D.G. Kaye's Blog, page 56

Writer’s Tips – Book Trailers, #BookBub Ads, Book Covers, Plot Twist!

Welcome to my first edition of Writer’s Tips for 2021. I’ve had lots of time to read and curate some terrific articles from writers, bloggers, editors and publishers all encompassing helpful tips for Indies and Bloggers – marketing tips, book covers, editing, #Bookbub tips and more!   From the blog of Anne R. Allen – Tips on making book covers look professional 5 Tell-Tale Signs of an Amateur Self-Published Book   Kathy Steineman on how to cut unnecessary filter words https://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/b...   Diane Tibert (aka McGyver) on her Self-Publishing series from Scratch, how to and why you should have a Website Self-publishing from Scratch: Article 4   Sally Cronin is sharing some easy to absorb, helpful tips for using Twitter Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore – #NewAuthor Marketing Tips – Making the most of Twitter by Sally Cronin   Nicholas Rossis with a helpful tool to create book trailers RecordCast: a Free Tool to Create Your Book Trailer   Ruth Harris on the blog of Anne R. Allen with a succinct list of apps and tools to design your own book covers DIY Book Covers Have Come a Long Way — How to Create Professional-Quality Covers with Design Apps.   From the Writing Cooperative – What should I look for when editing my own writing? https://writingcooperative.com/editor...   Best BookBub Ads from 2020 – What sells? The Best BookBub Ads of 2020   Five Crucial Tips for Writing Plot Twists – Nicholas Rossis 5 Crucial Tips For Writing Plot Twists   How to animate your book covers by Harmony Kent at the Story Empire How To Animate your Book Cover   Well, those are a lot of links, but as I know, there is something for everyone, and I know I am grateful for those in our community who share such helpful information. I can’t help but pass on the goodies. Enjoy!   ©DGKaye2020    

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – D. G. Kaye Explores the Realms of Relationships – January 2021 – Online Connections– #Vetting on the #Internet, Email and Social Media for Scammers and Trolls

Welcome to the first edition for 2021 of my monthly column – Realms of Relationship I write for Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Blog Magazine. In this Part 1 of 2, I’m discussing the importance of vetting online communications – emails, social media, etc – for scammers and trolls. In part 2 this month, I’ll be delving further into what you need to know when it comes to vetting potential online relationships of the heart.   Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – D. G. Kaye Explores the Realms of Relationships – January 2021 – Online Connections–Vetting on the Internet, Email and Social Media for Scammers and Trolls   Happy New Year and welcome back to a new year of Realms of Relationships. This is my corner at Smorgasbord Blog Magazine where Sally generously, gives me a featured spot here to share some nuggets of experience on various aspects of communication and relationships we encounter and form through life, where I talk about how I analyze and deal with same issues.     Much of the world has at least somewhat of a digital existence since the advent of the internet became an appendage part of our lives these past few decades. Internet has become a whole new entity of itself and some who aren’t so internet savvy have to be extra diligent about who they allow into their circles – even more so – into their lives, digitally. Now, we all know the many pros about living digitally, but do we know how to recognize the cons? Social media, email and online dating apps can become threatening when allowing or inviting the wrong type of people into our circles. It’s essential we verify who we are speaking with on the other side of the internet before we allow them into our business. On the pro side, social media and group apps are a good thing to keep us engaged, and a good means to interact with our peers and family. We can Zoom with friends, family, and for meetings, which of course has been a lifeline for many during this Coronavirus time. We can instant message our friends and family through apps and texts. And we can make connections with like-minded people globally. And of course, there are numerous apps online for dating. But I caution to be diligent on those apps, and I’ll get to that next issue. On the con side, in order to make healthy and honest connections in this era of trolls and scammers, we should all be doing our due diligence verifying the people we allow in our circles, making sure they are authentic. Before we make new bonds or meet up with people we’ve met on apps, it’s essential that we do a little background checking. Just as it’s equally important to verify the true source of an email before allowing ourselves to be scammed. And these topics are what I’m going to cover here today. ***     Let’s begin with scam emails and how to detect them – what we need to look for when siphoning out a suspicious email. For example, I’ll share about some usual scammy emails I have personally received over time – scam emails from my bank, my government, Amazon, and Paypal and how I deal with them. In the past few weeks alone, I’ve been inundated with emails from Amazon, informing me that my account is under investigation and has been closed due to suspicious activity, or requires my attention. The messages all ‘conveniently’ offer me a link so I can log in to my account and check what the ensuing problem is. DON’T! Do not click on that link! In fact, when you receive any kind of such emails NEVER EVER click on the supplied link in the email to sign into your account to investigate. NEVER! This is how the hackers get into your account, you are opening the door for them. Their intent with these emails are , they are hoping you do exactly that, open it! I’m beyond recognizing these scams because they are so frequent. I just auto delete and don’t even bother going over to Amazon to check anything because I know the ruse. But for those of you who get startled and alarmed by such scary information and feel the need to verify, just GO directly to Amazon URL and log in to your account DIRECTLY FROM AMAZON. You are going to the source direct. If there is any problem with your account, Amazon will be only too happy to leave a notification on your account. How to recognize scam mail –a huge tell of a scammy email is to look directly within the URL address from the sender. Any reputable company sending email will have no extra gobbledygook attached to the sender name. When you receive email from Amazon it will say something like -“Amazon dot com@support or something of its ilk, but it WILL NOT HAVE any other tails attached to the URL, such as random letters and numbers or names – like this:  –Please continue reading at Sally’s Smorgasbord.   ©DGKaye2021   Source: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – D. G. Kaye Explores the Realms of Relationships – January 2021 – Online Connections–Vetting on the Internet, Email and Social Media for Scammers and Trolls | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine    

