D.G. Kaye's Blog, page 45
December 10, 2021
Realms of Relationships with D.G. Kaye – Wrapping up the Year in #Covid – Smorgasbord Blog Magazine
December 9, 2021
I’m Back with my New #Blog
December 4, 2021
Sunday Book Review – Tree Fairies and their Short Stories by D.L. Finn
December 2, 2021
November Oracle Reading – Native Spirit and Akashic Tarot
November 30, 2021
Update – I am currently in process of moving my blog
November 27, 2021
New Reviews for my books – Books by D.G, Kaye in Review #Memoir – #Christmas Book Fair
Today I’m sharing some new and recent reviews I came across for all of my books! I was excited to recently find four new reviews for my book Menowhat? A Memoir. It seems one doesn’t have to be going through the changes of madness to feel curious about this book. A friend who I’d given a few of my books too was thrilled to type up reviews in gratitude for the books. Not everyone is tech savvy to get a review up on Amazon or Goodreads so I was very appreciative. Customer Reviews for: Meno-What? A Memoir: Memorable Moments Of Menopause Blurb: “I often found myself drifting from a state of normal in a sudden twist of bitchiness.” x From PMS to menopause to what the hell? x D.G. adds a touch of humor to a tale about a not-so-humorous time. While bidding farewell to her dearly departing estrogen, D.G. struggles to tame her raging hormones of fire, relentless dryness, flooding and droughts and other unflattering symptoms. x Join D.G. on her meno-journey to slay the dragons of menopause as she tries to hold on to her sanity, memory, hair, and so much more! x *** Thrilled to find this review from author Alex Craigie x My rating: 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars[ 5 of 5 stars ] Meno-What? A Memoir: Memorable Moments Of Menopause by D.G. Kaye (Goodreads Author) x Alex Craigie‘s review Oct 15, 2021 it was amazing This book is one person’s account of what it was like for her as she went through perimenopause to menopause. I wish I’d read it years ago when I was going through it! x The author does stress that this is her journey and that the things that worked for her might not work for you. She also makes it crystal clear that your doctor is your first port of call and you should try nothing without checking that it’s all right for you. x What I really loved about this book was its down-to-earth approach and its humour. It’s a situation that can be grim enough as it is without wading through hefty tomes of complex information on the subject. All the issues discussed are ones that either I or my friends were familiar with – the hot flushes (flashes in the US), lack of sleep, unpredictable responses to situations caused by fluctuating hormones, memory lapses, dry skin, middle-age spread, digestive system issues and more. Pretty much everything is covered but with a generous sprinkling of humour that made it a delight to read. x The author says that a group of supportive friends helps to tough it out and the symptoms are ‘more manageable when you know you aren’t alone or going crazy.’ x The book is filled with suggestions and tips–with the proviso that any supplements are okayed by a medical professional first – and it was wonderful to come across something that explained things with an honest but light touch that made you smile, or even laugh out loud. In the passage about trying to maintain body shape, she refers to ‘arms that continued to wave after I stopped’. It’s this light touch that made the book such a success with me. Seeing the funny side of something that has to be faced can only be a good thing and, as the author reminds us, laughter is the best medicine. x In my mother’s day, and in mine, the menopause was something that you suffered in silence. It wasn’t something you shared with anyone else and there was very little information to help you. The world is a better place because of books like this one. x I came across this gem of a review by Diana Peach on Amazon, and then shared again on her blog in her September Reads x Meno – What?: Memorable Moments of Menopause by D. G. Kaye I tried to read this book in bed before nodding off, but my husband made me go downstairs… apparently my laughter was keeping him up. As someone who’s gone through “The Change,” I found this book highly relatable and, at times, laugh out loud funny. Kaye recommends laughter as a way of dealing with this shocking stage of life, and her account of her own battle with menopause and post-menopausal changes demonstrates that conviction. x Kaye gives an overview of the biological changes, reminds us that she isn’t a doctor, and clarifies that every woman will experience this misery in different ways. Besides offering plenty of opportunities for laughter, she provides suggestions for ways to manage our changing bodies. I especially related to her discussion of post-menopausal changes that begin with a stage called “What the Hell?” x Her anecdotes are relatable… the covers on/covers off routine… opening the car window to let the snow blow in… “alligator” skin… sagging, spots, you name it, she covers the gamut and all with sardonic wit, disbelief, good sense, and a determination to fight back. This book is a memoir but one that doubles as a guide for women during their menopausal journeys. Highly recommended. x A recent 5 Star review from Harmony Kent: #BookReview: Meno-What? by D G Kaye @pokercubster #Menopause #womensissues HARMONY KENT POSTED ON 25TH NOVEMBER 2021 POSTED IN REVIEW 7 COMMENTS TAGGED WITH , 5 STARSAMAZON KINDLEBOOK REVIEWDEBUT AUTHORDEBUT NOVELFICTIONGENERAL FICTIONGOODREADSHARMONY KENTHARPER COLLINSKINDLENIKKI ERLICKPAPERBACK Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a favourite writer of mine, D G Kaye … an author many of us know and love >>> Harmony posted on her