Cynthia A. Morgan's Blog, page 32

An #AuthorInterview & #BookSpotlight on a Truly Nobel Adventure

Please meet a wonderful Middle-Grade book that’s an exciting, classic adventure story, and a real page-turner that readers from 5 to 95 will enjoy. I love it, because the story promotes good values such as girl power, integrity, loyalty, doing the right thing, perseverance and ingenuity, forests, nature, and fun. I am surprised how many kids find it funny too!

Beryl and Carol are twelve-year-old best friends living in England in 1997. They love their river and their beautiful little town. But there is a real threat that they will soon be separated, and their parents sell their houses. Worse, they are constantly tormented by bullies, and one day they are cornered with no way out. To evade the bullies, they escape into the nearby ‘Forbidden Forest,’ where their terrifying, exhilarating, and noble adventure begins. Armed with toolkits, cake, and a half-baked plan, Beryl and Carol embark on an exhilarating and noble adventure that will change both their lives forever.

Beryl is half Finnish, blond, tall, sporty rebellious, and a charmer. She can talk to anyone, and her athletic abilities help the two friends through their adventure. Carol is the responsible adult, being three months and one week older. She has a keen mind, knows how to plan ahead and connect the dots, and when things get really dangerous, she is full of courage. The two girls love to laugh, play and, as the story evolves, take on the toughest challenges.

A little about himself directly from the Author

While I have written many professional books, this is my first fiction, and I really enjoyed writing it. It is such fun to create your own world, and I am inspired to see kids and adults alike reading and loving the book. Such a blast!

I have six kids, four of whom are girls, and I told them this story over many years. I finally wrote the book while living in Tanzania, East Africa, where country life and adventure helped inspire my writing. Every day when I drove to the clinic, I would make up the next chapter, always ending in a cliffhanger, so the plot evolved as I went along. I knew a chapter was a hit when the girls refused to go to sleep, begging for more. I had no idea where it was going, but it all worked out, though editing the story took another 9 years!

If I had one tip for a fiction writer, I would say do not show it to anyone until the book is cooked. You do not want to write for others, because to be unique you need to stay true to your own voice, however quirky. Just let it flow, with no thought for your reader. All that will come later, and later will be painful, so ride the tiger while you can.

Once the book is ready, editing and ‘killing Darlings’ is the most painful bit. I had to chop 30,000 beloved words and storylines off the book, and I hated that. But everyone knows that less is more.

Personally, I don’t read much fiction anymore. I used to, but at the moment I prefer to read non-fiction, mostly about Fungi. I actually think that is an advantage, because I do not subconsciously copy other fiction authors’ patterns.

I spent thousands of dollars on a content editor, and that was well worth it. But I also spent a lot of money and 4 years trying to find a literary agent, and that was not worth it. It seems to be impossible to get anyone to read your book, especially post COVID. So why not just self-publish. I did, and it was easy.

I can’t wait to write the sequel, which promises to be even more exciting. This time I will have an outline!

A Mantra I live by is: Every act of strength leads to another act of strength Every act of weakness leads to another act of weakness Courage begets courage Fear breeds fear.

That’s a quote straight from a poem written for the book- and I love it!!

Every act of strength leads to another act of strength
Every act of weakness leads to another act of weakness
Courage begets courage
Fear breeds fear.

Small acts generate bigger acts
Big acts generate greatness
Facing pain and overcoming difficulties
Enhances freedom and power.

Unexpected solutions are given by heaven
As a token of
Appreciation for honest endeavours
Humility and goodwill.

Life spirals up and down
Snakes and ladders.
At every moment,
Choose your path.

Once decided, don’t look back
Move on. Gateways will open.
At all times
The universe is unfolding as it should.

Jeremy Sherr’s BIO

Jeremy Sherr was born in South Africa in 1955 and grew up in Israel. He began formal homeopathic study in 1980 at the College of Homoeopathy, London. and simultaneously completed a degree in Acupuncture at the International College of Oriental Medicine.

Jeremy has taught in most of the British schools of homeopathy and founded the Dynamis School for Advanced Homeopathic Studies in 1986, now the longest-running post-graduate homeopathic course in the world. He has taught the three-year Dynamis curriculum in England, Ireland, Holland, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Israel, Canada, Japan, and throughout the United States. Jeremy has also given seminars in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Morocco, China, Russia, India, South Africa, Mexico, New Zealand, Argentina, and Australia. He maintains busy practices in London, Tel Aviv, New York, and Africa.

He was awarded a fellowship from the Society of Homoeopaths in 1991 and a Ph.D. from Medicina Alternativa and from Pioneer University. He is a member of the North American Society of Homeopaths and the Israeli Society for Classical Homoeopathy. Jeremy is an honorary professor at Yunan Medical College, Kunming, China, and an Associate Professor at University Candegabe for Homoeopathy, Argentina.

