fashion Blogger & Editor

By Mikayla Nightfire

Dedicated blogger, fashion guru for men, style in its very definition. These are all things that describe the man known as Yves Firlan. His tale is inspirational, motivational, and humbling. It is that of a man who puts his passions to work and eventually accomplished a dream successfully. If you were to type the words “Men Freebies SL” into Google, the first two blogs that will appear both belong to Yves. Although he is from Germany and I am from the Middle of the US, we eventually met up and were able to conduct an interview within Second Life®, where I was inspired, awed and entertained by the courteous, laid-back individual at my Holodeck.

Yves’s initial goal with his blog was to showcase the amazing freebies available to men in SL™ and share the information on where to find them with the rest of the community. Readership grew at a steady rate from month to month, fueled primarily by mouth-to-mouth propaganda. As much as he wanted to see the blog continuously gain popularity, Yves had to realize that there are only so many clicks one can achieve as a single writer. He then began setting himself new goals such as finding co-bloggers, people who were interested in fashion and freebies, that shared his vision and were prepared to blog on a regular basis. This way he could concentrate on also blogging pay items, something he turned to full-time when designers began to release mesh clothes on a bigger scale. Nowadays he leaves most of the freebie blogging to his newly found co-bloggers.

Pro Headshot of Mr Yves Firlan by OI Magazine photographer Angeli Optera

Obviously, a lot of the reward in blogging has to do with ranking, but for him it became more than just numbers. When asked about how long he’s willing to pursue this “love” the man says “It’s just something that I’m going to do as long as its fun to do and people appreciate our work." Since he first began his blogging, he has been recognized by followers and has even achieved the occasional high Alexa ranking, but rankings vary from month to month and, “if you let yourself be motivated/demotivated only by the change of a number, you won't last long in this business”, he declared.

Yves' journey started at Wordpress™, where he tried to give each look that he had created a story that added a funny twist to his choices. Unfortunately he had to leave this site after 13 months because Wordpress wouldn't allow advertising. Putting designer/sponsor logos on a blog is common practice among bloggers though and one way to promote the people that provide them with review copies. Btw: You can still access this old account though (and I’ve provided a link at the end of the article).

Now posting at Google™ Blogger, Yves still encountered the occasional setback like having to rebuild readership to the levels seen on the old site. But although his journey has had many ups and downs, I would call Yves’s blogs a breathing success. Once at his page, the man’s unique styles and diversity are brought to life, depicting the many different lives we live as Second Lifers, be it for free, for little money or actually spending big bucks on designer couture for men. 

Even though the number of male fashion stores increased a lot during the past years, it is still unlikely to just stumble upon a high quality freebies. If you’re after free mesh items, then you chances are even more slim. Yves and his colleagues have found the way for the fashionable man to find quality freebies and other fashion items, whether you are a fan of mesh or not.

In his business, Yves has seen many good blogs come and go. As the years have gone by, his blogs have evolved into a piece of him that is extending as arms of help for those who need it. Although new SL blogs are popping up everywhere, he has the hope of passing his blog eventually to a new generation of bloggers, keeping it well alive and in tact so that the generation to come may follow suit. He has currently been giving people the freedom of creativity, sitting back to edit every once in a while and building them up in their ideas as they go along.

When asked about what advice he would pass along to the next set of bloggers, he said “If I can inspire people into trying it out and having fun with it, that's all they need for starters." Yves has marked the way for hundreds to come, whether its helping them achieve their look for less or find their inner voices.

The new “Mix 'n' MESH” Blog: http://mix-and-mesh.blogspot.de/



The “Fashion + Freebies For Men” Blog: http://ffform.blogspot.de/



One of Yves’s Favorite Blogs: http://slipsters.wordpress.com/



Thank you for reading my article about Mr Yves Firlan, my name is Mikayla Nightfire, feel free to comment ^^

Luc Fray Interviews Socialite & Entertainer Simone Reverie AKA Valora Al Nahyan!

