McCartney Green's Blog, page 27

Book Snippets;

This bit is from A Place Called Home - Book 3 of The Dandelions Series:

Andrea stood there next to John, ringing her hands and looking quite pious. She smiled brilliantly. "Hi everyone. I am so sorry to crash your party and all. I hope you don't mind. I'm just so bored and lonely. Shanna told me you all were going shopping today and, look I know we're not the best of friends, but would you mind if I tag along? I'm just at my wit's end lately. Marcus is out showing land practically in Savannah and probably won't be home until late and I'll just be sitting there at the house going crazy. Shanna has to work and so does Bethany and I just really need some company. Would you mind terribly? After all, we are neighbors, it's time we started acting like it, don't you think?"
There was several seconds of silence before Megan broke it. "You're kidding, right?"
"Oh, Megan, tell me you don't mind. Like I said, I know we haven't been the best of friends, but we're older now. Can't we put that all behind us?"
John watched the group. He wasn't easily taken in and he didn't trust this girl. But it's always wise to keep your enemies close. Surprisingly, it was Lisa who gave in.
"Of course we can," Lisa said among a collective gasp. "That's what we're supposed to do, isn't it? Everybody makes mistakes. Of course you can come."
Cindy rolled her eyes. Megan shook her head. Jodi grinned, thinking things were getting interesting. Steph kept her mouth filled with muffin.
"Oh, wonderful! This is going to be so much fun," Andrea chimed.
"Oh, just so much," Cindy added, not bothering to disguise the sarcasm.

