Genieve Dawkins's Blog, page 18

What’s the Weirdest Food You’ve Ever Eaten?

The theme of unusual/weird foods runs throughout Opoponax Dreams, in which the characters have diets that would make the average person’s stomach do somersaults. The theme continues in Rêves Opoponax 69 and will be included in Tribal Wars.

The weird food connection isn’t random. It’s inspired by the sometimes disgusting foods I was exposed to as a child and by a strange experience I had in Paris, where I saw a headless dog roasting on a spit in the window of a restaurant in the Quartier Latin. The memory has been seared into my brain and is now, hopefully, seared into yours too. The tribal feast in Opoponax Dreams features a traditional Jamaican soup, Mannish Water,  whose recipe I will obtain and post at a later date (it includes the full head and intestines of a goat, but is delicious). There’s also a veiled reference to another exotic dish: Cow Cod Soup.

Have you had any unusual experiences with food? What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten.

What's the Weirdest Food You've Ever Eaten?

The theme of unusual/weird foods runs throughout Opoponax Dreams, in which the characters have diets that would make the average person's stomach do somersaults. The theme continues in Rêves Opoponax 69 and will be included in Tribal Wars.

The weird food connection isn't random. It's inspired by the sometimes disgusting foods I was exposed to as a child and by a strange experience I had in Paris, where I saw a headless dog roasting on a spit in the window of a restaurant in the Quartier Latin. The memory has been seared into my brain and is now, hopefully, seared into yours too. The tribal feast in Opoponax Dreams features a traditional Jamaican soup, Mannish Water,  whose recipe I will obtain and post at a later date (it includes the full head and intestines of a goat, but is delicious). There's also a veiled reference to another exotic dish: Cow Cod Soup.

Have you had any unusual experiences with food? What's the weirdest food you've ever eaten.

Smile, and the World Smiles with You

Never underestimate the power of your smile. You can light up the world with your laugh, and make someone's day with a smile.

The simple act of smiling is one of the few things that makes a noticeable, immediate change in the world. Smile at a grumpy person and watch their attitude change. Force a smile when you're feeling sad, and watch your attitude change. Enjoying a good laugh can even improve your health and your well-being.

Embrace your inner joy and share a smile with someone today.

If you're lacking inspiration, try reading Zany Adventures in Fashion, Style & Beauty. It's sure to bring a smile to your face, and maybe even give you the gift of laughter.

An abbreviated stand-alone version of the starting chapter is available as the free e-book, 7 Deadly Fashion Sins:

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The Greatness of the Small

The greatness and power of the small and mundane always fill me with awe. Life-changing moments can take mere seconds. Black swan events are rarely loud and heralded, but rather creep in softly, swiftly and silently, changing the world as they happen.

We constantly look for power in the great and can get so caught up in size and majesty that we completely overlook the power of the small.

This "greatness of the small" is captured and celebrated in Master of Song, one of the sixty-nine stories of sixty-nine words comprising Rêves Opoponax 69, excerpted below:

He was a master of melodies, this insignificant little forest creature. He was nothing to look at really, just a small grey bundle of feathers, bones and fluff.

As is often the case, beauty and mastery lie in the small. Excellence lies in the mundane. The great lies in the small.

His perfect song to the hawk was the sound of a dinner bell.

The master sings no more.

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Experience the Fantasy 69 times – Rêves Opoponax 69

Rêves Opoponax 69

The eBook, Rêves Opoponax 69, represents a new wave in fiction. The work,which is composed of sixty-nine microfiction stories of sixty-nine words each working together in a modular fashion to weave a long-form short story, is the first of its kind, to the best of our knowledge. It is a paranormal fantasy, making heavy use of religious symbolism and biblical concepts. The book was written with the aid of a calculator and is so mathematically precise that even the title/rights page has a word count of sixty-nine, as does the introduction. The original title, Dreams Opoponax, contained six and nine characters, as does the working title. Look carefully and you will see the sixth character. This is meant to represent the concept of "seeing, they see not."

The stories themselves are based on three characters from the original fantasy novel, Opoponax Dreams, who have been brought back from death and destruction to fulfill a mission that will require them to learn how to transcend time, space and the limitations of man. We experience this process of discovery with them, to a backdrop of birdsong.

Time will tell if this new type of fiction will catch on. Microfiction is an art in itself. Microfiction with mathematical precision weaved into macrofiction requires a slew of additional skills, making this work a literary feat. Experience it for yourself on Amazon, Smashwords, Lulu and other eBook stores.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Here is a small devotional guide, extracted from Daily Bread Basket. Have a blessed day.

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Is Poetry Still Alive?

Is poetry still alive? Do people read poetry anymore, or has it faded out of the mainstream? If so, who reads poetry these days?

Some of the best quotations are from beautiful old poems that were true works of art. It's a pity to see such an expressive, emotive art form lose popularity.

I still read anthologies of poems. I find them calming and soothing. I also find writing poetry quite therapeutic. Saying so much with so few words is one of life's little joys.

Why do you think interest in poetry has declined so much over time? Is our modern life so full of social networking and technology that it has become devoid of rhyme and reason?

Opoponax Dreams – Do You Dare to Dream?

The simple lives of a small tribe are changed forever when a grisly visitation costs them one of their prize warriors. They are thrust into an unexpected journey to find salvation and great treasure in the Lost City of God.

A small band of their best and brightest people sets off on a journey into the unknown. They bravely battle against hosts of seen and unseen enemies and experience a great many adventures.

As they make their way on their quest, they are forced to experience the deepest depths of their own souls, and face the greatest enemy possible – the enemy within themselves. They fight physical and supernatural enemies, but can they prevail against jealousy, obsession, insanity, lust, disease and their own sinful natures and find the Lost City and salvation?

This is an engaging tale of adventure, fantasy, horror and ultimately hope, that takes you on an unforgettable journey through the deep, dark recesses of the human spirit.

Do you dare to dream?

Master of Song – One of 69 stories of 69 words comprising Rêves Opoponax 69

Rêves Opoponax 69

 

He was a master of melodies, this insignificant little forest creature. He was nothing to look at really, just a small grey bundle of feathers, bones and fluff.

As is often the case, beauty and mastery lie in the small. Excellence lies in the mundane. The great lies in the small.

His perfect song to the hawk was the sound of a dinner bell.

The master sings no more.