Vashti Quiroz-Vega's Blog, page 12
March 15, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Follow & Lead
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Writing can be a daunting task, especially in the beginning of writing a novel. As some of you know, I’m working on the third installment of my Fantasy Angels Series. I’m the first to admit that I can be quite hard on myself. A perfectionist by nature I can be my worst critic and when your inner critic is a mean b!†c# it can be discouraging at times, because it creates doubts about my work.
“Self-affirmation is also a great way to make friends with your inner critic. When that critic pops up, recognize it, and, with purpose, tell yourself about the things you are good at. This can also help you distance yourself from your inner critic.”
~Written Word Media (Clayton)
I know most writers go through this insecurity stage from time to time. That’s why I love this article from Written Word Media, Beat the Author Blues: How to Manage Writer’s Doubt. It’s a great article, very encouraging with lots of helpful information.
We are not alone. Did you know that Stephen King threw the start of his novel Carrie in the trash out of frustration? His wife fished it out and convinced him to continue.
“Writers don’t write from experience… If you wrote from experience, you’d get maybe one book, maybe three poems. Writers write from empathy.”
~Nikki Giovanni
This article has great suggestions on how to overcome common issues that all authors face. If you’re a writer, I highly recommend you read this article and save it for future reference.
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Writers chase your dreams
Don’t let them fade like the mist
in the morning sun
Don’t let fear direct your life
Never give up on writing
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Follow and Lead are this week’s prompt words chosen by Colleen Chesebro ~ The Fairy Whisperer.
*The catch is that we can only use the synonyms to these words in our poems.
Colleen hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called, Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge every Tuesday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your Haiku, Tanka, Haibun, Etheree or Cinquain poem. She is an author and poet, and also does book reviews and so much more on her blog. Be sure to check it out.
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Have a wonderful day!
March 10, 2019
Author, D. L. Finn in the house!
Today I am exited to feature the talented author of The Button,
D. L. Finn.
D. L. Finn (Denise) is not only a talented writer, she’s a woman to be admired. One of the many things I love about her is that she isn’t afraid to embrace her inner child and enjoy life. She’s a quirky book “Dragon”, a massive supporter of other writers, book blogger, wife, mother . . . I could go on and on, but I’ll let her take it from here.
Bio:
D.L. Finn is an independent California local, who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 relocated with her husband, kids, dogs and cats to the Sierra foothills in Nevada City, CA. She immersed herself in reading all types of books,but especially loved romance, horror andfantasy. She always treasured creating her ownreality on paper. Finally, being surrounded by towering pines, oaks and cedars, her creativity was cradled until it bloomed. Her creations vary from children’s books, young adult fantasy, adult paranormal romance to an autobiography with poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to her readers to join her.
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Click book image to get book on Amazon.
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The Blurb:
Lynn Hill left a difficult childhood behind when she turned eighteen. The 1980s were going to be the beginning of a great life. Then what started as an ordinary evening out with her best friend, Stacy, turns into a nightmare. Lynn hears warnings: “Go!” “Leave!” Believing she is hearing things after partying too much, she goes back for one more drink before going home. That decision sets off a chain of events that nothing could have prepared her for. While humans and not-so-human beings are attempting to either help or harm her, Lynn risks everything to find the only person she trusts, Stacy. Who can help her? The stepbrother who shows up right when she needs him or the attractive, helpful bartender who gives her his phone number? Lynn must learn to trust again. Her survival depends on it in this paranormal thriller.
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“The Button” excerpt is from the beginning of Chapter 2. Lynn had gone out to a night club with her best friend, Stacy. When she wakes up the next morning, she doesn’t recognize her surroundings:
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The alarm sounded before Lynn had even started dreaming. It took a couple of attempts to stop the irritating sound.
“Who moved the button?” she mumbled, finally making the sound stop. Her stomach flopped, and she quickly threw back the unfamiliar silky black comforter and ran to a strange yellow bathroom, where she threw up.
She had no idea where she was, but at least the resident was still asleep. Funny, she thought she had gone home last night. Wow, that was some strong whiskey.She quietly sneaked back into the room, grabbed her scattered clothes, and got dressed.
