K. Morris's Blog, page 760
November 24, 2014
Emotional Investment Or Negative Transaction: A Guest Post By Emma Tomlinson
Thank you to Emma Tomlinson for the below guest post. For Emma’s blog please visit https://creative5word.wordpress.com/ and for Emma’s previous guest post on newauthoronline.com please click here, http://newauthoronline.com/2014/11/24/primal-a-guest-post-by-emma-tomlinson/.
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Emotional Investment or Negative Transaction?
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A bit of deepness for the day…
How much do we invest in things and people and how much do we see in our returns?
When we pay for goods with our money, we expect to see material evidence of this transaction or indeed a memorable experience to file away. But what if
we made a transaction and checked our account to see a big fat zero?
I’m sure many of us would be seeking clarification and feeling rather cheated.
Yet, we invest in everything in life to varied degrees and we don’t always receive the booty.
How many times have you emotionally invested and been left with a big bag of nothing and perceived injustice?
But we continue to do this.
Why?
Emotional investment is indeed a gamble. We automatically invest in our families and reap the benefits from support mechanisms and security but what about
when we invest in friendship and relationships?
What do we do if the cheque continues to bounce??
Do we feel justified in seeking clarification and interest on our emotional transaction? Is it a weakness or a strength to expect a credit statement? To
expect to see our emotional interest rates increasing?
Personally I seek this from my significant other. I expect my balance to remain in credit and I believe that this theory works both ways. I do expect a
return in friendships and to see a mutual healthy transaction taking place. We attend our jobs and expect a salary in return. We invest our time in our
passions and reap the positive emotions. We gain knowledge and gain personal achievement and development. So are we allowing ourselves to be ‘ripped off’?
Self-awareness and integrity is an important part of sustaining a good ‘credit’ history. To enable a healthy profit, we also need to remain vigilant and
consider the ratio of risk to healthy investment. Financially… we do. Emotionally and psychologically we often don’t.
How many times do we support friends and give to others only to feel unappreciated and disappointed?
A satisfactory transaction is a two way process and we need to keep our expectations high. Who wants faulty and non – returnable goods? If we expect less,
surely we will receive less.
The link to our psyche is surprising yet logical. Our psychological interpretation impacts on our emotional stance and how we perceive our external world.
This affects the value we put onto ourselves.
Make every transaction worthwhile… or simply ask for a refund.
The mind of a deep thinker…or complete rubbish…it is all down to interpretation and perception…
Death March – A Guest Post By Jane Of Fluency
Many thanks to Jane, of Fluency for the below guest post, which first appeared on her blog and can be found by following the below link, (https://fluencyofwords.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/death-march/). The below poem is reproduced by kind permission of Jane and remains her property.
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Onward, men, don’t linger for longer,
feel that pride rushing through you,
the unworn wind filling your lungs.
Don’t look over your shoulder no more,
I vouch no guns pointed at your head.
Don’t worry about the world,
about your dead friends and lives,
of your soul in the barracks.
Ain’t nothing you can do,
if you wake up in a nightmare.
Lads, don’t make trouble,
to hear a bomb explode is mad,
you hear?
Don’t go telling others what’s not,
or you’ll live in a damn facility.
Go on, soldier,
live the rest of your life
with family,
in peace.
Free Book Promotion – The Suspect and other tales by K. Morris
My collection of short stories ‘The suspect and other tales’ will be available to download for free on Kindle from the 25th – 29th November.
A reviewer has written of ‘The Suspect’ as follows: ‘Eleven clever and entertaining short stories, ideal for dipping into and each with a nice twist in the tale.’ You can see the review here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B00PKPTQ0U/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
To download The Suspect and other tales free please visit: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Suspect-other-tales-Morris-ebook/dp/B00PKPTQ0U for the UK or here http://www.amazon.com/The-Suspect-oth... for the US
For my Amazon Author page please visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/K-Morris/e/B00CEECWHY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 for the UK and http://www.amazon.com/K-Morris/e/B00CEECWHY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 for the US
If you download any of my books I would appreciate it if you would please consider leaving a review.
