Cynthia A. Morgan's Blog, page 148

Wanton – #DailyHaikuChallenge

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Blushing Autumn Sighs

Amidst His Wanton Display

Tenderly Caressed

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To take part in the Daily Haiku Challenge see  The Original Post from Day One

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Day 363 / 365

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Mountain Photography by Jack Brauer

Filed under: Daily Haiku Challenge Tagged: Autumn, Beautiful Photographs, BnV, BooknVolume, Early Snow, Jack Frost, Nature, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, relationships, Romance, Writing Haiku, ~Morgan~

Breathtaking – #RomanticTuesday #Love#Poetry

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Breathtaking

You Are

So Very

Breathtaking

Leaving Me

Sighing

Yearning

Sweetly Burning

 

You Are

So Breathtaking

Love

O My Sweetest

Breathtaking

Love

 

My Heart Is Yours

Ever Yours

Always Yours

My Sweetest Love

Breathtaking Love

In Absolution!

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Photograph by: Lafugue Logos

Filed under: Poetry Tagged: Beautiful Photographs, BnV, BooknVolume, Desire, Forever Yours, Love, Love Poetry, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, relationships, Romance, Yearning, ~Morgan~

Breathless Chivalry – #RomanticTuesday #Love#Poetry

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May I Touch said He

In all his Breathless Chivalry

As Time Unraveled behind the Sea

Of Breakers rolling

And the Heavens Extolling

The Embrace with which He

Surrounded Me

 

Let us Sigh Said I

Before the Wanton hours Fly

And Golden Fire Caresses the Sky

Sweet Kiss of Repose

As His eyes slowly close

Tenderly to Exemplify

The Passion of His Sweet Reply

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A Poem Prompted by Kim at Peace, Love, and Patchouli (found here: https://zipsrid.wordpress.com/2016/04...  ) to write a poem that begins with a line from a another poem (not necessarily the first one), but then goes elsewhere with it.   I’d like to Thank Kim for this wonderful prompt, without which, who knows if this poem would ever have found Expression!

I Selected “May I Feel Said He” by e e Cummings (found here: http://www.poetry.org/cummings.htm/  )

~Morgan~

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Beautiful Photograph via Shutterstock

Filed under: Poetry Tagged: BnV, BooknVolume, Desire, e e Cummings, Love, Love Poetry, passion, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, Romance, Touch, ~Morgan~

Reflections of Time – #DailyHaikuChallenge

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Reflections of Time

Mirrored by undulations

Of Ageless Wisdom

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To take part in the Daily Haiku Challenge see  The Original Post from Day One

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Day 362 / 365

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Photograph by Eredel – DeviantArt 

Filed under: Daily Haiku Challenge Tagged: Ancient Wisdom, Autumn, Beautiful Photographs, BnV, BooknVolume, Harmony, Memory, Nature, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, spirituality, time, ~Morgan~

The Prompt & Prompted – Recollections

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She speaks in Subtle Whispers

And

He shouts in Thunderous Tones

Echoes of Memory

Scattered like Stones

Falling from Leaden Skies

Through Dappled leaves of Delicate Sighs

Tragedy Secretly Unfolds

Through Emeraldine Kisses and Tempestuous Golds

Spirit of Majesty

Reaching to Infuse

Recollections of Being to Beguile and Confuse.

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I recently used this image in Wordless Wednesday, but the Solitary Spirit kept whispering to me and whispered to others as well, So I felt Inspired to Share a Prompt.

What does this Beautiful Spirit Say to you?  Does She Whisper or Is His Voice commanding?  If you feel led, Please write your post and link back to this.  I will add your verse to the post and link to yours.

Thank You for Sharing the Magic and Mystery of Inspiration

Serenity – #VisualPoetry

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~Morgan~

Filed under: Visually Lyrical Tagged: Autumn, Beautiful Photographs, Beauty, BnV, BooknVolume, Harmony, Nature, Peace, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, spirituality, ~Morgan~

Thunder – #DailyHaikuChallenge

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Quietly Waiting

For us to See, Unhindered,

Thunder of Beauty!

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To take part in the Daily Haiku Challenge see  The Original Post from Day One

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Day 361 / 365

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Photograph found on Pinterest.  Credit Gratefully Acknowledged to the Original Photographer.  Thank You~

Filed under: Daily Haiku Challenge Tagged: Autumn, Be in the Moment, Beautiful Photographs, Beauty, BnV, BooknVolume, Harmony, Mindfulness, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, spirituality, Sunset, ~Morgan~

The Power of Positivity – #Inspirational #MeditativeThinking

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“How it is that animals understand things I do not know,

but it is certain that they do understand.

Perhaps there is a language which is not made of words

and everything in the world understands it.

Perhaps there is a soul hidden in everything and it can always speak,

without even making a sound, to another soul.”