She noticed black hair sticking out from under the black satin bedding. His wallet was tossed on the floor. She carefully picked it up and found his driver’s license. His name was Todd John Smith, and he had turned twenty-four last month. The name and the good-looking face didn’t trigger any recognition. No one she remembered dancing with. Did we have sex?Not that it mattered; she’d started taking the pill a couple of years ago, but there were other things. Well, she wouldn’t worry about that. He had a Kaiser medical card, twenty dollars, an ATM card, and a AAA card. A rather empty wallet, by her standards. It was time to get out of there, and quietly. She’d find a pay phone and call Stacy to come get her, unless she found her car outside.
She surveyed the room to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. She put on her shoes, and as she picked up her purse, she saw that his hairy foot was sticking out of the covers. She tried to cover it up and touched it briefly. It was ice cold. She wanted to get out of there, but she couldn’t. What if there’s something wrong with him? She set her purse down, lifted the comforter, and peeked at his face. Why is he so pale? He was either the quietest sleeper or very sick.
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My review of The Button:
Lynn grew up in an abusive home. She tried to commit suicide when she was only fourteen years old. When she turned eighteen she left home and tried to make a better life for herself. She began to think that the worse was behind her, until one night out partying with her best friend Stacy turned her life into a whirlwind of nightmare proportions filled with murder, drugs, fear and so much more.
Lynn has two guardian angels looking over her but their actions are limited due to the fact that they cannot interfere with mankind’s free will. They leave clues for her and communicate one-word warnings to try to help her any way they can. Will this be enough to save her from the demon behind all the chaos?
The Button by D.L. Finn is a suspenseful, well-written story that at moments will have you sitting at the edge of your seat. The characters are well developed and interesting. Lynn and her best friend are very relatable and I found myself rooting for them. The evildwel is a great villain––one you’ll love to hate. Overall, this book is a fun and entertaining Paranormal Suspense story that I highly recommend.
**You can watch and listen to Denise reading The Button here.
Follow the lovely and talented Author, D.L. Finn on Social Media:
Purchase Links:
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Be sure to check out all of author, D.L. Finn’s books on Amazon. Click on image to go to Amazon.
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Have a great new week!
March 8, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Women’s Day!
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Everyday should be “Women’s Day”––just saying! There’s nothing more wonderful than women supporting and encouraging other women. Sadly, too many women fail to understand that every time a woman succeeds it’s great for all of us. As intelligent, mindful women we need to start celebrating each other’s achievements––like men do.
Let’s put aside our petty jealousy and envy, it doesn’t do anyone any good. And stop judging, because whenever you criticize someone it leaves you open for criticism and believe me, there’s always something someone can criticize you for. None of us are perfect.
Healthy competition is fine, because it pushes us to grow and be better, but there’s no need for meanness or backstabbing. Instead, we can all try to be the best we can be, while supporting and helping each other to succeed.
“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.”
~Zen Shin
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Painting by Yvonne Coomber
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Teacher
Firm boss lady
A nurturing mother
A woman can wear many hats
with love
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It’s “Poet’s Choice of Words” this week. (Affection & Female)
*The catch is that we can only use the synonyms to these words in our poems.
Colleen hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called, Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge every Tuesday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your Haiku, Tanka, Haibun, Etheree or Cinquain poem. She is an author and poet, and also does book reviews and so much more on her blog. Be sure to check it out.
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Enjoy your day!
March 2, 2019
RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB’S “SPOTLIGHT” Author Blog Tour
Author Bio
Julie grew up in a small, rural town in New Zealand. After leaving school, she worked at the local maternity annexe as a nurse aide, which gave her a love for caring for mothers and babies. Life could not have been happier, until the death of her second baby at birth led to depression, loneliness and despair.
Julie’s first book Born for Life: A Midwife’s Story follows her journey to overcome the challenges she faced to become the midwife that she was born to be.
She always had a dream to travel and work in a developing country. She had the opportunity to work as a midwife in many countries – including Zambia, Africa where she worked at Kalene Mission Hospital.