Close up of Simone Reverie (Valora Al Nahyan)

Simone Reverie aka Valora Al Nahyan, like many of Second Life™ residents, started playing because she heard it from a friend's word of mouth. "I heard of SL from a friend on IMVU who goes by the name, Anshe Chung."
Reverie, who once played on IMVU™, another virtual reality game, mentioned to this same friend what she would like to see in virtual reality. Chung, according to Reverie, suggested she try playing Second Life as it seemed to cater what Reverie seemed to be asking for. Curious and interested, the latter soon created an account and was amazed in discovering SL™ Metaverse.

During her noob days, she became the wife of a wealthy man, but she quickly found out that relationships on SL don't last very long. She doesn't bother engaging on them anymore nowadays learning from experience. Reverie remembered she used to hang out at Tableau because that was the place to be seen when the "hipster crowd" ruled fashion. "I made a few dear friends. More enemies then friends, but people did know my name. A lot has changed since then. I was notorious as I am now, but the title of socialite came with far more respect. Now I see new people. They do interesting things, but I sit back unmasked, as I’ve done it all already," Reverie thoughtfully said.

Black/White close up

Reverie recalled her Second Life history. Started at another previous account, she had a close friend, a store owner, who she was always seen with. Paris and Nicole, that was their moniker. Her friend was better-liked than Reverie was, though both were well-known. She remembered both of them usually have very nasty fights and that she could never seem to get herself to trust this friend, but somehow, they always seem to patch things up again. Despite their differences, Reverie shared that that friend was the only person she ever kept dear.

When prodded to tell more, Reverie obligingly responded, "One of my fondest memories while climbing to the top was when I sat front row at Paper Couture™. The store is big now, but wow back then wearing their clothes came with such status. I sat at a lot of shows. Met a lot of interesting people and that was what really what helped carry my name. I knew I had got to a point where I was content with my image when one of the Armidi™’s approached me at a party. I had no idea who this person was, but they spoke so vividly about me. I was so flattered. Soon after I took a hiatus. A long Hiatus and once I returned everything changed. I felt like Mr. Gekko in the sequel of Wall Street when he came out of jail with his old cell phone. I made a new name and a less pretentious image. I’ve grown a lot."

Reverie, who started SL on another name, said that she got the name "Simone" from a movie. She thought the name embodied the persona who fitted her. The main character in that movie was someone who existed in a virtual world that a lot of men looked for. Reverie mused on this and shared, "She was the perfect woman. Many males on female accounts who personify women have such desirable qualities. It makes men feel like they found the perfect match. It’s crazy because some of them fall in love. The irony of it all is people get wrapped up thinking perfection exist. Once you come to terms that perfection is solely about preference, then you can decipher what is too good to be true." Pretty soon though, she grew tired of the name, and decided to change her display name to "Valora Al Nahyan." According to her, the first name sounded alluring and the last name sounded Arabic. She thought Arabian names sound prestigious, and the combination of the two sounded privileged. "In way I am privileged. I don’t know what it’s like to struggle financially, but I’m sure one day I will. 99 percent of people do, even the wealthy."

Simone shopping for only the very best (Hope that cab driver didn't hurt his back!)

Reverie, who doesn't bother hiding the fact that she is male in RL in a female avatar, is an active member of the LGBT organization. "It wasn’t hard doing anything and being male on a female avatar. At times I do purposely hide the fact I am male to get some perks like free clothes from male designers. But for the most part I feel comfortable letting those around me know who I am. I have a very feminine voice, so at times people can be fooled even if it’s not my intention." She admits though that there were a lot of times that she was ridiculed and judged, being called a "tranny" with a negative connotation to it. Laughingly she added that the same people who calls her derogatory names are, in fact, closet homosexuals, as they hit on her afterward behind closed doors. "I had one incident with someone well known in the urban community who was insulting me. I have never met this person other than the run-in at the car store. They proceeded to call me fag on mic, and then spoke about how they were going to buy all the cars in the store, claiming he was rich. A month later he lost his sim for lack of payment and I later found out he was in the closet like Christian Louboutin’s."