Many thanks, Kevin
November 23, 2014
Primal: A Guest Post By Emma Tomlinson
Many thanks to Emma (https://creative5word.wordpress.com/) for the below guest post which takes the form of a short story. Emma has also submitted a further post which will appear later in the week. Thank you Emma!
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Primal By Emma Tomlinson
The sky begins to darken and my own footprints create an echoing sound, vacant, yet soft crunching, on the hardened ground. I can feel the moist air dampening my skin, the freshness almost choking me as I walk further into the night. Direction seems futile now as every turn I make appears identical and remains vast.
I can vaguely hear sounds from around me, unnatural sounds, which evoke an unwelcome chill to travel down my spine. I can feel the tiny hairs on my body rising like soldiers and reacting in frozen response. The trees appear to thicken and their branches move slow but deliberate, my path becoming narrow and overgrown.
I quicken my pace, aware my breathing is becoming heavier with each step. I can see my breath spiralling in front of me, small clouds of nothingness. I feel alone. I feel afraid.
From my right I can hear a strange panting; I can feel a sensation of being watched. The little hairs stand taller as I realise that the noise is coming closer. With fear and momentum rising, I try to remain calm and take longer strides, putting more distance between them and me. My purposeful steps are matching the thuds within my heart, rhythmic and strong. My ears explode almost with the sound, the blood cursing through my every vein.
I now feel like the hunted as I feel my every sense coming alive. My vision is becoming stronger, accustoming to the dark and now fuelled by the overwhelming fear that has almost paralysed my body. I continue. To stop is not an option. I now know my body is responding in pure survival mode. My legs feel stronger and I can feel the blood pooling near my muscles, alert, ready for the unknown.
The noises are surrounding me now. There are others. No longer a lone threat, I can feel eyes feeding on me, stalking me. Watching my every move.
I begin to feel faint, slightly disorientated and nauseas. I feel my body shivering. I pull up my hood, my coat no longer providing heat. I am drenched but there is no rain. My own perspiration is collecting in small pools on my body, although my hands remain cold and icy.
My head begins to throb and I reach up to soothe my temple. The cold of my hand shocks me and I become alert once more.
My senses tell me they are close now. My own footsteps are casting continuous echoes all around me. I realise too late that these secondary noises were not me. It was them. But I cannot escape now.
They reach me before I can react. I feel the impact and lose my footing before falling, my hairband fluttering loose and landing on the uneven earth. I can hear screaming. I realise that it is coming from me.
I awake to a continuous tone. I recognise the music from my phone. I had specifically chosen an amazon theme, the cool sounds of nature, to softly shake the sleep from my eyes.
Realisation hits me and I sit up to survey my surroundings. My heart begins to pound once more in isolated apprehension. As my eyes take in the scenery of my bedroom wall, I can feel a smile spreading from my lips. My bedspread tucked under me, my dog by my side.
A dream. Only a simple dream.
The mind of a deep thinker…or complete rubbish…it is all down to interpretation and perception…
Don’t feel bad, I want you to download my free book
I will be downloading as it sounds like an interesting read.
Originally posted on Suffolk Scribblings:
I don’t know about you, but whenever I see an author running a free promotion I find myself in a dilemma. If I’m aware of a book promotion then the chances are I know of the author, or somebody I respect knows and likes the author’s work. And that’s where things get a little awkward.
On the one hand I would like to download the book. If I’ve heard of the book then it may well be a work I’m curious about but for whatever reason has never made it onto my reading list. It may be I’ve only just met the author and it’s on my wish list but below a number of other authors I’ve met earlier. It may even be a genre or style of book that I don’t usually read but I enjoy the author’s blog. Either way, I’m interested.