Julie’s second book Born for Life: Midwife in Africa describes her experiences living and working in Africa. She shares her incredible journey to make a difference in the lives of African women and their babies.
Julie lives in Palmerston North, New Zealand with her husband, Barry. She has recently retired and enjoys writing, traveling , volunteer work and spending time with her friends and family.
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BORN FOR LIFE: A Midwife’s Story
Julie Watson
An inspirational story about overcoming adversity and fulfilling a childhood dream.
The true story of Julie Watson’s journey to become the midwife she was born to be.
Although as a young girl she’d dreamed of being a nurse, she left school early and worked as a nurse aide at Pahiatua Maternity Annexe. At the age of 17 she married, then, at 20, pregnant with her second child, tragedy struck. Her baby died within an hour of birth, and the trauma started a long battle with depression and suicidal thoughts.
She was drawn back to the church she attended as a child and after lot of soul searching and wondering if she might ever see her baby that had died, Julie gave her life to Christ and became a committed Christian.
Julie had two more children, both born with albinism. She continued to work as a nurse aide, the dream of becoming a registered nurse seeming out of reach. But a chance meeting with a mature nursing student reignited her dream.
To her delight, Julie was accepted into Nursing School in 1991, at the age of 37. In her first year of training, she suffered a stroke. With her ability to study compromised, Julie continued on and found the perseverance and determination to not only qualify as a Registered Nurse, but to then go on to train as a Midwife.
Julie worked as an independent midwife in Pahiatua for 7 years, then in Cambridge, England, returning to New Zealand in 2006 where she has worked at Palmerston North Hospital as a core midwife.
The stories in the book illustrate birth as viewed by a wide-eyed young nurse aide in the 1970s through to modern day midwifery as experienced by the independent midwife Julie became.
This true memoir gives hope when life becomes difficult and challenging and illustrates that when a person trusts God all things work for good and dreams do come true.
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Born for Life: A Midwife’s Story
From a young age Julie pondered what she would do with her life. A job as a nurse aide in the local Maternity Annexe at the age of sixteen gave her a love for being with women during labour and birth and caring for mothers and their babies.
Life could not have been happier, married to the man she loved and the birth of a son. The tragic and unexpected death of her second baby in her first hour of life led to depression, loneliness and despair.
Born for Life: A Midwife’s Story tells of Julie’s struggle to overcome tragedy and who triumphs to become the midwife that she was born to be.
The many birth stories are told from an era in the 1970s through the eyes of a young nurse aide to modern day midwifery in New Zealand as an independent midwife with her own caseload.
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Follow Julie online!
Amazon author page
February 23, 2019
Author Life
Happy Weekend!
February 18, 2019
The “Ace Carroway And The Blog Monster” Blog Tour!
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Please join me in welcoming Author, Guy Worthey to my blog. Guy is a talented writer and an all around impressive guy dude. I’m excited to feature his The Adventures of Ace Carroway series here.
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About Guy Worthey:
Wyoming native Guy Worthey traded spurs and lassos for telescopes and computers when he decided on astrophysics for a day job. Whenever he temporarily escapes the gravitational pull of stars and galaxies, he writes fiction. He lives in Washington state with his violinist wife Diane. He likes cats and dogs and plays keyboards and bass guitar. His favorite food is called creamed eggs on toast, but once in a while he heeds the siren song of chocolate.
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Oh! Please be sure to leave a comment below for your chance to win one of the following prizes:
-(3) Kindle ebooks – Winner’s choice (US residents only)
-(1) $10 Amazon gift card (US residents only) or $10 (via PayPal for non-US residents)
Greetings one and all, and a hearty thank-you to Vashti Quiroz-Vega and 4 Wills Publishing!
This third blog tour stop deals with evil. To help us explore the depths of depravity is our fictitious interviewer, Mr. Bigg Faquir. Good day, FAQ.
FAQ: Greetings. Are you near-sighted?
GW: What? I mean, why, yes. I’ve been wearing glasses since third grade. But that has nothing to do with the nature of evil.
FAQ: No? Can you think of a villain that wears glasses?
GW: Um.
FAQ: Not a mask, not a monocle, not funky steampunk goggles. Just eyeglasses.
