D.G. Kaye's Blog, page 149

#Book #Review – Sam, A Shaggy Dog Story – Sally Cronin

Today’s book review is about a heartwarming story written by Sally Cronin, Sam, A Shaggy Dog Story.

Sam, A Shaggy Dog Story


Sam, A Shaggy Dog Story

bySally Cronin(Goodreads Author)


The true story of Sam, a rough collie, written from his perspective. A tribute to a true friend and a genuine family member.

 

D.G. Kaye‘s review

Jun 27, 2016 · edit

It was amazing
Read in June, 2016

 

This book, a memoir from Sam, the Lassie-like Collie, will warm anyone’s heart. Cronin tells the story through Sam’s voice in this delightful read. If you’re not already a dog lover, you will be after reading Sam’s story.
If you want to know how a dog views his life, Sam shares his adventures as a dog, how he learned manners, how he learned to speak a few human words, and even he even shares his opinions on going to the vet.
Sam is truly a heart-warming read for everyone.

Please check out Sally’s other wonderful books here. Sally is a versatile writer who writes memoirs, health books, and heartwarming novels.

http://www.amazon.com/Sally-Cronin/e/B0096REZM2

#WritingTips: Abolish the Adverbs | Writing Forward

As writers, we’ve all heard the many warnings about using too many adverbs in our writing. Although we try our best, or choose to ignore the warnings about over using adverbs, this article by Melissa Donovan is a clear and concise lowdown about how adverbs can hinder our writing and why. Melissa offers up some great examples demonstrating different methods for working around a sentence omitting adverbs.

 

“What are adverbs and why are they frowned upon? How can you cleanse your writing of them?”

 

“Adjectives and adverbs are modifiers. Adjectives modify nouns whereas adverbs modify verbs, other adverbs, adjectives, phrases, and clauses. In fact, an adverb can modify an entire sentence. This gives adverbs a rather large playing field; maybe that explains why they are overused. . .” Continue Reading 

 

Source: Writing Tips: Abolish the Adverbs | Writing Forward

Sally’s #Bookstore and Cafe – Book of the Week – Words We Carry by D.G. Kaye | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life

Many of you are familiar with the name Sally Cronin in the blogosphere, and possibly from the many articles I share of hers on social media. Sally is a woman of many talents. Not only is she a prolific author of several books and  a generous blogger, but she is known to many in our community as a great sharer and promoter of the work of other writers and artists.

 

Sally has recently began Sally’s Virtual Bookstore and Cafe, where she promotes books of authors who visited and promoted at her blog. Every week she chooses a book from her cafe to promote on her blog.

 

I was elated to be chosen to kick off Sally’s new series when she chose my book Words We Carry to start the series. You can read more below and continue reading on Sally’s blog. Then perhaps you may like to be part of Sally’s Book Cafe.

 

Welcome to the new series where I will be featuring one of the books on the shelves of the cafe and bookstore. There are now over 100 authors and their books, with more added each week as they are promoted in the regular features. To join the other authors you will need to be promoted in those posts first and here is the link for how you can do this.

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/book-promotion-smorgasbord-summer-reading/

Book of the Week  kicks off with  Words We Carry by talented non-fiction author and friend to many of us in this blogging community, D.G. Kaye.. also known as the elegant and charistmatic Debby Gies. . . Continue Reading 

 

Source: Sally’s Bookstore and Cafe – Book of the Week – Words We Carry by D.G. Kaye | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life

My Review of Words We Carry by D.G.Kaye | Judith Barrow

 

I always find it exciting when I’m blog reading and happen to come across a post about my own books! I was more than pleasantly surprised to find this wonderful review of my book Words We Carry, from author and blogger Judith Barrow.

 

It’s always inspiring for me to know that my words can inspire others, and help in some way with some of the issues my readers too struggle with.

 

My Review: By Judith Barrow

 

 Ever had that feeling of ‘not being quite good enough’,of ‘never fitting in’, of ‘always being on the outside’? Then please read this book.Words We Carry  carries (excuse the pun) words that can hit home with a sudden realisation of why we may sometimes feel that way. I’m not saying that everyone does. And if you don’t then you’re  very lucky. But, as far as I’m concerned I shall be grateful to this author forever. D.G.Kaye lays her soul bare and, by doing so, allows the reader to sit back and think; to understand that if anyone’s opinion touches a nerve, however well meant, however innocently said, there could be a reason from the past.

 

 Reading this book gave me a reinforcement of the self-knowledge I knew was in me but…  is…was my habit to dismiss because, long ago, that confidence was diminished. I’ll say no more on that. I just wanted to stress how invaluable reading Words We Carry was, for me.

 

The author’s  honesty about her own  earlier life; her own feelings of being inadequate, of struggling with self-esteem, allows the reader to do the same. Her empathy and compassion shine throughout the text.

