Cynthia A. Morgan's Blog, page 80

Shades of #Autumn- #Poetry of #SeasonsChanging and the #NaturalWorld

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Shades of Autumn Tempt my Thoughts

In nodding Whispers of Shimmering Dreams

Soft upon the auburn wing

As Weary Summer Quietly Gleams.

~Morgan~

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

#Autumn Whispering- #Poetry and #Photography of the #NaturalWorld

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Shades of Autumn, Whispering

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Whispers of Summer, Lingering

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Lingering Reminders, Beckoning

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Beckoning Glimmers, Lilting

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Lilting Hues, Dancing

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Dancing Splendor, Shimmering

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Shimmering Autumn, Whispering

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Original Photography by:

Tammy Hughes

Nella Pascal

Roeselien Raimond

Others found on Pinterest. Credit Gratefully Acknowledged to ALL the Gifted Photographers. Thank You~

Surfeit – #Poetry of the #NaturalWorld

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Walking in the Autumn Morn,

October chill upon the Air,

Late, Sol rises from the Celestial Bourn

To Kiss the Frost with Brazen Flair.

Smiling Morning, Singing Light,

Huddled in Evening’s Dulcet Affection,

Linger Warm upon my shoulder

Like sugar and spice Confection.

Silence Rouses from slumbering,

Midnight turns her Cheek away,

Daytide stretches forth her Hand,

In an Unsullied Surfeit Array.

~Morgan~

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Lovely Image found on Pinterest.  Credit Gratefully Acknowledged to the Original Photographer.  Thank You~

Anguish – #Poetry and #ThoughtsforChallengingTimes

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Sanction Not the Loss of Life,

the Rending, Tearing,

Corrupting, Destroying,

Maiming, Hurting,

Riotous Calamity

That falsely names itself

Truth

Prompting War; Intolerance, and Violence

On All Sides,

For where Hate Meets with Battle

Where Lies are Raised Vitriolically,

Anguish Settles her Bitter Shadow

And Shall Not Be Moved.

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~Morgan~

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Moving Image found on Pinterest. Credit Gratefully Acknowledged to the original photographer.

Thank You~

Wisdom’s Voice – #Poetry for #ChallengingTimes

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When Passions change

And Choices Tangle,

Daylight fades while we

Consider the angle.

Pause from Rushing,

Hear Whispers Confiding,

In Stillness Discover

The Light that is Guiding.

Silence is Golden

When Practiced by Choice

For only in Silence can we

Hear Wisdom’s Voice.

 

 

~Morgan~

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Image found at: insightsforchristians.wordpress.com

Perfection in Union- #LovePoetry for #SoulMates

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Long We have been separated, Love,

Though in the Dawn of Existence we Kissed Each Other Sweetly.

Born of One Spirit,

Lingering in Breathless Anticipation,

Sharing Each Thought,

Each Breath,

Each Moment,

Unified in Perfection, Perfection in Unity.

Birth brought division, separation, desertion,

Calamity of loneliness and confusion.

Each day I have sought You,

Seeking the Beauty of Your Eyes,

Listening for the Allure of Your Voice,

Reaching for Your Exquisite Hands,

Yearning for the Splendor Your Touch,

Desiring none but You.

Alas, Love, my Search was Fruitless.

Stolen Time, Ineffectual Years,

Breaking the Hourglass of Patience,

Diminishing Essence to Pallor.

Inescapable Longing.

Silence.

Until A Glimmer Escaped the tedium,

A Question Poised on Possibility,

Hope Sprung from her hiding place deep within my Heart

At Seeing You,

Recognizing You,

Though I knew not Your Name,

Certain only of the Pounding of my Spirit,

The Trembling of my Heart,

The Longing Intensified disproportionately.

Waiting

In Patience, Praying

In Diligence, Believing

In Expectant Certainty.

You Are He!

Made For Me, Made With Me,

Sweet Handsome Harmony to my solitary Melody.

Breathe with Me, Again, My Love,

Unified in Perfection, Perfection in Unity.

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~Morgan~

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Breathtaking Artwork found on Google Image Search: Acknowledgement given to the original artist, Unknown.

Playing in the Rain – An Inescapably Claustrophobic, Diabolically Mind-spinning Ride!

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When the effects of a hypnosis inducing drug fade, April slowly begins a conscious awakening. Memories of her past are unclear and she has no recollection of her identity or her whereabouts.

As the days slip by, April realizes there is more to life than existing when she is introduced to an occupant who does just that—her sister. The more she learns about her environment the more she wants to escape.

Will April remember her past, her sister? Will she have the courage to leave? And if she does, where will she go?

Experience through April’s eyes her struggle to remember and her determination to escape in this sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, suspense story.

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My Review – 5-Stars

You awake in an unknown environment.  You can’t remember who you are or where you’re from, but you know where you are now is not where you ought to be.  You feel trapped, because you are. You feel alone, because ….because…You can’t remember why, but you know you weren’t alone before.  Before waking up whereever you currently are.