GW: Wait. I think one of the Nazis in Indiana Jones wore glasses.
FAQ: Oh, good one. But that exception proves the rule, doesn’t it? Main, central villains have good eyesight. If they wear glasses, it’s for effect. For example, the Terminator robot wore dark glasses for a while.
GW: What’s your point?
FAQ: My point is that you’re clearly not a villain. You yourself said your House is Gryffindor.
GW: So?
FAQ: So what are your qualifications to assess evil, mister goodie two shoes? You have no experience with the Dark Side.
GW: Nonsense. Good and evil are part of the human experience. You know what else happens to third graders who get glasses? On the playground? At the hands of one-year-larger boys experiencing third grade for the second time?
FAQ: Pain, I would imagine.
GW: And humiliation. Various acts of aggression that I was unable to reciprocate at the time. I internalized all that negativity until I became …
FAQ: A serial killer?
GW: Close, but no. I became a writer.
FAQ: I suppose there’s a slight difference. All right, I accept you might be somewhat qualified. Tell me about evil in the Ace Carroway series.
GW: Can do! I generally like my evil out of the gray zone. If a perp deserves jail, he richly deserves it. A villain may be in disguise, but underneath she’s going to be rotten.
FAQ: Is there a main villain?
GW: Yes, as it turns out. There’s a trim gent with a vaguely east European accent (Romanian, actually, but I don’t think that fact ever gets mentioned in the books, so, shhh!) and his name is Darko Dor. In the first seven or so Ace stories, he’s always looming in the background even if he doesn’t appear in person.
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FAQ: Why is he evil?
GW: He’s spoiled. Throughout his early adult years, he always got what he wanted, until he began to expect his whims to be catered to.
FAQ: Who catered to his whims?
GW: At first, his rich parents. But before the Great War, his cleverness was noticed, and he was drafted by the Ottoman war machine. He really does have talent, and by the opening of the war he was Minister of Technology, one tier below the Emperor in rank. Almost everybody catered to him.
FAQ: Wait. All that Ottoman Empire business―
GW: Is fictitious, yes. A twist on reality.
FAQ: What does Darko Dor look like?
GW: Neat, trim, not too tall. He would be handsome if it were not for a network of scars on his face. He blames Ace Carroway for them.
FAQ: Did she cut him?
GW: Yes and no. It’s his own fault he was injured, but Ace was there. Because of his personality, he is unable to shoulder the blame, so he blames Ace.
FAQ: You mentioned seven stories. What happens to him after all that?
GW: I can’t reveal it.
FAQ: You mean you won’treveal it.
GW: Correct. But such information can be bought.
FAQ: I’m too cheap. Also, too ethical.
GW: Why is this suddenly all about you? Let’s get to some Darko Dor quotes, and then a limerick.
FAQ: Yes, let’s.
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When your slaves don’t meet your standards: “Get them cleaned up! They look like rats!”
So much smugness: “They will work hard. If they do not, report them, and it will be taken care of.”
Officially sanctioned evil: “If you try anything, you will have no need to travel. Your dead body will be buried here.”
Your date isn’t going well when he says of the wine: “It is not poisoned, see?”
The ‘creepy’ is all in the tone of voice: “Ah, Miss Carroway. So good of you to join us.”
Arrogance: “I do as I please. Darko Dor takes no directions from a mere policeman!”
A limerick to end with:
Scars pull at Darko Dor’s smile
To something abhorrent and vile.
He blames it on Ace
Those scars on his face
And plots his revenge all the while.
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Join Ace Carroway and her motley gang of associates as they travel the world, solving mysteries and fighting crime.
In ACE CARROWAY and the GREAT WAR, sixteen-year-old Cecilia Carroway lies about her age and joins the war effort as a pilot. She earns her Ace nickname over France, but is forced down behind enemy lines. Escape plans are imperiled when Ace catches the attention of imperial minister Darko Dor.
Three years later, in ACE CARROWAY AROUND THE WORLD, Ace’s father dies in a hail of bullets in quiet Hyannis, Cape Cod. Lieutenant Drew Lucy is on the case, but it’s Ace Carroway at the top of his list of suspects.