Jeremy is the author of ten homeopathic books and many published articles and research papers and has proved (a process of shamanic and academic research) and published 38 new homeopathic remedies. His books The Dynamics and Methodology of Homoeopathic Provings and Dynamic Materia Medica: Syphilis are homeopathic bestsellers and are used as textbooks in many schools. He is currently working on a series of books on the Noble gases of which ‘Helium’ ‘Neon’ and ‘Argon’ have been published, followed by Krypton. He is the author of the Repertory of Mental Qualities and of ‘Homoeopathy for Africa’, a free teaching course for African homeopaths. He has published three extensive (over 40 hours) online video courses which he edited by himself, including ‘The homeopathic Treatment of epidemics and of AIDS in Africa.’ He has worked as a consultant for several homeopathic software companies. Jeremy is about to publish his first novel for children.

During the last 13 years, Jeremy has been living and working in Tanzania with his wife Camilla, also a homeopath, on their voluntary project ‘Homeopathy for Health in Africa’ treating AIDS patients for no charge and researching remedies for AIDS. They have established 19 clinics and a homeopathic center, including work in two hospitals and with rural Maasai tribes. They have trained many local homeopaths and together they have treated over 20,000 patients. Jeremy and Camilla have founded several food projects, a daycare school for children with AIDS, and a secondhand eyeglasses program for Africans.

The Linkage  

Homeopathy for Health in Africa

Dynamis

Discover more about the book, view additional pictures, and read reviews about Beryl and Carol

Find the book on Amazon 

Find on Barnes and Noble

I’d like to thank Jeremy for sharing his lovely middle-grade story with Word Mongery and Musings.  I’m always delighted to share books that more people really ought to know about!

~Morgan~

If you have written or know a book that more people should read, let me know.  I’d love to add it/YOU to my spotlights

Tears- #LovePoetry

 

Tears, My Love,

In this Loneliest Hour,

In Longing for You.

In Solitude.

Alone.

 

Poetry and Art by ~Morgan~

 

Midnight- #Poetry of the #Naturalworld

 

The Candle dims as Midnight bears her head, Her Cascading tresses tumbling forth upon the Night.
Sighing, her hands raise overhead as she releases from her Gentle clasp the Diamonds of Light she Holds,
Scattering Temptation that Sparkles and Glitters in the Hush.

In the shifting shades and indigo silence, the hours Sing from the Vastness.  She sways and turns,  subtle and slow,
Smiling into the Whispering blackness.  Wrapping her arms around her Lover, she is hesitant to waken him with the breath of Morn.
Transfixed, she allows the night to deepen as she watches him Dream.

Poetry and Artwork by ~Morgan~

What the Harry Potter have I been up to? – #Newsletter and Update

It’s been an incredible couple of months, not only because book one of the Dark Fey Trilogy, The Reviled, was selected for a BookBub Featured Deal. (BookBub emails millions of readers each day with a curated list of discounted ebooks targeted by category.) Not only did this mean that literally thousands of copies of The Reviled hit reader’s book lists, but the rest of the series has had a dramatic uptick in readers as well.

One reader, after finishing book three of the series, Breaking into the Light, had this to say:

The classical good versus evil theme has a twist in this fantasy series. I can’t wait for you to discover it. One of my favorite characters voiced such a powerful message—a quite unusual way of reacting to evil that left me breathless and in tears, at one point. Evondair takes the stage, in this last book, presenting the type of beautiful message that leaves so much room for contemplation on how we live our daily lives. “Even for this . . .” Just wait until you read that line in context. Spread the word! Breaking into the Light is a timeless masterpiece. I hope to see the trilogy on the silver screen someday.

You can read the full review on Goodreads

I’ve also been spending a great deal of time learning digital art and photomanipulation. Having appreciated digital art for years, I began to study and test the waters through Facebook and Pinterest, receiving truly appreciated positive feedback. Using Midjourney AI as a starting point, my artwork is created using a multi-step process utilizing multiple digital resources and tools that provide layering, set mood and lighting, and create enhancement &/or reduction through the integration of outside media to composite a final result.

Yes, that’s quite a mouthful, but if you know anything about me, you know I’ve always been wordy. Still, I know ‘showing’ is always better than ‘telling’, not only in writing, but with art as well, so I’ve included a few images below so you’ll see what I’m blathering on about.

The images below are characters from Dark Fey. Mardan, Evondair, and Zraylaunyth, to be exact (and in that order) You can find more of my artwork on my DeviantArt page

Outside of all of this, I’ve been working on my current series, The Mirage of Hours, which is a Historical Romance set in the 1830’s. I’m planning to query this manuscript to agents, so I’ve been diligently editing and revising, writing up query letters and synopsis’, and making sure my first ten pages are ‘un-put-down-able’. I’ll share more about Mirage of Hours in my next newsletter.

But that’s not all…I’ve also been working with my current publisher to line up a series of poetry books and have pitched a non-fiction book about the paranormal and spirituality, which they are excited to publish.