Sunday Movie Review: The Undoing #miniseries – #Whodunit

Welcome to my Sunday Movie Review again. The Undoing is a mini series on HBO, an intense psychological thriller. For those of you who enjoy a good suspense whodunit, this series is for you.   My 5 Star Review: I love a good character study movie. And with a cast of Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant and Donald Sutherland, what’s not to love? Except, when you are used to seeing certain stars in movies who are mostly typecast play someone out of their character realm. But in this series, it demonstrates a great example of what going against the grain is like with Grant’s personified movie image. Grant in this psychological suspenseful role plays an unlikely and unusual character. We get a glimpse of a darker side of Grant in this suspenseful family saga whodunit with Grant as one of the suspected murderers because of who the murder victim was. So what’s the action? Grant and Kidman are a well-off – ‘seemingly’ happy couple. Grant is an oncologist and Kidman plays a psychologist. They lead busy lives and seem to have a great relationship. But does something sinister lurk in Grant’s head? A young struggling artist comes into Kidman’s circle on the ‘mom’ board at her son’s preppy school, wanting to join the school board of a private school where she hopes to assimilate her young son into the preppy school and become part of the ‘mom board’. She ‘somewhat’ befriends Nicole and shows up in unpredictable places. Then suddenly the girl is murdered. The show progresses searching for and suspecting some unsuspecting characters – including Nicole and then Hugh. How could we possibly suspect a doctor of oncology who dedicates his life to saving people? As Grant becomes the main targeted suspect, I, as the audience couldn’t buy it. But not until the last episode (of six), did my suspicion begin to grow. And not til the very end do we get a big surprise in this well written series with great characters and subject matter that will keep you guessing til the last minute. End-game: there are so many clever possible theories and suspects thwarting guilt, who dunit? A cleverly woven tale to keep you guessing as you may begin to suspect each suspect as guilt continues shifting and had me changing my mind about whodunit. Is Hugh guilty? Was it his son? Was it the dead woman’s husband? The last court episode was like a tennis match of shifting blame. Who’s on your side? Who can you trust? Grace (Kidman) taking the stand and the twisted last turn of interrogation was the final straw which determined the killer’s fate. Perfect name – Undoing of so much, of a child’s innocence, of a marriage, of trust, and undoing the facade behind people, exposing the farce.     “Grace Sachs is living the only life she ever wanted for herself. She’s a successful therapist, has a devoted husband and young son who attends an elite private school in New York City. Overnight a chasm opens in her life: a violent death, a missing husband, and, in the place of a man Grace thought she knew, only a chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster and horrified by the ways in which she has failed to heed her own advice, Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and herself.” The above quote taken from below link to another few trailer scenes at IMDB https://www.imdb.com/video/vi27460078...   *** This miniseries was based on a book originally titled – You Should Have Known. I presume once the series became a hit the cover was changed. I’ve read a few comments of almost 3000 4 star reviews, and I think my review is with the majority of 4 and 5 stars. Of course with that many reviews an author is going to take some 2 stars and most of what I read didn’t grasp the psychology of the story. At over 400 pages it became a 6 hour miniseries.     Blurb: Read the “rollickingly good literary thriller” and New York Times Bestseller — and watch the most talked about TV series of 2020, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. Grace Reinhart Sachs is living the only life she ever wanted for herself. Devoted to her husband, a pediatric oncologist at a major cancer hospital, their young son Henry, and the patients she sees in her therapy practice, her days are full of familiar things: she lives in the very New York apartment in which she was raised, and sends Henry to the school she herself once attended. Dismayed by the ways in which women delude themselves, Grace is also the author of a book You Should Have Known, in which she cautions women to really hear what men are trying to tell them. But weeks before the book is published a chasm opens in her own life: a violent death, a missing husband, and, in the place of a man Grace thought she knew, only an ongoing chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster, and horrified by the ways in which she has failed to heed her own advice, Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and herself.   Has anyone here seen this series or read the book? What did you think?   ©DGKaye2021  