 

 There is no magic wand to wave away past hurts but D.G. Kaye shows . . . Continue Reading

 

Source: My Review of Words We Carry by D.G.Kaye | Judith Barrow

THE VALUE OF #GRATITUDE – Voices of Wisdom Guest Post |D.G. Kaye

Today I’m sharing a recent article I was invited to write and share on Dorothy Sander’s blog, Aging Abundantly.

 

Dorothy writes about the wisdom we gain as we age. And her new series, which I was thrilled to be the first in, is entitled ‘The Voices of Wisdom’ – The Value of Gratitude.

 

Read the article below and you can continue reading on Dorothy’s blog.

 

Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions. ECKHART TOLLE

 

I’m so happy to introduce Debby Gies, our first contributor to the The Voices of Wisdom Series.  Debby, an author and prolific writer, captured my attention somewhere in cyberspace.  I  was drawn to her enthusiasm for life and read her book, Conflicted Hearts, a memoir in which her strength and courage is made visible and her zest for life contagious.

 

The Voices of Wisdom series is an ongoing series featuring guest posts by women of wisdom. Each guest will share some piece of wisdom gleaned from their life challenges. Stay tuned. We have more captivating reads ahead!

My Journey Through Mid-Life and What I Learned
By Debby Gies
Have you ever been on a ride that was completely smooth – no bumps, no valleys, and no inclines? I can say with certainty that I haven’t, and naturally, my journey through mid-life was no exception.

 

When I was young, I thought I was invincible. My plans to battle age developed decades before I hit my mid-life years. My arsenal of age-fighters were nothing short of trying to maintain a healthy eating and exercise regime, and an ongoing supply of whatever beauty aids, creams, potions, and lotions I would read about, in efforts to preserve myself from aging.

 

But the truth is, aging is a natural process of life. And, it entails much more than just our physical attributes. As I transitioned into my middle years, many things changed. My perceptions and values changed, my evaluations on friendships changed, even my tolerances and gratitudes changed.

 

Time became more apparent; not all of these things happened simultaneously, but as the hands of time began pointing in the direction of fifty, I noticed several changes within myself.

 

I BECAME MORE AWARE OF PASSING TIME

 

Although the healthy measures I adapted to when I was younger were moderately paying off, staving off wrinkles as best I could, my attitude towards life in general had changed.

 

I became a lot more aware of how quickly the days were passing, and how illness can change life in a flash. And I became concerned about the fact that I hadn’t accomplished anything that made me feel like I would be leaving my footprints behind when it came time for me to go to the next world. I felt time closing in on me. Continue Reading . . . 

Source: THE VALUE OF GRATITUDE – Voices of Wisdom Guest Post |

#Writing in #Memoir

 

Writing in memoir can be a painful experience. I know how many times I’ve heard this from fellow memoir writers, and I can certainly attest to this.

 

As writers, we all go through the cycle of self-doubt, writers block, frustration, jubilation, and of course, all of our emotions are touched while bringing our characters to life when using some of our own experiences in our stories. There’s no difference in whether our books are factual or fiction because there is much truth in fiction too.

 

Memoir writing brings its own special kind of pain – the pain of having to relive unhappy moments over and over again, not just while we write and conjure up these painful memories, but again in re-writes, revisions, and edits, while we polish our stories. The process becomes similar to going to a therapy session where we bear our raw selves and hurts to a specialist until we can reach some resolution while remembering emotional pain.

 

I know that my writing in memoir takes me back to some dark places in time, and quite often I have to put the pen down, or walk away from the computer for an emotional time out to distance myself from the past abyss of emotional pain.

 

Writing in memoir is writing raw. Not only do we have to relive unpleasant memories to be able to convey our stories, but we’re baring and sharing our souls to the world once published. It takes a lot of guts to write in memoir – to face our demons and share them publicly. So what’s in it for me despite the pain?

 

My aim is to help others who can not only relate to my stories, but to offer hope for those who share similar struggles in their own lives and hoping they can take in some encouragement from my own lessons learned and my own resolutions.
By the time I’ve finished writing and re-writing, I discover the catharsis in my own revelations. The process becomes similar to one of those long sessions I might have otherwise have had with a therapist who helped me to discover resolution and peace to my inner conflicts.

I came across an interesting quote regarding the pain of writing in memoir.

 

Book Review #Memoir – Leaning into Love – Elaine Mansfield

A beautiful, poignant memoir written by Elaine Mansfield, Leaning into Love. Today I’m sharing my review of Elaine’s heartfelt and eloquently written memoir of her journey through her life, love and grief with the loss of her husband Vic to cancer.

Buy this book:  https://www.amazon.com/Leaning-into-Love-Spiritual-Journey-ebook/dp/B00NBA8DN2 

“I’ll find a way to be all right,” Elaine promised Vic, her dying husband and best friend of 42 years. Leaving the hospital after he passed, she had no idea how. Her uplifting story of love, hope, determination, and triumph is a gift to the half million women who lose spouses each year.”