Lead character, A2, is in a facility called C.E.C.I.L:  the Contagion Eradication Center for Intelligent Life.  There is a man named Jasper there, who provides and controls everything, including the drugs she is being pumped full of, because ….because….she doesn’t know why.  Danger and mystery meld with confusion and hazy memories of a life she only barely recalls.  A2 meets B2, and they discover they were sisters, before….before whatever happened that brought them here….whereever they are, though neither know why.

 Jackson’s first book in the Escape Series, Playing in the Rain:  When All That Matters is Freedom pulls you right into the story from page one, slowly yet inexorably, leaving you as dazed and confused as A2.  Page after deliciously-mystifying page, you follow A2 and B2 as their situation goes from bad to worse, yet gets better and better.  If you love immersing yourself into a story body and soul, where you can end up exhausted from the remarkable confusion the author maintains chapter after chapter, dragging you and her characters along an unforseen path to an undisclosed conclusion while spinning in a web of intrigue that will leave everyone ensnared and gasping for breath, then prepare yourself.  This one will not disappoint you.

It will not give up its secrets quickly or easily, either.
Settle in and prepare for the inescapably claustrophobic, diabolically mind-spinning ride of your life!

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A graduate of a 3-year Graphic Design program, Sandra J. Jackson has always been creative, from drawing and painting to telling stories to her children when they were young. Her wild imagination lends itself to new and exciting ideas.

Sandra’s debut novel, Promised Soul, was originally released in 2015 by her former publisher. A short story, Not Worth Saving, was published in New Zenith Magazine’s 2016 fall issue. She also has had several sports articles published in a local newspaper. She holds a professional membership with the Canadian Author Association and is a member of Writers’ Ink. Sandra’s second novel, Playing in the Rain – Book 1 of the Escape Series, released in September 2017 also by the same former publisher.

Sandra lives with her family in a rural setting in Eastern, Ontario. She is currently working on Book 3 of the Escape Series, her first trilogy.

FIND SANDRA’s BOOKS ON AMAZON
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~Morgan~

Introduction for an Archangel – #Fantasy #Characters Come to Life

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Elena Dudina.  You may recognize her amazing artwork or you may have never heard of her before.  She is an extremely gifted photomanipulation digital artist. Her creations stir the imagination (They have stirred mine since the beginning of BnV!)

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They are breathtaking and exquisitely detailed, filling the mind with far-away realms and magical places.

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They are delicate and beautiful and each one is unique.

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She is a poet of images, forms and colour; shades, shapes and textures.

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When I first began writing The Mercy Series, I confess, it wasn’t one of Elena’s images that inspired my imagination.  It was one by an artist called Aenaluck

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This image is definitely stirring, but my main character Tzadkiel quickly took on a life of his own. He became real to me, as every character I have ever created has done.

“The ruddy glimmer of the late day sun, slowly fading into a crimson haze behind the distant clouds, played through the layers of his shoulder-length blonde hair and sparkled across the perfection of his features. He was neither rugged nor boyish, but strikingly handsome.  His physique was tall and powerful, but not burly and his appearance was undeniably beautiful while still masculine. He wore a gray leather harness across his back with a scabbard to carry a sword, though the weapon was currently sheathed in the scabbard at his hip.  He bore no scars of any kind and wore around his neck an amethyst crystal upon a silver chain. The deep violet of the unworked stone matched the color of his eyes precisely and glowed faintly as if it contained an internal light.  Standing there upon the vast ocean shore, he was the most stunning sight for countless miles. – An Excerpt from Misericorde 

Although Aenaluck’s character inspired, I wanted a true representation of Tzadkiel.  One I could share with readers (And use for marketing without copyright infringement).  I decided to look into commissioning a work through a digital artist and it only took about 10 minutes for me to find Elena’s website.  10 minutes after that, I was emailing one of my all time favourite artists with a query.

Elena and I have worked closely for a week, trading emails while I provided detailed descriptions about Tzadkiel and a plethora of images to help her visualize what I saw in my mind.  Remarkably, and due in no small part to her immense talent, she drew the archangel out of the depths of my mind and brought him ….and his extraordinary sword Jshunamir….to life!

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I would like to introduce you to The Archangel Tzadkiel in human form from The Mercy Series

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It’s the year 2446, and the first three Horsemen of Revelation’s Apocalypse have ridden.

Pestilence, War and Famine have changed the world into a dictatorship ruled with an iron fist. Commoners have few rights, and liberty is a distant memory.

Before the final Horseman is released, the Archangel of Mercy – Tzadkiel – makes a bold plea, asking for permission to find even one human who remembers the meaning of mercy and compassion. He is given 100 years, until Death will sweep across the land.