As you can see, I’ve been busy, busy, busy. Time flies when you’re having fun, and I’ve certainly been enjoying all the writing and creating that been happening the past few months.

Be Well, Stay Happy, and Know that YOU are Blessed

 

~Morgan~

The Fog – #Dark #Poetry

 

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Stillness Whispers All Around,

Delicate,

Imperceptible,

Incongruous Sound;

The Hush Speaking softly

Of Another Place and Time;

Bending Perception

Through Inharmonious Rhyme.

 

The Fog Enwraps From Every Side,

Closing In,

Drawing Out

An Indiscernible Cry;

The Mist Breathing Blithely,

A Leviathan of Olde;

Enshrouding Inexorably

With Inescapable Cold.

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~Morgan~
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Beautiful Original Artwork by Demoness Lilith

Find her gallery on DeviantArt

A Single Syllable -#PoetryforChange #PoetryChallenge

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The Touch of Love is seen in the Miraculous as well as the Simple,
In the Drops of Water upon a newborns head,
In the Benediction o’er a Final Resting Place;
The Touch of Love is Bread in our Hands
And Wine on our Lips,
In Prayers offered beside the sickbed
And in Joyful Laughter at the birth of Life;
The Touch is in the Understanding and Patience Spoken to a Troubled Youth,
And in the Sincere Help offered to One in Need,
It is Heard in the Promise of Unconditional Love
And the Warm Embrace or Handclasp extended to a Stranger.
The Touch of Love is known in the grinding bit of a drill
Searching for Fresh Water In a Forgotten Village,
And in a coverlet offered to a refugee, lost and alone.
The Gentle Touch of Love is Shared through words of Encouragement
To One depressed, discouraged or grieving,
And Through the Compassion of Empathy conveyed
By a Wordless Nod or Gaze.
The Touch of Love is Extended to Each of Us and Shared Through All of Us,
To The World In Need.

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Poem inspired and written in conjunction with Pastor Robert Kehrli

 

In this season of renewal and resolution, I invite you to JOIN ME in Creating Positive Change through poetry.

Whether you opt for Free Verse, Form, Narrative, or Visual Poetry, I hope you will take up this simple challenge to post once a week about something you BELIEVE needs to be changed.

Please use the hashtag #PoetryforChange and spread the word by reblogging and retweeting your post and others with the same tag.

Let’s make the world a better place!

With Hope for Harmony,

~Morgan~

With You By My Side – #Love Poetry

 

Time doles out its Limits,

Cascading Eternity from ebon night,

Sparing none,

Seductive and Devious,

But I fear not the darkness

With You by my side.

 

Poetry and Art by ~Morgan~

 

Beloved – #LovePoetry

 

Sweet is Your Touch, Beloved, And Temptingly Beguiling;
Conspiring with my senses,
Intoxicating me as Finest Wine,
Where Ever I crave only Your Affection;
So Captivated I am By the Bliss of You.

If One could Breathe and Know the Passion of my Heart,
‘Tis You, Beloved, For In Your eyes Exists my Heaven;
In Your Smile, my Reverie, like Doves, descends;
When You Speak my essence Trembles;
So Enraptured I am By the Pleasure of You.

Measures of music stand mute and Expansive symphony discordant
In the echo of You, Beloved, Singing Sweetly;
Tantalizing my Rapt Ear While Breathlessly I Listen;
Dreaming in Waking, Though not A-Slumber;
So Enchanted I am, By the Delight of You.

~Morgan~
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Artwork is my own
Art by ~M~

Rock and Straw – #Poetry of #Faith and #Spirituality

Rock and Straw,
Gold and Stone,
Brightest Light that E’re was Shone.

Toil and Mercy,
Stars of Night,
Encapsulate our Clouded Sight.

Loaves and Fishes,
Grace Forbearing,
Undaunted Love, Ever Caring.

Rock and Straw,
Garden of Sorrow,
Strengthen Love to Face the Morrow.

Wood and Iron,
Thorn and Tears,
Transcending All the Darkened Years.

Rock and Straw,
Angels and Stone,
Brightest Light that E’re was Shone.

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Photograph by: Heather Applegate
Found at http://www.fineartamerica.com

Forgiven – #Poetry of #Faith and #Spirituality

Shaken to my very Core,
I stand and Consider, Haplessly;
Into the night I follow, Willing,
Regretting much upon the Morn.

Villains’ rhetoric Steals my Virtue,
Challenging what I would Willingly say,
Glass like, Fragile Hope does shatter,
Where once it Stood, In situ.

Chasms dark and Deep, foreboding,
Stretch into the ebon night,
Relentless as the Dawn, comes seeking
Guilt and all her power, off loading.

Yet as the Golden fretted Heavens
Stretch vast from East to West,
Grace for taking lavish misjudgment,
Touching my soul, Forgiven.

~Morgan~

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image by: jensequel at Deviantart.com