In ACE CARROWAY and the HANDSOME DEVIL, Ace barely survives an assassination attempt at the hands of her old nemesis Darko Dor. Figuring the best defense is offense, she starts a detective agency in New York. Before the paint on the door dries, a new web of deception ensnares the rookie sleuths. Sudden romantic attention from a pair of handsome strangers is good, right?
The Adventures of Ace Carroway are available at many fine stores around the world.
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Links
#1 Great War
#2 Around the World
#3 Handsome Devil
Paperback
Paperback
Paperback
Paperback
Kindle
Kindle
Kindle
Kindle
Nook, Kobo, Apple, 24 Symbols, Playster, Scribd, Angus & Robertson
Ebook $1.99
Others
Others
To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the author’s tour page on the 4WillsPublishing site. If you’d like to book your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HERE .
Lastly, Guy is a member of the best book club ever – RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB #RRBC! If you’re looking for amazing support as an author, or if you simply love books, JOIN US ! We’d love to have you!
Thanks for supporting this author and his work!
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February 15, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Meaning & Passion
I’m back in my writing cave working on the 3rd installment of my Fantasy Angels Series. For me, writing the 1st draft is the most difficult part of the writing process, but it’s equally exciting. The process of creating a new plot, new worlds, and fleshing out new characters is exhilarating but can also be overwhelming at times. That being said, I am passionate about writing and don’t know what my life would be like if I didn’t write stories and books.
I’ve done all the research I needed to do for now and have written a loose outline of the story. Now I’ve begun to write it. Of course, once my characters take over, my outline will be thrown to the wind and things will probably go quite differently from what I had originally planned, and that’s okay with me.
During this time I tend to be in my head a great deal, so I’d like to apologize to my husband and family in advance.
Meaning and Passion are this week’s prompt words chosen by Colleen Chesebro ~ The Fairy Whisperer.
*The catch is that we can only use the synonyms to these words in our poems.
Colleen hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called, Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge every Tuesday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your Haiku, Tanka, Haibun, Etheree or Cinquain poem. She is an author and poet, and also does book reviews and so much more on her blog. Be sure to check it out.
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Our love made no sense
But your kiss was medicine
Now you own my heart
Your warmth was what I needed
Your lips deserve my kisses
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Wishing everyone a happy Friday and days filled with love.
February 8, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Distinct & Yearn
Gadreel is a character from my Fantasy Angels Series. In The Fall of Lilith she and Lilith were frenemies, they were “friendly” despite a fundamental dislike for each other, in Son of the Serpent she and Dracúl were friends with “benefits” and in the 3rd installment of my Fantasy Angels Series, Gadreel comes into her own as the heroine in the book.
“There was no sun in Floraison to torture us. We had brillantes, a time of divine light which was like the warmth of God’s smile. Here on earth, we have to endure days of glaring, fiery light which stings our bodies and perturbs our minds. In Floraison, we had nightglows when light dimmed to a soft glow, which reminded us that God was still near. Here, we have night––the absence of light when we are left on our own. I miss our home.”
~ Gadreel (exiled on Earth)
I know Valentine’s Day is around the corner and most people are writing about lovers and romantic interludes, but I thought I’d dedicate this post to the kind of love that only mothers can give.
When Gadreel gave birth to twin girls she was shocked to discover that instead of legs they had the lower half of fish. Of course, their father was Dagon, a fallen angel that lost his wings on the way down and plummeted into the narrow sea (Mediterranean), where he was transformed into a merman. For some reason, Gadreel imagined herself giving birth to a being that would look as she and Dagon did in Floraison (Heaven) in their angelic forms. That wasn’t the case and she was horrified and disappointed–– at first––until she truly looked at them and fell in love at first sight.
Excerpt : Goodbye, Dracul
“Have you ceased to believe in our cause?” Satan raised his eyebrows.
Gadreel rose to her feet and moved about, inspecting her fingernails. “I––I thought I would stay behind with the little prince.” She shifted her weight to the balls of her feet.
“Very well, but be certain this time he remains in the cave,” Satan said in a somber tone.