#WATWB – We are the World Blogfest – Call for Unity – The Hill We Climb – Amanda Gorman

Welcome back to a new year of #WATWB – The We Are The World Blogfest. We’re a group of writers who’ve joined this group, started by author Damyanti Biswas who invites writers to join in the last Friday of every month and share a post about something good going on in the world, to deflect from the negativity.   I was so moved by this young girl when I heard and watched her speak at President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Never mind that I went through a box of Kleenex that day, but this young girl, Amanda Gorman, who had a speech impediment like the president does too, overcame and was made a Poet Laureate by the President, chosen by his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, to read her poem at his inauguration. Have a listen for 5 minutes and 56 seconds, and watch the eloquent poise of this girl and the words that came from her heart. *Kleenex alert! If you’d like to read the words of Amanda’s poem, Elle Magazine has kindly quoted the whole poem as well as shared another powerful poem Amanda had published in Elle UK in 2018.   The Hill We Climb   If you’d like to join us by sharing a post, visit our WATWB Facebook group to add your link. This month’s host are: Sylvia McGrath, Simon Falk Shilpa Garg, Mary Giese , and Belinda Witzenhausen.   ©DGKaye2021  

Let’s Have a Look – About #Writing – Writing Fiction vs. Nonfiction

  Welcome to my new series in this new year. I decided to call it – Let’s Have a Look. #LetsHaveALook   So what exactly will we be having a look at? How do I describe this? Random topics or incidence I come across in daily life – from reading or watching the news, to a blog I may have read that gives me pause, are things I’ll be looking at. A spontaneous thought if triggered about a why or that raises a question to myself – I’m going to bring discussion to the event or article here.   So, Let’s Have a Look!   Today’s post came about inspired by a reply from my author friend, #fantasy writer, Diana Peach, who mentioned in reply to my comment I’d left on her recent post, when she shared about how one of her characters in her WIP sometimes directs where the story leads. I had commented that I have enough trouble writing nonfiction about real people – implying that I could only imagine all that is involved in the creating of characters and fantasy storylines and Diana responded with this:   “Part of me thinks it would be harder to write real people, Debby, because a non-fiction author is writing from a particular perspective as well as making interpretations about others, all the while trying to represent the truth. It’s easier to just make everything up! Lol. A post from you about how you navigate that would be really interesting.”   *** Okay Diana, here’s the post! Well yes, Diana brought up a good question in her reply, and prompted me to respond with a post about perspective and truth when writing nonfiction as opposed to creating fictional characters – whom often hold many real truths within their characters as well. Is it harder writing about real people? Let’s have a look. Okay, I thought it would be fun to look at our differing perspectives on difficulty differences between writing in fiction or nonfiction. Diana claims it’s easier to write fiction (in gest?) because, she claims ‘it’s easier to make stuff up’. But in my opinion, I think writing in every specific genre brings its challenges. As Diana claims, writing nonfiction entails finding the right perspective, while interpreting what we believe to be our truth. That’s what nonfiction writing is in essence, but there are other conditions to take in consideration as well: The subject matter, and who will my story affect, regarding the ‘real’ characters in my stories? By telling a truth that involves other people in the story, we have to be careful with descriptions and identities to avoid getting sued. We don’t have the luxury to ‘alter’ a character in our story because that would be distorting the truth. So if that character has exhibited bad behavior, which is often a feature in our nonfiction/memoir stories, we have to take care how we present those people, leaving us having to be creatively truthful about exhibiting some of their most despicable behaviors.   I believe there are more barriers for nonfiction writers. Whether writing about characters or in an informative  self-help nonfiction book, the author must speak truth, and facts must be varifiable. Anything left unchecked or untruthful, will certainly create pushback on the author. On the other hand, writing fiction allows for a lot more room for creativity, but it still must be a coherent telling and the actions and scenery must depict the setting. A good example of keeping the story flowing accurately is a story I remember reading about a long time ago, regarding the importance of continuity. I’d read that when the movie Ben Hur was being filmed, someone had caught a man wearing a wrist watch in one huge crowded scene – not a good look while wearing a toga. Well, it’s not hard to figure out nobody had watches back in those biblical times so this was a major faux pas. But it’s a good example of little incidental things that may go unchecked and can hinder a story from keeping real and true to the time period the story reflects. So in summation, in reply to Diana’s comment where she expressed that it is easier to write fiction, I don’t exactly agree with that because to produce a good story, having all the elements tie in, writing engaging characters, and not to mention, worldbuilding, I should think it is an equally intense task writing for fiction writers too. Every genre requires research whether it’s fantasy, historical or literary fiction, or nonfiction. It’s a lot of work to write a book – any book, as all us authors here know. So as much as I appreciate Diana’s nod to nonfiction, I’m nodding right back at her.   What do you peeps have to say? Do you think writing in any one particular genre is more difficult than another?   Original post from Diana for reference https://mythsofthemirror.com/2021/01/...   ©DGKaye2021  