blog: My Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 I have read this author before, and her humour in adversity shines through every time. This knack makes what could be a depressing read into an inspiring one, and Meno-What? doesn’t disappoint. At 66 Kindle pages, this is a quick yet informative read. x I would say this is a must-read for all women going through or approaching a certain stage of life: the menopause. I might go so far as to say that their loved ones should read this too! … Although, when I made the same suggestion to dear hubby, I received a noncommittal grunt in reply, lols. x The author tells us that “major body trauma or surgery can ignite the process.” Tick! And … “Those meno dragons can creep up on you like the night.” Tick! (Love that imagery.) And … “If you can’t laugh, there’s no fun in existing!” Tick! x Some comments show the massive differences between healthcare in the UK and that in the US. For instance, many of us over this side of the pond can’t imagine having our own dermatologist or gynae person to go to at need. Apart from this difference in health care provision, the book and its examples is highly relatable. x As an amputee, I’m experiencing a whole new level of fun living with a false leg during hot sweats. Just yesterday, after the supposedly-tight-and-skin-gripping liner slipped off my residual limb three times in half an hour, and took my prosthetic with it mid-step, I decided to give myself a break and had a wheelchair day. As the author advises, seeing the funny side sure does help! x Reading this book had me chortling away throughout, as well as nodding in recognition. Honestly, I wish I’d read this a few years ago! While each experience of menopause is individual, there are some common truths that hold for us all, and this book is a wonderful reminder that we’re not alone, as well as offering some general advice from a lay perspective. This treat of a memoir gets a solid five stars from me. x x MacTrish 5.0 out of 5 stars A book that takes some of the heat out of the topic of the menopause! Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 October 2021 Verified Purchase x If you know someone going through the menopause you might consider giving them this book. It’s packed full of the author’s honest account of her symptoms, the science behind them and tips and suggestions for making the situation more bearable which she shares with a humour that certainly would have helped me! x It’s a reassuring trip through the minefield of menopause and opens up a subject that was completely taboo for my mother’s generation. All women go through the menopause and it shouldn’t be something that is kept hidden like a guilty secret. We need more books like this. x xxx x I made a new friend in my building and she’s a retired professional in higher education. She was so excited to learn I was an author and asked where she can buy my books. Of course, I gave her two. She was so kind, as she doesn’t fiddle much with computers, but she wrote three lovely reviews for three of my books, P.S. I Forgive You, Twenty Years: After “I Do”, and Conflicted Hearts: Diana DeCaire 5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, lovely self expression Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2021 Verified Purchase x Such a great read (and well-edited so very smooth) to sink one’s mind right into. It takes a lot of guts to write about personal stuff and all the more interesting due to great insights by the author. x x x marjorie mallon 5.0 out of 5 stars A fun travel/shopping memoir which will have you laughing Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2021 x I read this as part of #ireadcanadian., @ireadcanadian #nowmorethanever. This is such a hoot, what a laugh! x Have Bags Will Travel is such an entertaining read which gives you an insight into D G Kaye’s character, her shopping obsession, packing troubles, germaphobia, and brushes with airport security. Enjoy her recollections on the glamour and glitz, her love to travel and a nostalgic aspect to it all. x Her friend Zan shares her shopaholic tendencies too. The two of them together… can you imagine? A red head, blonde explosion of zaniness! I love the part when they end up at Buckingham Palace and chat to a Beefeater, the royal guard and after which… it gets funnier by the moment. x Have Bags Will Travel gives a historical account of how much easier it used to be to take overstuffed baggage through airports in the good old days. Now, it seems that D G Kaye will resort to anything to get her shopping home. x Zan and D G Kaye also travel to Paris and end up shopping for shoes! x There are manmade toboggan rides in Muskoka, Canada. x Trips to Venezuela: Margarita Island and Caracas with cousin Eileen. x Las Vegas, Then and Now – gambling/casinos, fond memories of the author’s love of the desert. x Have Bags Will Travel is just what we need right now, a good giggle! There is also a section at the back of the book with Helpful Travel tips. x A short, entertaining read. Highly recommended, especially for the shopoholics and travel enthusiasts in your life! *** I am grateful for all those interested in my books and for those who’ve taken the time to read, enjoy, and took more time to write reviews. x So what’s next? Well, as many of you already know, this year hasn’t been kind to me, in fact, my nightmares with my husband’s declining health began last year, just as I finished revising my latest memoir – Fifteen First Times. I never even got it sent to the editor before I lost all focus on book writing. With my husband’s ongoing illness, and then losing him to cancer this spring, and dealing with everything that comes after that and the suffocating grief I continue to live with, let’s just say that...