Excerpt "Dandelions Never Die" Trampoline session

Eric and Ricky sat on the couch in the living room, entertaining Bree. Sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of them, she giggled as they told her funny stories from the movie sets Ricky had been on. But as the time neared for Shelley's ex-husband to take his leave, Eric became distracted. He excused himself, rose and moved to peer out the window.
Ricky had told him of the conversation he'd overheard between Robert and Shelley. Robert's words were hateful and disrespectful and Eric searched for the right way to handle the problem without causing any backlash on Shelley. He could let it go, say nothing, but that would be a coward's way out. And he was no coward. It was time someone stepped in to defend the woman.
Robert entered the room, a little boy holding each hand. Eric turned to face him. "Robert, may I speak with you candidly for a moment?"
Immediately Ricky rose. "Uh, c'mon guys," he motioned to the boys. "Show me your room." Bree followed Ricky's lead, grabbed Mark and Joey's hands and headed upstairs.
Robert approached Eric, who stood his ground. A tactic of mild intimidation on both men's part.
"Ricky told me of the conversation," Eric began calmly, "between you and Shelley, and I just wanted you to know that I completely agree with you."
Robert's eyebrows rose. Eric continued.
"Those little boys of yours and Shelley's are adorable and it's obvious they've been raised well. I'd never think of exposing them to anything that would be considered risque` or unwholesome. Please be assured mine and Shelley's relationship will be handled very discreetly and in good taste."
Robert smiled at him and extended his hand. "You seem to be a fine intelligent man, Eric. I appreciate your cooperation."
"There's just one more thing," Eric added as he took Robert's hand. "As the mother of those boys, Shelley has every right to be spoken to with respect, and we both know the way you addressed the subject with her was not respectful in any way."
Eric's eyes were piercing and Robert's expression fell. Eric smiled warmly then. "So, we have an understanding?"
Robert cleared his throat. "Of course. I, uh, may have let my temper get the best of me, momentarily." He withdrew his hand from Eric's grasp. "Eileen," he called. "It's getting late. We need to get going."
Eileen entered, looking vastly relieved. Quickly she grabbed her hat and purse.
When Shelley bid them farewell and finally closed the front door, she turned, surveyed the mess, decided to ignore it, and went upstairs to her room. Safe and alone she collapsed on the bed, pondering the day. Why did he always make her feel like she was nothing? Why did she let him? The tears came then until exhaustion overcame her.
She woke with a start in the dark. Wondering what everyone was up to while she'd taken her impromptu nap, she made her way downstairs. She found the kitchen spotless, the dishwasher humming a contented tune. Peeking out the back door, she found the lot of them outside, lying on the trampoline, talking softly.
"Thanks everyone, for cleaning up for me," she said as they raised their heads at her approach.
"Don't thank us," Bree answered. "It was Ricky's idea. He said he owed you one."
Eric held his hand out to her, and pulled her onto the trampoline where she squished in between Eric and Bree and stared up at the darkening sky.
"I feel terrible," Shelley whimpered.
Mark sat up. "That's Star Wars."
"Nuh uh," Bree corrected. "The Empire Strikes Back. It's the scene after the empire has just finished torturing Hans Solo."
"What are you talking about?" Ricky asked.
"It's a game we play," Bree answered. "We love old movies, so if a famous line from a movie fits into an everyday situation, we use it and one of us has to guess the movie it came from or the character that said it. Sounds silly, I know. But sometimes it's really funny."
Eric smiled at the picture Bree painted, then tugged on Shelley's hand. "Well, you may feel terrible now, Shelley, but I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning after you've worked out."
"Oh, yeah, right," Shelley agreed sarcastically.
"C'mon Ricky," Joey pleaded. "Hurry up and try your triple."
"A triple?" Shelley asked.
"I sort of talked myself into a jam. I told the boys I used to be able to do a triple and they don't believe me. So now I've got to prove myself. Only your trampoline is sprung and I'm not sure I can get enough height. But I'm gonna try anyway."
"Remember," Shelley said. "There is no try. There is only do."
Joey jumped up. "That's Yoda in Empire Strikes Back again."
Everyone moved off the trampoline to give Ricky room. He jumped several times before trying the triple. Unfortunately, he didn't make it quite all the way. He lay moaning.
Bree hopped back on the tramp. "Can you move at all?"
Mark cried out in a feminine voice, "If you want I could fly!"
Shelley laughed and turned to Eric to explain. "That's from The Princess Bride."
"It's our favorite movie,"Joey offered, as he climbed back on the tramp and began to bounce.
Ricky stood to show he was okay and pulled Bree up with him. "C'mon Bree. Your turn."
"No way," she protested.
"C'mon, I've got you," Ricky coaxed.
"You've got me? Who's got you?" she laughed.
Shelley, Mark and Joey all chimed in at the same time. "Superman."
Eric smiled at their game. What an adorable family. He wanted to be a part of it. "Okay, give me some one-liners and let me try," he said.
Everyone climbed back onto the trampoline, sat in a circle and tried to think of easy ones.
"They're hee-eere," Joey said.
Ricky jumped in excitedly. "Oh– oh– Poltergeist!"
"Very good," Shelley sang as if he were a little boy.
Mark came up with one. "Snakes? I hate snakes."
Shelley whispered in Eric's ear. "Raiders of the Lost Ark," he repeated.
"You're cheating, Mom," Mark complained.
"Well— we're back— in the car again," Bree called out. They waited for Eric and Ricky to answer but none came.
Shelley laughed. "That's Jurassic Park."
"I know one you'll know," Mark said. "Boards don't hit back," he said in a thick Chinese accent.
Finally a light went on in Eric's brain. "That's Bruce Lee in Return of the Dragon."
"Yaay," everyone cheered for Eric. "He finally got one."
"Well, only sorta," Shelley announced. "It's actually Enter the Dragon."
"I don't think so," Eric said defensively.
"No, believe me," Bree said. "If Mom says it's Enter the Dragon, she's right."
"Yeah, Mom's in love with Bruce Lee," Joey laughed.
"Oh really?" Eric teased as he turned her toward him.
Shelley only giggled.
"Okay, Mom," Bree said. "These guys need some help. We're gonna call them out to you real fast and you, Eric or Ricky answer as quickly as you can. Ready?"
"Yes, but don't say any of Ricky's movies. That wouldn't be fair."
"Okay, here goes. Nice plant— Big!"
"Little Shop of Horrors."
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
"Wizard of Oz." Shelley elbowed Eric. "Come on, that one was easy."
"Guns? We don't need no stinkin' guns."
"Three Amigos."
"I, I, I– want the knife— please."
"The Golden Child."
"So far you guys haven't been much help," Shelley laughed.
"We're trying," they whined.
Bree, Mark and Joey continued their onslaught.
"You weigh a little more than 108 pounds. Oh really?"
"That's Batman. The one with Michael Keaton."
"You're cold because all of the blood is running out of your body. You're going to be dead soon."
"Point Break."
Joey giggled. "Mom and Bree are both in love with Keanu Reeves."
Bree elbowed Joey while Mark continued with the game.
"Surfin's a source. It'll change your life, swear to God."
"That's Point Break again," Shelley said.
"Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?"
"That's Rush Hour," Ricky yelled. "Yes. I got one!"
"Take me to bed or lose me forever," Bree said.
Eric's eyes lit up. "That's Meg Ryan in, in, Top Gun."
Shelley punched Eric. "It figures you'd know that one."
"I'm not sure he's right. Say it again, Bree," Ricky said.
She did. "Oh yeah, Bree. I think I remember now. Say it just one more time."
"Take me to bed or– " she stopped, finally realizing what Ricky was doing. Her face turned red. She glanced over at him to find him smiling at her. He winked.
"Yo, Rick, there are minors present," Eric said. "Not to mention, Bree's mother."
Shelley cleared her throat. "Well, I think that's enough for tonight."
"Just one more," Joey yelled. "I promise it's an easy one."
"Okay, one more," Shelley allowed.
"I LOVE BEING A TURTLE!"
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," they chanted together.
Shelley smiled and hugged Eric where he lay on the trampoline. Maybe it hadn't been such a bad day after all.
Mark and Joey crawled over to either side of Shelley and snuggled up close. A few minutes later they were sound asleep.
"It's been a long day for these little guys," Eric said. "Flying all the way in from California and all the excitement of seeing Mom again, I'm sure they're exhausted. I'll help you carry them to bed."
Eric lifted Mark and Ricky offered to take Joey but Shelley refused. She climbed down off the tramp and let Ricky place him in her arms.
Once the boys were tucked snugly into their beds Eric took Shelley by the hand and led her into the dining area, sat her down at the table and handed her pencil and paper. "We have things we need to work out."
"Now?" she asked with a yawn.
"Now is always a good time to accomplish something."
They worked out a schedule allowing Shelley to keep training intensely, the boys to be properly taken care of, and extra time to give the children their promised lessons. Once they completed the chore Shelley stood and silently made her way upstairs to her room, motioning for Eric to follow. She closed and locked the door behind him.