Sunday Book Review – My Baby Wrote Me A Letter by Jacquie Biggar

Welcome to my Sunday Book Review. Today I’m sharing my review for this heartfelt #Shortstory by Jacquie Biggar – My Baby Wrote Me A Letter: – An Inspirational Women’s Fiction Short Story. Jacquie was inspired to write a story about a true article she came across. Read on to learn more!     Blurb: A family’s brush with the past will threaten the very foundation of their lives. Eight months pregnant and her Navy husband away on a mission, Grace Freeman craves the security of her childhood home in Canada. When a letter written by her long-lost mother is found in an old writing desk it creates a tear in the fabric of her family. Can Grace find a way to bring peace to those she loves, or will a message from the past destroy their future?   Introduction: In the beginning of this book, Jacquie tells us what inspired her to write this book. She was inspired by a news segment she watched where a woman bought an old desk at a yard sale. When she got it home and began refurbishing it, she found a letter taped to the back of a drawer. After reading the letter, the woman thought she should search for the author of the letter to inform the family. She told the story on Facebook and it led to the son of the man who wrote that letter long ago. He was dying of cancer and wanted to let his family know things in case never given the chance. Turns out the man survived cancer and lived to not only see his children again, but his grandchildren.   My 5 Star Review: How could I read this intro and not read this book? What a tender-hearted story Jacquie wrote in a fictionalized version of a true happy ending story. Grace goes home to Canada, carrying child, where she craves the company of her family while her husband serves in the US Navy as they await the arrival of their baby. Her mother disappeared when Grace and her brothers were still children and their father, Ray, was stationed in Viet Nam working as a journalist. Ray travels with his daughter Grace to Canada and brings a letter along that he found underneath his desk after many years had past. A lot of uncertainty and some painful questions and assumptions remain about Graces mother’s abandoning of her children, until Ray shares the letter he discovered with his children that was left by their mother. Lessons learned – never assume. There is always a ‘why’ to questioning the motives of people. A bittersweet and quaint family short saga that isn’t short on packing a punch and tugging at the heart strings. Of course I’m not going to share what was in the letter, you will have to enjoy the read to find out!.   ©DGKaye2021      

#Blogshare – Turning Back the Clock 2021- Anti-Aging without the Botox by Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

My good friend and multi-talented author AND Nutritional Therapist, Sally Cronin, has a few new series and promotions going on at her Smorgasbord for 2021, so I wanted to share with everyone because she invites you all over and will even promote your books in her vast Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore! In this reblog, Sally is setting the year off to a healthy start. Sally has been updating her book -Turning Back the Clock, and sharing some of her excellent articles on how to maintain good health through aging. AND, she is offering a FREE copy of her book, Size Matters, and all you have to do is email her your request! Have a look!   Smorgasbord Health Column – Turning Back the Clock 2021- Anti-Aging without the Botox by Sally Cronin   Background to the series. Sixteen years ago I had a series on radio called Turning Back the Clock, which I presented in response to listeners in their 50’s and 60’s looking for rejuvenation and tips on staying young. Like me they were exasperated by the claims of the cosmetic industry that the various ingredients in their products could knock ten years off their age. I was asked to design a diet that would help reverse the signs of aging and this developed into a weekly challenge that was undertaken by nearly 100 listeners. The series became a book in 2010. I try to practice what I preach!  