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November 25, 2021
#WATWB – We are the World #Blogfest #RandomActsofKindness, New App for Hearing Impaired – Sign Language
Welcome to the last post for the year for the WATWB – We are the World Blogfest. Each last Friday of the month, a group of writers contribute an article about something good going on in the world to deflect from so much of the negative going on in the world. For this month, I’m sharing my finding of a new App for the hearing impaired. British High School senior, Mariella Satow, found herself stranded in New York during the pandemic and in between her online school classes she decided she wanted to teach herself how to do sign language. Later, Mariella couldn’t find one streaming platform that added sign language. Her determination to create something for the hearing impaired inspired her to create a Google Chrome Extension called Signup. This is a box that comes up that can be clicked on with some streaming services now that will bring up a sign language interpretation version for the chosen movie compatible with the app. Since Mariella created this, she is getting many requests for video translations. And since she created the app, others are getting the idea to create ‘Sign’ apps for many more streaming services. Amazing how it only takes one concerned citizen to open up a new world for the hearing impaired. You can read the complete article at Goodnet HERE. Here’s an example video of ‘Signup’ catching on with the American Sign Language for Ohio Citizens for Deaf Cultures l Original Source: https://www.goodnet.org/articles/this... Come join us next year, the last Friday of each month. Find an inspiring article and share it for WATWB, then just add the link to our group post on our Facebook WATWB group page so others can share and read. Hosts this month for WATWB are: Eric Lahti(https://ericlahti.wordpress.com) and Sylvia Stein (https://sylviasteinswritingcorner.blo...) will be co-hosting. . ©DGKaye2021
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November 23, 2021
Let’s Have a Look – Crazy, Criminal or Insane? #Documentary Commentation
Welcome back to my ‘Let’s Have a Look’ series where I talk about random subjects that grab my attention and give me pause. In today’s segment I want to talk about a question posed from a documentary I watched called Crazy, Not Insane. This doc was created from the writings of forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis who worked on many cases involving serial killers and murderers. Dr. Lewis was a pioneer who began to question the makings of murderers – both notorious and not, stating that people aren’t born evil, but states when physically abused from childhood, those children grow up damaged, either recoiling from the world with their inflictions or taking on multiple personalities summoned by the child to help them endure living the nightmares of abuse. She was one of the first doctors to bring up the diagnosis of multiple personalities killers, diagnosing cases of Multiple Personality Disorder (aka Dissociative Identity Disorder). Dr. Lewis was summoned to many court cases to offer her opinion and diagnosis. She also believes that many killers who were physically abused had been left with integral parts of the brain damaged, which in part contributes to a killer’s motivations. For Dr. Lewis, it was all about the ‘why’ of the crime, more than the crime itself. Dr. Lewis had taken a lot of flack for her diagnosis of multiple personalities over the years, and in this doc, she indicates – those in question of her work have been touted as heretics who believe the humanity of killers is non relevant. Dr. Lewis basically states that her intentions when evaluating violent criminals are to assess where the rage stems from – because it always does stem from something, and she states that the criminal system is a one stop shop – prosecute, jail or execute without taking into consideration mental health inclusions. She by no means advocates to free these killers, but mostly speaks up about the decisions of execution. For the multitude of criminals in the system, they are punished for life and/or executed where she feels many of them should have been sent to a mental institution instead of executed. This is all a very touchy situation as I can well understand that as a doctor of psychiatry that she would wish to get to the root of a convicted killer’s motivations, while at the same time states about the over abundance of criminals in the system where concern is not something that’s recognized in most cases about why someone acts out in violence, but resolve is to punish. This is the stance Dr. Lewis takes. Despite the skepticism of some of the doctor’s analysis of crazed killers, many agree that punishing by death penalty is not always just. Below is the trailer for the documentary I suppose the matter in question is that Lewis being called upon to testify in several reknowned serial killer cases with her expertise on such murderers seems confusing because she is asked for her professional opinions on such cases and feels as though her testimonials don’t figure into the punishments, whereby most of these types of trial outcomes never factor in any rehabilitation for these criminals, only punishment. Honestly, this is a toughie because in essence, the criminal justice system works to put murderers away as a justice, yet nobody seems to care about the whys of the criminals. I feel like the situations are double-edged swords, but the bottom line is to take these dangerous people off the streets. Sadly, these types of criminals aren’t usually seeking physciatric help before they kill, and once they kill, it’s understandable the people seek justice. If I put myself in the shoes of the loved ones left behind seeking justice for the murder of their loved ones, I should think that I too would be concentrating on justice, despite my agreeing that these killers obviously are damaged from some incidence. Comments are open for opinions. ©DGKaye2021