“I shall take good care of him.” She scratched her nose as she said that and avoided his eyes.
With a deep sigh, Satan hurried to join the others. As soon as he was gone, Gadreel planned her escape.
“Dracul, you are an intelligent little being, thus, I shall not fret to leave you on your own.” She held on to his shoulders.
“Why must you leave me?” Dracul’s eyes were large and doleful.
She passed her hand over his hairless head. “This may be difficult for you to understand but unlike Lilith, Satan and Samael, I yet wish to return to God’s good graces, and I am unable to obtain pleasure from destroying other beings. I am determined to never again allow Lilith to manipulate me into situations that make me feel unworthy of God’s love. There is good in you, Dracúl. Remember that. Hold on to it despite what you see happening around you.” She kissed the top of his head. “Besides, I, too, have little ones like you. I miss them. I need to find them, for it has been too long since I have held them in my arms.”
“I shall go with you and help you find them.”
She kissed him again. “No, Dracul. If you follow me, I shall be punished. You must vow to stay in the cave until your father and mother return. Stay, I implore you. Otherwise my life shall be forfeit.”
Dracul nodded, wearing a frown. “I shall stay in the cave until my father returns.”
When his words of promise reached her ears, she took flight. She flew at full speed toward the beach where she last saw Dagon and her little mermaids.
Dracúl followed her with his eyes until he could no longer see her. He lowered his head and sniffed, holding back tears.
When the others returned, they found him alone entertaining himself with a bat pup he found hanging upside down in the cave.
“Where is Gadreel?” Lilith scowled as she looked about the cave.
“She fled,” Dracul said. “But she made me promise to remain in the cave until you and my father returned.”
“What do you mean, she fled?” Lilith’s face flushed a raging red.
“She said she needed to find her little ones––like me.” Dracúl looked as innocent as a daisy. His pet bat now hung from one of his horns and he giggled.
“And you allowed her to leave?” Lilith yelled, making him jump.
“Enough! Do not yell at our son! He is an innocent,” Satan said. “It is not his doing that Gadreel abandoned us.”
Excerpt: Gadreel’s Song
Gadreel flew in darkness and in light, only stopping to eat and rest. She did not fear Lilith’s certain retaliation for her desertion. Her mind was focused: she wished to reunite with her little mermaids. She was liberated, no longer dominated by Lilith, whose only thought was to seek revenge on God.
After some time, she arrived at the beach where Fornues was laid to rest, and where she last saw Dagon and her daughters. She tiptoed to the edge of the water and stared out to sea. The azure, never-ending ocean was calm and untroubled. It sparkled under the sun, but she saw no sign of Dagon or her children.
Gadreel entered the water. She waded to a nearby flat rock jutting from the ocean. She sat on its surface with folded legs. The ocean breeze played with her curly hair, the color of desert sand in the late afternoon sunlight. Once comfortable, she gazed across the ocean once more certain somewhere underneath the surface her little mermaids swam with their father. She began to sing:
Keenly, I watch my infants’ eyes,
dreading the stares, and soft sighs,
I’m blinded by what they surmise.
They mesmerize; they mesmerize.
Extraordinary off-springs,
Like new exotic samplings,
Shown with Dagon’s unique offerings,
They’re my blessings; They’re my blessings
Soon there dawned an epiphany;
Daughters of our love’s symphony,
Scintillas of our harmony.
True synchrony! True synchrony!
We shared moments evanescent,
When they flourished luminescent.
Now where fishes float florescent,
Is their descent, is their descent.
My heart was lilt in their gaze,
Wilts now in their absence and blaze
Deprived of their love, is to faze
As in a daze, as in a daze.
Emptiness is all fills my core.
My soul burns with hunger once more.
My daughters, I long to adore,
Come to the shore! Come to the shore!
I fear I shall starve, o’er my babes,
Lest their dulcet gaze meet my face.
With time, I’ll be part of this place,
Singing their praise! Singing their praise!
Oh, bring back my mermaids, love-charm!
Come now, or I’ll make loud alarm,
Until my last breath suffers harm!
Cold rocks, no warmth! Cold rocks, no warmth!