The Dandelions Series.... Get all 8 books. "Gritty, sexy, action-packed, inspirational...."

Let It Go Already! Or in other Words- Evolving our DNA

We have programmed in our DNA something called cell memory. We carry with us, even though we don't consciously realize it, the memories of our ancestors, especially if something was very traumatic. So there is a need to go deep into our cells and release all those memories, heal them and transform them. If we do this we can actually cause our DNA to evolve. We will no longer pass on our past traumas and pain and hatred to our children and their children. If those traumatic memories are released and transformed, then only the good stuff will be passed on in our DNA and the world will evolve into love.

This cell memory keeps the hate and pain and racism alive because even though three generations may have passed who didn't actually live through the horrors of slavery or war or the holocaust . . . the DNA remembers. Instinctively we remember the pain. Remembering this pain may cause a person to hate simply by noticing someone's appearance. What happens next? Then that hate will cause some sort of vengeance. The vengeance may not be something big. It could be something small like refusing to yield space in a grocery store aisle. Large or small, that vengeance will cause more pain and thus more hatred and the cycle continues. A continuous cycle of pain, hatred, violence, revenge and more hatred. The cycle must stop. Mankind must evolve.

So how can we transform these cells in our bodies? How can we let go of old pain and stop the hatred? It's actually an easy task that takes mere seconds and yet, it is one of the hardest things humans can do.

It is forgiveness.

Oh, yes, humans certainly can hold a grudge. I mean, we are real hardasses. We are proud and stubborn and we demand retribution. When we are faced with great pain, we have two choices on how to handle it. Most of us immediately want revenge. We crave it. We must have it.

Even our laws reflect our need for revenge. It used to be that when someone made a mistake, like a car accident or losing their child in a department store or leaving the rake in the yard, it was just... a mistake. Now, it is reason to file suit, take their child away or put them in jail. Why? Because when we hear of these little news items it makes us feel bad, it makes us hurt and for that we want revenge. We think making the people who've made mistakes hurt will stop the hurt we feel. Now, I'm not referring to those who are negligent in their driving or their parenting. I thoroughly believe that we all must be responsible for our actions and accept the consequences of those actions. I'm speaking of the majority who have merely made a mistake or an error in judgement. If their err in judgement makes us feel bad, then we want to make them feel bad and so, we have passed laws to help us get our revenge.