But
On the other hand, I’m a big supporter of my…
View original 720 more words
Library
A library, black as pitch. Prystine books slumber, their pages forever free of human hands. No footfall here, no climbing to reach that prize on the uppermost shelf. No coughs nor sneezes, no diseases. Patiently, the books stand, waiting to be read.
The flick of a switch illuminates row upon row of books. A reader, device of choice in hand, scrolls through his virtual library, selects and reads. A library in your pocket, handbag or on your PC. Technology, the march of progress. Yet, somewhere still, real shelves groan with books, their pages dog eared through constant use. A man coughs and, wiping dust off a beloved tome sits, drinks in the scent of books and reads.
Data on paper or virtual data both, in their way are real.
Stretching Credulity But Entertaining None The Less (Midsomer Murders Strikes Again)
The growing use of audio description (voiceover during silent sections of programmes explaining what is happening) allows me, as a blind person who is unable to discern the picture on my television’s screen, to enjoy a variety of films, documentaries etc. I am a fan of crime dramas and get frustrated when audio description is lacking.
Yesterday evening I was pleased to discover that the episode of Midsomer Murders, on ITV3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsomer_Murders) contained audio description, the audio describer doing a good job explaining what was happening during the silent parts of the crime drama. It has often been said of Midsomer Murders that one would not wish to live in the collection of villages comprising Midsomer due to the number of people who are murdered in the vicinity. Indeed if one where to take Midsomer Murders literally one could conclude that living in London is safer than residing in the (fictional) Midsomer countryside! There is an element of truth in this view but for all that I continue to enjoy watching the series.
Yesterday’s Midsomer Murders concerned 4 (maybe 3, at this stage I can’t remember) deaths and was complete with a believer in aliens who was intent on trying to convince the local police that unearthly forces, in the shape of little green men, visiting earth in UFOs where responsible for the deaths. Unsurprisingly the police where somewhat sceptical!
All of the victims (apart from the last who fell downstairs) where electrocuted although, following the twists and turns of the plot it became apparent that one of the deaths was an accident. As is often the case with Midsomer Murders the plot stretched my credulity. None the less the programme was, as always entertaining.
#Readers #Book #Promo – Streetwalker by #Indie #Author Kevin Morris is #FREE from 23rd – 27th November
Many thanks to Chris The Story Reading Ape for assisting in the promotion of my collection of short stories, Street Walker And Other Stories. Kevin
Originally posted on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog..... An Author Promotions Enterprise!:
In this collection of flash fiction we meet a variety of characters, many of whom have been deeply damaged by life. The stories range from a young prostitute who walks the dangerous streets of London to tales of vengeance and comeuppance. Serious issues of abuse of power are touched upon. Anyone who is looking for a comfortable read should avoid this book.
Amazon:
November 22, 2014
The Free Promotion Of Samantha Ends On Sunday 23 November
The free promotion of my story, Samantha ends on 23 November. To download Samantha free of charge please visit the following links. For the UK please go to http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samantha-K-Morris-ebook/dp/B00BL3CNHI and for the US please click here, http://www.amazon.com/Samantha-K-Morris-ebook/dp/B00BL3CNHI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top.
A Great Article On The Story Reading Ape’s Blog Regarding The Theft Of Intellectual Property (IP)
Yesterday (21 November 2014) The Story Reading Ape’s Blog carried an interesting post on the theft of intellectual property (http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2014/11/21/authors-bloggers-readers-be-aware-of-intellectual-property-theft-laws/). The piece pertains to material published online and acts as a warning to authors and bloggers regarding the ease with which their (copyright) material can be stolen and used by others.
The article on Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog brought to mind stories of more traditional book piracy. A Chinese acquaintance tells me that photocopies of (copyright) material is rife in China, (the below article being a case in point although, it should be noted that the piece pertains to Hong Kong, not mainland China. http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1469753/school-busted-selling-cheap-copies-books). Some or other once remarked that “Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. However, as pointed out by the article on The Story Reading Ape’s Blog (see above) copyright theft is not a victimless crime, it entails the theft of another’s intellectual labours.