 

ByD.G. Kaye on August 16, 2015
Format: Paperback

Riding the waves of love and loss, Mansfield shares her journey through grief beginning with learning to weather her husband Vic’s impending death sentence from a rare cancer, as she navigates the process of fighting to prolong his life, accepting the defeat of death, and learning to live on by herself after Vic’s death.


A compelling and moving memoir from start to finish, as we follow the author’s detailed rollercoaster ride of emotion while she struggles to keep sane and strong during her husband’s illness, and long afterward.


A touching story of true love, separated by illness, and the courage of becoming one again after being part of a loving couple. A must read for everyone; for those who have loved and lost, and for all who will one day eventually bear this crossing.

#BetaReaders | Lit World Interviews

How important is it to have beta readers for our books before sending them off to the editor?

I can say from my own experience that I’ve never put out a book without at least another few pair of eyes on it to gain feedback from someone who’s opinion I highly value as a reader, be it a fellow author or an avid book reader. It’s nice to receive some objectivity, which we as writers often tend to lose after reading our own work many times over. This helps to prepare our manuscripts, ready for editing. But Jo Robinson’s article below that she wrote for LitWorldInterviews will explain the value of beta readers in greater detail.

 

“Not all writers use beta readers, and not all writers offer their services as beta readers, but both of these things can serve as a huge help in our writing. Looking at it from the writer’s side first, it’s important to know what it is that you’d like your beta reader to do for your story, if there is anything in particular that you do want. Don’t be shy to ask if you suspect a weakness in any area.

 

In general, as well as glaring plot holes and so on, your beta reader will spot things like continuity problems, or hair that started out blonde and suddenly changed to auburn half way through the story. These are big deal issues for your future readers and often things that we miss because of our closeness to the story. . . Continue Reading

 

Source: Beta Readers | Lit World Interviews

#Tech Woes – Are #Firewalls blocking you from Websites?

Today’s technical issues relate to some problems I’ve been informed about by some of my readers. They can’t seem to get to my site.

 

Naturally, my FBI instincts were alerted. After finding from those who took the time to inform me that they had to shut off their firewalls just to allow them to visit my site (thank you devoted readers), I began to do some research on the problem.

 

I found the common thread with those who’ve had this problem seemed to be they are all using McAfee antivirus software. Although this didn’t make the task any easier for me to solve, I decided to call my web host, Godaddy, to see if there was a problem with my site. The rep told me everything was running smoothly.

 

I continued to tell him that the problem seemed to be with users of McAfee software and this was his response:  He told me that it’s possible that when McAfee did recent updates, they have added protection from safe sites that don’t have an SSL certificate. Ya, you may not know what that is either. I wasn’t aware of such certificate. But apparently, this is a certificate many sites add if they’re selling products from their own site to enable buyers to know their credit card info is safe on their site. But I’m not selling anything?

 

It got me thinking. Is this a money grab? Do I now need to purchase this annual renewal expense for $100? This is not in my budget right now and a techy, author friend mentioned that he was leery of this sounding like an upsell.

 

I didn’t receive any concrete answers from the rep, only possible theories, as he re-iterated that my site had the ‘green light’. And I wondered why only McAfee antivirus users were having this problem. So I continued to do my own digging around with my best friend, ‘Google’, because I’m concerned that those readers may potentially not bother with the hassle and leave my blog.

 

I found some interesting articles on Google from other McAfee users who are encountering this same problem. It appears to me that there are a few ways around this issue, by going into your McAfee antivirus program and manually adding the websites they are deeming unsafe.

 

Below are two relevant links that may help you with this problem.

 

https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=KB76314&actp=LIST Here’s another one http://www.ehow.com/how_8494740_unblock-mcafeeblocked.html

 

If any of you have been experiencing this problem, I’d be happy to hear about it below in the comments.

The R’s of Life – Chapter Six – Romance – The biggest Fairy Story of them all | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life

Today I’m sharing a post I found poignant and important to all of us regarding romance and what it takes to keep the light and the love strong, the fires burning – The biggest Fairy Tale of them all.

 

I’ve posted another of Sally Cronin’s chapters HERE previously about relationships from this new book she’s writing on her blog called The R’s of Life.

 

I highly recommend making yourselves a cup of coffee and reading Sally’s post on romance and all that’s involved to create a lasting relationship. If you’re anything like me, you may even require a tissue while reading.

In this chapter, a light-hearted look at romance. Well partly light-hearted, as there are some elements of this universally sought after state of bliss that can be from the dark side. 

 

Have you ever wondered why the classic fairy stories that involve a beautiful farmer’s daughter, scullery maid or even a princess, who are swept off their feet by a handsome and rich stranger on a white horse; end with the words ‘And they lived happily ever after’? . . .Continue Reading 

Source: The R’s of Life – Chapter Six – Romance – The biggest Fairy Story of them all | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life