~Frances Hodgson Burnett

This beautiful quote is something I have always believed, but could not express in quite such a poignant and beautiful way. This Spirit of Harmony; this Essence of Unified Understanding lives and breathes within each of us.  It Speaks softly in whispers we often overlook or ignore.  It sings gently in lilting tones and shifting hues that sparkle in our smiles and warms our hands when they reach out to Give.  It reigns in the unselfish offerings of charitable help we offer just as it abides in the balm of a morning breeze and nestles amid the lavender shadows of twilight, seeking to soothe, if only we would allow it to touch us.

We rush ‘hither and thither in restless haste’*; we fill our thoughts, our vision, and our hearing with a jumble of noises that usually neither build up nor restore what is torn down through the day to day struggle of existence; yet given a moment’s pause to gaze upon something relatively simple, we are enthralled.  Why should it be that a beautiful sunset speaks to so many with a wordless reverie?  Why is it that the ocean’s sigh captures our breathless stares?  What is it about the crackle of a fire, the smell of the smoke, that is so intoxicating that it draws in man, woman, child and furry creatures alike?  Is it merely a primal memory of comfort and safety or is it something more?

Is it, perhaps, the connection point of our corporeal reality and the intangible whisperings of the Essence?  Is that quiet moment, which draws us out of our restless haste, that speaks loudest to us because it is, in fact, the place where we are, at last, in Harmony with everything? Is this moment capable of transcending because it is the fulcrum between flesh and spirit?

Perhaps it is at this pivotal moment, when Harmony is Unified, that we should be seeking the Peace for which we yearn.  Perhaps if asked when our bodies are quiet and our spirits are still, the power of this coalescence of physical and spiritual could be unleashed.  Perhaps….

How often have you heard it said, “If only we could all just get along.”  What if we really could?  The only true way of achieving Peace is by becoming Peace, so is it up to us to take that first step?  Are we, in fact, the responsible party?  Consider for a moment if each and every one of us, or at the very least a great majority, would take that consequential step towards a lasting Harmony?  How, one might ask, does one take that first step?  What can a single person do to shift the tide of hatred and violence flooding over our planet?

It is said a journey begins with a single step.  Perhaps that step is simply a change of mindset.  Choosing to smile, rather than growl.  Deciding to let the other guy go first, even when we are in a rush.  Patiently waiting when another is not as speedy as we might be.  Perhaps it is also a daily reminder to self of the change we’ve chosen; in the form of a meditation, or prayer. One that holds the power of positivity.

Universal Love, Spirit of Harmony, Essence of Peace, Guide our Perceptions as a people; a nation; a world, to blend in a Unified Consciousness of Harmony and Peace.  Teach us to Share the Love that lives and breathes all around us through acts of Kindness we do not turn aside from; through Gentleness of Spirit and Enduring Patience.  Shift our desires from all the cruelty and selfish motivations that overwhelm the innocent and the mild so we may Abide in Love and Peace, Hope and Joy.

Blessings to you my Friends~

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~Morgan

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Quote taken from A Christmas Carol by  Charles Dickens

Filed under: Just Me Musing Tagged: BnV, BooknVolume, Change, Harmony, Hope, Inspirational Living, Inspirational Quotes, Love, Meditations, Peace, relationships, spirituality, ~Morgan~

Scintillating – #DailyHaikuChallenge

 

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Jack’s delicate Kiss

Sparkles in the morning light

Scintillating change

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To take part in the Daily Haiku Challenge see  The Original Post from Day One

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Day 360 / 365

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Photograph by Dan Jurak

Filed under: Daily Haiku Challenge Tagged: Autumn, Beautiful Photographs, BnV, BooknVolume, Change of Season, Early Winter, Frost, Jack Frost, Poem, poetry, Poetry Blog, Romance, Seasons, ~Morgan~

In The Lime Light – #AuthorSpotlight with #Fantasy #Writer Jacob Peppers

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I recently met Fantasy Author Jacob Peppers via Facebook.  Really what caught my eye was the cover of his new release.  I was just drawn to the character, wondering what was happening and why he looked so distressed (so me, right?!)  So I reached out the Jacob to see if I could find out more.

Jacob Peppers lives in Armuchee, Georgia with his wife and three dogs.  His short story, “The Lies of Autumn,” was  a finalist for the 2013 Eric Hoffer Award for Short Prose.  His other short works have been published in various literary journals.  He is the author of A Sellsword’s Compassion, a debut fantasy novel and book one of The Seven Virtues, and The Silent Blade, a Seven Virtues novella.

Hi Jacob..Thanks for taking some of your valuable time to chat with me about your writing and your book that so intrigued me.  So tell me…..