Those laws, however, are another entire story and I use them here merely as an illustration. There is a much bigger picture here, like race against race and country against country. One does the hurting, the other wants revenge. The other gets hurt and now they want revenge. It's a vicious cycle. As long as we continue to seek revenge, humankind will remain stuck in hatred and pain and the mire of unconsciousness, in other words, in the dark. That just won't work well for our future. However, on the bright side, there are some people who are evolving, who are beginning to awaken, who want to put a stop to the madness. They are realizing the power of forgiveness. Forgiveness and Vengeance– two sides of the same coin.

Through forgiveness we can resolve cell memory. Like I said earlier, it's so easy and yet so difficult. It can be done in seconds, yet it's so hard to do. Forgive. That doesn't mean you have to forget. History, true history, is always something to learn from so that we can make sure certain things never... happen... again. So, don't forget. However, it is time to forgive. In other words, LET IT GO, ALREADY! I don't ask this hard thing, this forgiveness, for the sake of those who have harmed you. I don't ask it for those who have been your enemies nor for the enemies of your ancestors. I ask you to do this for yourselves and for the world so that both can move forward into the light. It is the only way to evolve and move forward. There is no light when there is hatred, pain, violence and of course– intolerance.

When you are mired in pain and hatred, you are literally chained with dark strands. These strands cloud your thinking, and work with your ego to keep you in the dark. Your ego believes you are safe there, in the dark, where you are comfortable, where you are used to being. Your ego is afraid of the light for it will change your world. And then what? You will have to realize and admit that things are not really as they seem and that is a scary thing. So, thinking to protect you, the ego urges you to stay in the comfort of what you've always known, to stay in the dark. Yet the light is the only way to feel true joy and to attain your fondest desires. Therefore, we must forgive those horrors that have been done to us and to our ancestors for our own sakes. We must rip ourselves free of the dark strands and stand in a blissful, enlightened state of being.

Why, God Why?

Ever heard some child yelling at their parents, saying, "I didn't ask to be born!" Uh, oh yes you did.

Your birth was not an accident. It was not even fate. You, your spirit, your essence, your "I-ness," your energy, whatever you want to call it, chose to incarnate on the Earth. You had the freewill to make the choice of being born at this time. Remember, freewill must always remain intact. It is a law of the Universe. You chose to incarnate because you chose evolution rather than stagnation. That's the way it works. You must choose. If you don't go through the process of choosing and learning then how can you evolve? If you are forced to go through your existence with no choices then you are certainly not evolving. You may not remember making the choices, right now anyway, but you did.

It might be you even chose your circumstances, chose your parents, chose the obstacles you've come up against. You may have chosen those challenges to teach yourself something that you knew you would need to know in order to either evolve (grow and learn) or to complete a mission (service to others.) Living in poverty may teach you humility. Being bullied may teach you compassion. Being judged may teach you tolerance. Making mistakes may teach you to forgive. So, when things seem to go very wrong for you, remember, this life, these circumstances, you (your sub-conscious mind or higher self) chose them. The reason is usually to have a catalyst for learning so that you may evolve. There is no one to blame for what you have experienced. Not God, not the Universe, nor your rotten luck, or the "family curse," and certainly not any human being.

All that being said, I believe one of the main reasons we've chosen to be here at this time was because it was our intent to come and make a difference. We knew that this time would be an extraordinary time, a time when the world is rapidly changing, a time when the people of the world would awaken to see through the veil and know who they truly are. For many who have been born within the past 20 years, you may feel as if there is something you're right on the verge of remembering. That something is your legacy.

Click here to read about the CTRR award!Click here to rea...

Click here to read about the CTRR award!

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July 4, 2010 - I'm so excited that I just received an award for one of my books, Six Angels! Here is part of the email...

Per my recommendation, your book has received a CTRR (Coffee Time Reviewer's Recommend Award) from Coffee Time Romance & More. This award recognizes outstanding writing styles in all book types and genres. Your book has received this award because I feel it is above and beyond a 5 Cup Rating.

Angel of the Morning-Juice Newton- Six Angels trailer