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**I believe the above poetry form is called a Ballad. If I’m wrong, please let me know.
**It’s the first challenge of the month which means poets get to choose their own words. I chose the words, Distinct and Yearn
*The catch is that we can only use the synonyms to these words in our poems.
Colleen hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called, Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge every Tuesday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your Haiku, Tanka, Haibun, Etheree or Cinquain poem. She is an author and poet, and also does book reviews and so much more on her blog. Be sure to check it out.
February 1, 2019
Poetry Friday ~ Slow & Work
I can’t believe it’s been nine weeks since my uterine cancer diagnosis and surgery ordeal. It’s almost like a distant memory, except I am dealing with some residual issues after the surgery/infection. Due to the infection introduced during my surgery I had to take two powerful antibiotics, one of them twice a day and the other three times a day. Taking antibiotics several times a day for so long has consequences. Of course, I had no choice, it was either take the antibiotics or die from septicemia (blood poisoning caused by bacteria).
I wanted to talk about this because many people don’t know that every time we take antibiotics we destroy many of the good bacteria in our bodies along with the bad ones, sometimes leaving ourselves vulnerable to other worse germs. Taking antibiotics several times a day for a month left me with very little good bacteria in my gut and that’s a big problem. Good bacteria are like little soldiers that fight off the bad bacteria and other bad things like fungi and keep them out of our bodies.
Both my primary physician (western medicine) and holistic doctor (natural medicine) agree that a lot of diseases stem from the gut because of all the bad bacteria that enter our system through our mouths. Replenishing the flora from my gut became a priority. Oil pulling is a great way to get rid of bad bacteria in your mouth before it enters your system, so I began doing that too.
If you haven’t tried oil pulling you should. One of the issues I had to face after a month of antibiotics was that my tongue turned white (Candida). I immediately began oil pulling with coconut oil every morning and my tongue is now rosy and normal again. Oil pulling is a great oral health routine.
Before eating or drinking anything, before brushing my teeth I put a heaping teaspoon of coconut oil in my mouth. I actually put it on the inside of one of my cheeks until it melts (it melts quickly) and then I swish it around in my mouth for about 15-30 minutes. I go about doing what I normally do, while swishing the oil in my mouth. Afterward, I go to my backyard and spit it out in a corner of the yard. Don’t spit it out in your sink because you’ll clog it after a while (it is oil). Then I floss and brush my teeth. Be sure to use 100% pure, organic, cold-pressed coconut oil.
There are so many benefits to oil pulling, especially with coconut oil. Oil pulling kills harmful bacteria in your mouth, gets rid of bad breath, reduces inflammation, and improves gum health. I also noticed after about a week that my teeth looked whiter and I had no morning breath.
So, if you’ve been sick and had to take antibiotics be sure to take probiotics afterward to help replenish the flora in your gut. Also, try oil pulling with coconut oil every morning before brushing your teeth. Doing these things have helped me significantly during my recovery, so I wanted to share it with you.
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Lovely to see you
Risen from the bed of fear
Making an effort
As you crawled toward wellness
Your pain taught us all to pray
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Slow and Work are this week’s prompt words chosen by Colleen Chesebro ~ The Fairy Whisperer.
*The catch is that we can only use the synonyms to these words in our poems.
Colleen hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called, Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge every Tuesday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your Haiku, Tanka, Haibun, Etheree or Cinquain poem. She is an author and poet, and also does book reviews and so much more on her blog. Be sure to check it out.
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Thank you for the visit!
January 28, 2019
“THE SLEEPING ONE” Blog Tour – Author, Karl J. Morgan
We’re both members of the best book club ever – RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB (#RRBC)! If you’re looking for amazing support as an author, or if you simply love books, JOIN US! We’d love to have you!
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Author, Karl J. Morgan (Amazon Author Page)
Bio:
With a long career in finance and as author of almost twenty books, I like to say that words and numbers are my life.
I have had a lifelong fascination with stories in the science fiction and fantasy genres, whether it was the Tom Swift novels by Victor Appleton I read as a young boy, or television like Lost in Space and Star Trek. More recently, I have devoured film series like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. That fascination is combined with a keen interest in cosmology, astrophysics, quantum physics, and spirituality.