What Inspires and stirs your creativity? Oh, that’s a pretty long list.  I’m much more of a discovery writer than a plotter; I tend to write from situations and, at most, will have a few scenes I know I want to include in the book when I start a draft.  Because of this, I’d say I’m inspired daily–books I read, movies I watch, and interactions I have.  All of those feed into the writing, and I think, for me at least, they help to keep it fresh and challenging.

Tell us about your book(s):

My recently published novel is A Sellsword’s Compassion.  I published it with an accompanying novella, The Silent Blade, that comes before it in the chronology of the world.  As for A Sellsword’s compassion, it follows Aaron Envelar, a jaded sellsword who lives in the poor district of one of the kingdom’s major cities.  Aaron stumbles on the assassination of a prince and ends up getting wrapped up in a conspiracy involving the remaining royal siblings who are all battling for dominance of the kingdom.  Aaron finds himself followed by mythical assassins, a man with superhuman strength, and a ball of light claiming to be the embodiment of compassion.  The last makes for some fun back and forth when you have a man whose life has taught him only to look out for himself, and he ends up feeling things in a way that he hasn’t in a very long time.  Of course, he also gets some special abilities because of it, so maybe it’s an even trade.

What genre do you prefer to write or are you truly eclectic?

I’ve written in quite a few genres.  It’s in my nature to have a lot of projects going at once which is why I’ll be releasing The Son of the Morning, book one of the Nightfall Wars in early November, and another, as of yet untitled, novel in early December, another first for a series.  I write on a lot of things at once, so I try to make this up in volume, minimizing the wait between sequels as much as possible.  My short stories range from thriller to literary to horror and The Lies of Autumn, the short story that was the finalist for the 2013 Eric Hoffer award, is really a suspense story.  That being said, my biggest love is always for fantasy–what can I say?  I’m a grown man that loves magic.

What do you feel is your best advice to share with other aspiring authors?

Best advice?  Well, I’ve heard some great advice in my time so that’s a long list.  I think one of the major themes of Stephen King’s book, On Writing, encapsulates some of the best advice I could give.  If you want your writing to be your job, treat it like your job.  You don’t watch Netflix for five hours while you’re on the job–not if you want to keep it anyway.  You put in the time and you put in the effort–the book doesn’t get finished by magic.  Although, sometimes it can seem like it did.  Otherwise?  Brandon Sanderson has made some great points on this in his YouTube videos of his Creative Writing classes.  For example, any book or movie that I really like, I try to dilute that down as much as possible and ask myself what it was that struck me?  What was so powerful that I lost sleep to read it or to watch it?  That was some great advice for me, and I don’t think anyone would disagree that those two guys know what they’re doing.

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When you are NOT writing, what is your favourite pastime?

Hmm … sleeping?  No, seriously, I tell people you can describe my life by the three W’s.  Writing, working out, and spending time with my wife (in no particular order, of course, I’d rather not get divorced today.)  Aside from that?  Ping pong, video games, just about anything that gives me the chance to beat someone else–I have a tendency to be pretty competitive.

Describe Your Dream Getaway Destination.  Have you ever been there?  What makes this place Irresistible to you?

That’s easy–Ireland.  My wife and I went there a few years back, and it was incredible, the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.  I guess it’s hard to pin down one thing that makes it so irresistible.  It’s so green there, so uncultivated.  I’m a country boy at heart, and I’ve a love for open spaces, I guess.  It’s also the way people are there–the pace of life is slower and that’s a part of it but not all.  I’ll tell you this–we were there for over a week, and I heard one horn honk the whole time; it was me when I was climbing out of the admittedly disappointing rental car.  Overall, I think there’s just a rhythm, a beat to the culture that’s subtle but powerful anyway.  I love it, that’s all.  I’d be there right now if the wife gave the go ahead but hey?  We live on hope.

Do you have a Rule to Live By?

Oh, probably a billion of them.  I guess the one that I always tell myself, at least regarding my writing, is that there may be people out there (and there are, I promise, plenty of them) that are smarter than me, people who are better or more talented, but there will never be someone that works harder than me.  I’m a big believer in controlling the controllables and letting the rest fall away.  Cormac McCarthy addresses this in No Country for Old Men (one of the best books I’ve ever read) and I’m paraphrasing here, but basically it says if there’s nothing to be done about it, it’s not a problem it’s just an aggravation.  I believe that, but I think that means also that, for me at least, I need to hold myself accountable to doing everything I can, as often as I can, the best that I can.  It’s something I tell myself every time I sit down to write and, hopefully, it shows though in the books.

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Stay up to date on Jacob’s latest works by visiting his website and joining his mailing list at www.JacobPeppersAuthor.com.  You can follow him on Twitter at @PeppersJacob or visit him on Facebook at  http://bit.ly/2wNRhGr

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~Morgan~

Filed under: Authors Books Reviews & Interviews Tagged: Author Intervies, Author spotlight, BnV, BooknVolume, Dragons, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Indie Authors, Supporting Indie Authors, ~Morgan~