Still caption from one of her music video hits Simone Reverie starred in

Dabbling now into Second Life music, Reverie has been venturing into the world of rapping for quite some time now. She writes all of her own raps, explaining that the inspiration most probably came from her grittier and rougher side, although she has been also exploring how to express other sides of herself into her music as well. "Some people are made to create and others are better at embracing creativity. Ever since I could remember I loved fashion and music. I was so young when I first learned about couture. It was something I understood so quickly and wanted to learn more about."

A fashion enthusiast too, Reverie voiced out what she had to say about the fashion community. "I personally believe SL fashion is corrupt if you are not a designer. The entire industry is fixed as you can only prosper by whom you know whether than what you can do. Standing out only requires you to know of someone powerful who can get you seen. For myself I am lucky enough to be skillful in fashion. I have my own unique and individual style and I have been fortunate enough to run into a few people who have gotten me seen in the industry. I think if you really want to stand out you should be yourself. It sounds cheesy, but I personally would rather be hated for who I am, then loved for what I’m not." As for stores that she patronizes and styles she goes for, she added, "Normally I stay away from stores geared to the urban community because I find the quality to be very poor. I don’t think the urban community cant decipher fashion from 'flash’in',so I go for for stores which I can find staple pieces in. Pieces that I can mix and match. I like a variety when I shop because I have never been one to buy a fat-pack. I like to look as if I have a cornucopia of different garments and I in fact do. One of my favorite stores is, Shi™. I’ve spoken to the owner and she has a great understanding of fashion as well as amazing taste. Everything in her store makes an outfit complete."

Luc Fray photographing Simone during their interview

When asked where she can usually be seen nowadays, Reverie answered, "Usually I’m shopping you can spot me if a hot new purse is released. I love purses. For the most part I’m everywhere. I just do not enjoy going to the fancy fashion events. The crowd is boring and pretentious without reason. Many of them pretend they know about fashion. I don’t have time for that shit. Usually the magazines throw those events, but don’t get me wrong. I love what some of the magazines are doing now. I like to be where the fun is, where I can meet interesting people from different walks of life." She also added that, at the present, what's been keeping her busy is spending lindens frivolously. A mesh line may also be in store for her in the future but she didn't want to say more about it, preferring to keep things hush-hush.

Valora seen here in a different skin she variates from time to time

For parting advice, Reverie has this to say, "Well to those rapping in SL. Never feel like you need to stress yourself to produce anything. SL is one big sketch pad and if you put out something, play it back. If you don’t like the outcome. Simply start over, eventually you will be content. There are people who are willing to help you. Just check Second life Facebook™, they are there. For fashion enthusiast, make sure you link up with other people who share your love. That is a great way to bounce ideas back and forth and even create your own little circle. There are many fashion lovers here, all with different styles. I find it to be so eclectic. But when you think deeply about it they are all the same. Everyone has similar likes and dislikes. You will have no problem finding people you can relate to, they are all over Flickr™. If you really want to get ahead in anything here fast I would suggest working with someone who is established in the craft you enjoy. However, you need to know how to deal with people who have power over you. They can take it away instantly. As for being in the LGBT community my advice is please do not let the derogatory names people call you lower your self-esteem. These are people to be laughed at. The LGBT community is powerful here and you will run into some great people. That is a promise, but believe me that circle can get nasty. Do not let your guard down for one second. Once you are secure and ready for anything you will have so much fun that goes for both worlds."


TY for reading my interview of Simone Reverie aka Valora Al Nahyan , reporting for OI Magazine (On Innovation Magazine) my name is Luc Fray.
As always feel free to comment!

*Majority of the pictures of the client are borrowed from her Facebook profile*