That quirky combination along with the fantasy genre allows me to craft stories that reinforce the importance of family, friendship, and love. The protagonists must overcome incredible danger and challenges to survive their journeys, but eventually end up on top. It goes without saying that as a finance guy, my life has been less action-packed than my characters (thank goodness).
With Carl Prescott and The Sleeping One, I ventured back to comfortable territory. Many of my stories reinforce our direct connection to the Divine. While that is an element of this story, the sequels feature that relationship to a much greater extent. That element in my stories is an homage to what I believe really matters in this life.
I am the son of an Air Force pilot and as such, I have lived in many places, never for more than four years at a time. Thankfully, as an adult, I have lived in Chula Vista, CA for the past thirty-seven years. I met and married Aida, the love of my life, thirty years ago. Our grown children have made us grandparents four times over. It is a blessing to be around such wonderful parents and children.
My new goal is life is my stories. I hope you can follow me on this new adventure.
In His Words . . .
A Return to Fantasy
Fantasy has always been my favorite genre, especially if you include science fiction in the same category. Recently, I finished my jaunt into dystopian fiction with the four novels of the Revolution series. I honestly planned those books to be targeted to the Young Adult crowd, but when cannibals appeared in the second chapter of book one, I had to leave that dream behind. Thinking back on those stories, I am still surprised with the amount of violence and insanity that could flow from my fingers and onto the keyboard. While the story needed to be told, I am glad it is over now. It is interesting to me how our stories take on lives of their own. Hopefully that means the reader will feel a connection to what happens and come away satisfied that the journey was worthwhile.
With my new fantasy novel, Carl Prescott and The Sleeping One, I managed to control my fingers enough to keep the content acceptable to younger readers. Admittedly, much rewriting was necessary when things got too graphic. As with all of my stories, friendship, family, love, and faith are key elements. I also use the Hero’s Journey story mechanism, wherein the protagonist faces increasingly difficult challenges, but ultimately prevails. When I first read about the Hero’s Journey, all the books and movies I’ve read or seen made sense. It is a formula that is well known and enjoyed by people everywhere.
Carl Prescott and The Sleeping One is the story of three friends who travel far from home to attend the Bertrand Aloysius Thorndike Academic Institution. Thorndike is one of two schools on the entire planet that nurture the unusual abilities of their students. Since most of normal society believes these talents as evil, Thorndike is located in the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Carl and his friends, Grace Mulligan and Burt Jackson, are put in the hands of Aida Whitehall, a student two years their senior. The four become the best of friends as they explore and learn to control their talents.
The major plotlines of this book are the friendship among the four, the increasingly amazing talents each discovers, and the relationship between the Thorndike Institution and the Masterson Academy, the second special school. The rivalry between the two schools has always been strong, which is why Masterson is located on the opposite side of the globe on a South Pacific island. The conflict continues to expand, eventually leading to all out warfare.
The story is all about the talents. Grace has the Mother talent which makes all animals love her as their own mother. Burt is a self-taught Sparker, enabling him to travel great distances via lightning. Although he always thought himself an average teenager, Carl is the most talented of all. In order to save the school and his friends, he must become the master of all talents, the Invisible Hand. The story is fast-paced and action packed.
The other main characters in the book are Carl’s mother, Ginny, Headmaster Alex Dorchester, Dean Clarisse Whitehall (Aida’s adoptive mother), Professor Alistair Donnelly, Professor Bertrand Thorndike VII, and Barbara Conway (another student with a crush on our hero).
Carl’s journey does not end here. The next two books are complete in rough draft form. The fourth is currently someplace between my mind and laptop. Enjoy the ride!
Karl Morgan’s Social Media and Contact Links:
Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L7HHNB3
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karlmorganauthor
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Karl-Morgan/e/B00A57RWPO
Website/Blog: http://www.karljmorgan.com
Twitter handle: @karljmorgan
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**To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the author’s tour page on the 4WillsPublishing site. If you’d like to book your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HERE.
Thanks for supporting author, Karl J. Morgan and his work!
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