And certainly so far I have managed to maintain healthy key indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol without medication, much to the surprise of my doctor!   In my opinion the answer to turning back the clock by several years is to consider and address a number of factors which include physical, emotional and mental age markers. I wish that I could say that my internal key indicators were reflected in a wrinkle free face and perky underarms… However, recently when I mentioned my age to a cashier in the supermarket, she uttered the wondrous words ‘I don’t believe it’. I have to say that wearing a mask does have an upside. There are some downsides to getting older however, and this is to do with our operating systems. Much like an older model of car, things begin to seize up, the petrol does not seem to be able to ignite quite so much power under the bonnet, and parts seem to need replacing much more often.   For example: The Digestive System as we get older. We don’t taste foods in the same way, requiring more sugar and salt. Certainly fueling a rise in diabetes and certain other sugar related health issues. Our appetites change, unless we continue to be very active. We eat less, reducing the amount of nutrients we consume. Our systems are not as efficient, so the nutrients we do consume are not processed as effectively as they need to be. We begin to suffer from nutritional deficiencies which lead to more age related health issues. That is just one area that focusing attention may increase energy and improve common age related health issues. During this series I am going to be looking at the physical, mental and emotional elements that contribute to the aging process. We have all met people in their 30’s who already seem staid and middle aged and it has nothing to do with the wrinkles on their faces. A positive attitude to life is key if you are to beat the clock and how you interact with the rest of the human race will determine your real age. Certainly our diet plays a part in the health and fitness of our bodies but it is also about our emotional health and how we feel about ourselves that can make all the difference when looking in the mirror. A smile can knock years off as people are deflected from any lines you might have around your eyes. Why do we all want to stop the aging process? It is not just about the way we look. Most of us will develop grey hair, expanding waistlines, wrinkles and a somewhat world weary appearance. Of course this is important but at the end of the day no-one is unique and everyone will face this process one day. I don’t believe that we can stop the aging process, and unfortunately in this modern world, that aging process is accompanied in most cases with degenerative diseases of the body and the mind. Poor quality of life and a dependence on prescription drugs to get us through the last 10, 20 or even 30 years of our lives. However, I do believe that we can slow the process down and ensure that we are as pain free and as vital as possible to the very end. Now that I am 68, I realise even more, that our age is not just about wrinkles on our faces but the way we approach life and others mentally and emotionally. I want the next twenty to thirty years (and more if I have a good quality of life!) to be fun, and full of new experiences and great people. I have often said that if I get to 100, I will take up some of the habits I gave up to get there!!! . . . Please hop over to Sally’s blog post, and don’t forget to request your free copy of her book – Size Matters.   Part 2 of this series HERE – Keeping the PH Balance in our body, optimum   Visit all of Sally’s Books   Original Source: Smorgasbord Health Column – Turning Back the Clock 2021- Anti-Aging without the Botox by Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine   ©DGKaye2021      