Taking human form and coming to Earth, he finds a place ruled by greed, hatred and fear. With time running out and Death growing impatient, can Tzadkiel find what he’s looking for… and how much will he need to sacrifice?

 

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I can’t wait to hear what you think.  Personally, Im over the moon and want to take this opportunity to thank Elena for her gift, that has inspired me many times over the years, and for her patience as she worked to bring this character to life.

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~Morgan~

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Find Elena Dudina on DeviantArt and Facebook

The A.S.K. Principle

I am convinced that everyone prays. Even an atheist has a way of expressing their needs to someone or something other than themselves.  They too need help through difficult times.  There is something deep within every human being that cries out for help. When trouble comes our way or when someone we know is going through struggles, we reach out.  Major religions around the world each have their own view of what prayer should consist of.  There are also many ideas on how prayer should be delivered.  Some require a set schedule of prayer, while for others it’s more a form of meditation.  Prayer is a vital element of the human soul.

I was raised in church.  My mom was the church secretary in a small congregational church in Massachusetts when we were growing up.  We had to be in church!  I sang in the children’s choir. Our family was involved in everything that went on at church. At 13, I was confirmed and started being a teachers helper in Sunday School.  A friend and I ran a small teen hangout in the church for a while. We were at church a lot  

We learned to pray at an early age.  Reciting our bedtime prayers and praying over meals were the two ways we practiced.   But when I reached the rebellious age of 16, I wandered away from church and set out on a road of self-destruction.  Drugs, alcohol, sex, and parties were all that seemed to matter.  Church was ignored.  Even then, I can remember praying at certain times.  It is something that stuck with me even when I was away from God.  I wasn’t even sure at times who I was praying to.  I just knew I had to call out to something greater then myself. 

In 1976, I made a trip to Iowa.  We attended a service earlier in the week.  The preacher had me convinced I was going to hell, and I knew I did not want to go there!  The night before I was going to head home, my friends pastor came to his trailer.  There, in my best friend’s mobile home, I prayed the sinners’ prayer.  I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.

I was saved that night.  Upon returning to Massachusetts, I started attending that same congregational church I grew up in.  Two years later, on a return trip to Iowa, I met my future wife and moved to Iowa in 1978.   We were married by years end.  Three children and five great grandchildren have come along and we will soon be celebrating 40 years together.

This was a time when I really started to grow in the Lord and learn His ways.  I was focused on building a family and growing in the Lord.  Long hours were spent in prayer and in the word.  Reading through the bible several years in a row brought understanding.  Studying things I did not understand were all priorities of mine.  Seeking God for wisdom was at the top of my list during those years.  I became a worship leader in my small church.  Some lay ministry and prison outreach occurred.   I developed a prayer life, but I always sensed there was a lot more than I currently realized.

What is prayer?  When should we pray?  How should we pray?   Why should we pray?  How can we pray effectively?  I had so many questions about prayer through these years of my walk with the Lord that I decided to study and learn for myself.  In 1990 I earnestly sought the Lord with these questions and developed the basics for what I thought would eventfully be a book.  After finishing the study, it sat on a shelf at home.  Recently, those notes were found in a house cleaning session.  I decided to take another look at it and make it book ready.  Ideas and concepts were added that I learned since the original study. I used this on my blog over a period of a month to get feedback from fellow bloggers.  I was pleased it was so well received.

My desire is that together we can get a better understanding of the inner workings of prayer.  Many of you might know much of what I will share.  I hope all will gain new insights into their own prayer lives.  

I pray this book will strengthen the kingdom of God in these last days.  I pray it will glorify God for the wonderful gift of prayer that He has given us.    We desperately need an outpouring of effective prayer in our world today.  I pray this book will start a tsunami of prayer that will sweep the church, our nation and our world.

If you would like a copy of “The A.S.K. Principle” it is available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble and also through my web site at www.theaskprinciple.com

#Orators of the #ModernAge – An Insight into #AudioBook #Narrators and #VoiceOverArtists

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Audio books.  We love them or we hate them, there’s usually not a lot of middle ground, but regardless of our love-hate relationship, the completion of an audio book project is a journey not many have taken.  Fewer yet are the interviews with audio book narrators.  We know little to nothing about these orators of the modern age who fill our lives with complex stories, tales of woe and strife, steamy romance or the inconceivable.  This is why, after working the narrator who is currently transforming Dark Fey into an audio marvel (if I do say so myself!), I decided to spotlight her.

So without further ado, please meet  Jessica Gober.  Jess is a lover of all things book related. From an early age, she discovered that books and stories could transport her to places like the world of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and the cabbage patch. Since then, she’s been on a never-ending reading journey. Her vocal talents were acquired while attending Northern Arizona University for a degree in Theatre Performance. She has done voice-overs for plays like Why We Have a Body and various student films. Her audiobook recordings include The Dark Fey Trilogy, Dust and Roses, and a book of poetry titled Blue Crayon.

Hi Jess