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November 20, 2021
Sunday Movie Review – The Father – Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Coleman – #Dementia
The Sunday Movie Review – this movie caught me right out of left field. When I saw that The Father was released on Netflix starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Coleman (The Crown), I couldn’t wait to watch it. I’ll also add that I had to put on my big girl pants to watch this heart grabbing story, but felt compelled to watch it, accompanied by a box of tissues. A masterful performance by Anthony Hopkins in a heartwrenching role of The Father of Anne, played by Olivia Coleman. My 5 Star Review: This powerful story takes place in London where Anne has already taken in her father after realizing he shouldn’t be living on his own any longer, despite his stubborness. But Anthony (real name and movie name) still comes across as witty and intelligent – until he drifts into a lost person. This is a heartbreaking character study movie, so don’t be looking for big plots and action. The premise is real and frightening and Hopkins gives the performance of his lifetime portraying a father with dementia. We get an internal look as we stand outside this box of grief and fear. The grief is what we feel from what we witness as this man continues to go back and forth from reality to his lost world of dementia and the grief we feel for his daughter Anne who remains compassionate, despite her moments of wanting to throw up her hands. We take in the moments where Anthony’s fits of anger strike because his confusion annoys even himself. His verbal distaste for going into a home when suggested by Anne so she can take her opportunity to move to Paris, will have you, tugging at your own heartstrings. The movie contains mostly dialogue and will have us the viewers just as confused as Anthony at some points as he trys to decipher the reality from his own dementia. The ending will rip what’s left of your heart out with Anthony’s vulnerability. This movie portrays the brutal and raw realism of dementia, how one lives within himself with it and how those who are the caregivers live a living grief. Most heartwrenching quote by Hopkins as he questions his own sanity: “I feel as though I’m losing all my leaves.” From IMDB : Storyline Having just scared off his recent caregiver, Anthony, an ailing, octogenarian Londoner gradually succumbing to dementia, feels abandoned when concerned Anne, his daughter, tells him she’s moving to Paris. Confused and upset, against the backdrop of a warped perspective and his rapid, heart-rending mental decline, Anthony is starting to lose his grip on reality, struggling to navigate the opaque landscape of present and past. Now, as faded memories and glimpses of lucidity trigger sudden mood swings, dear ones, Anthony’s surroundings, and even time itself become distorted. Why has his younger daughter stopped visiting? Who are the strangers that burst in on Anthony?—Nick Riganas . . A fantastic half hour interview with Sir Anthony Hopkins on the making of this film, how he felt in the role and how he prepared for it. Note: He played a man his own age of 84. . . Has anyone here seen the movie? Thoughts? . ©DGKaye2021
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November 18, 2021
November Writer’s Tips – Gutenberg Block Editor, Deadly #Writer Sins, Online Safety, and More!
Welcome to November edition of Writer’s Tips where I scan the web in my reading travels and discover some worthy posts helpful to writers. In this post we’re covering, reusable blocks in the new editor, online privacy, avoiding four deadly writer sins, blog traffic, New! KDP Hardcovers, 5 Indie mistakes that could cost authors book sales, Audio books, and Pinterest for book marketing. Hugh Roberts our resident Block Editor Guru is showing us how to create a ‘reusable’ block you can add ready made to any post and How to Increase Blog Traffic Are You Using This Little Known About Block That Helps Promote Your Blog? – Hugh’s Views & News Are You Struggling To Get People To Your Blog? These 7 Free Methods Will Help Tech Teacher and author, Jacqui Murrary is sharing great tips on how to stay online safely 6 Ways Writers Protect Online Privacy Four Deadly Writer Sins and How to Avoid them, by Ruth Harris at the blog of Anne R. Allen. 5 Indie Author Mistakes that could lose you Book Sales by Tech Author, Barb Drozdowich at the blog of Anne R. Allen and the benefits of creating audio books by William Hahn, guest writer at the blog of Anne R. Allen 5 Indie Author Mistakes That Can Tank Book Sales 4 Deadly Writer Sins—and How to Avoid Them. Plus a Top-Secret Pro Tip for Writing a Book Readers Can’t Put Down The Things I’ve Heard: Confessions of an Audiobook Narrator Nicholas Rossis shares the announcement that Amazon KDP is now producing Hardcovers for Indie books Hardcover Books on KDP Jan Sykes at the Story Empire shares what she’s learned from advertising books on Pinterest #MKTG – Part 6 – Pinterest #SocialMediaMarketing #Pinterest ©DGKaye2021
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