Q & A With D.G. Kaye – Featuring Vashti Quiroz-Vega and #NewRelease – Rise of Gadreel

Welcome back to my first Q and A for the 2021 season. I’m thrilled to be featuring friend and author, Vashti Q Vega today for a little Q & A and some insights about her riveting new book, The Rise of Gadreel, which I recently devoured and reviewed for my first Sunday Book Review of 2021. Vashti’s book is the 3rd in this engrossing fantasy angel series of good versus evil.   No thanks to Amazon for NOT displaying my review on their dot com page as usual, as they seem to treat us Canadians like lepers. But I really did put it up on Amazon too, as well as on Goodreads. But onwards, now that I got that out of my system, let’s get to know more about Vashti and her beautiful book!     About Vashti Quiroz-Vega: Vashti Quiroz-Vega is a writer of Fantasy, Horror, and Thriller. Since she was a kid she’s always had a passion for writing and telling stories. It has always been easier for her to express her thoughts on paper. She enjoys reading almost as much as she loves to write. Some of her favorite authors are Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Anne Rice, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling and George R. R. Martin. She enjoys making people feel an array of emotions with her writing. She likes her audience to laugh one moment, cry the next and clench their jaws after that. When she isn’t building extraordinary worlds and fleshing out fascinating characters, she enjoys spending time with her husband JC and her Pomeranian Scribbles who is also her writing buddy.       Blurb: In The Fall of Lilith, award-winning author Vashti Quiroz-Vega took readers inside the gates of heaven for a front-row seat to Lucifer’s rebellion. In Son of the Serpent, she introduced Dracúl, tormented offspring of fallen angels. Now, in The Rise of Gadreel, Quiroz-Vega is back with the next chapter in her Fantasy Angels saga—a gripping tale of hope and redemption set against the fiery backdrop of a demon’s insatiable thirst for power and revenge. Lilith is gone, suffering the torments of the damned in hell. Satan, once known as Lucifer, endures endless agony in an earthly prison. Yet their foul legacy lives on, spread by a corrupted priesthood that uses the blackest magic to fan the flames of evil and hate throughout the world. The former angel Gadreel, who fought and fell alongside Lilith and Lucifer, only to join Dracúl in his fight against them, is weary of war. Repenting of past sins, she wants nothing more than to be left in peace. But when a new threat to humankind arises, Gadreel is given the chance she has prayed for—the chance to earn God’s forgiveness. Now, with the aid of Dracúl and a trio of uncanny allies—a man of air, a man of stone, and a woman of fire—at her side, Gadreel must find the courage to confront her past and forge a new future for herself . . . and the world.   First Review: D.L. Finn 5.0 out of 5 stars Gadreel’s journey mesmerized me! Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2021 Verified Purchase As much as I loved Dracul’s struggle in the second book “The Son of the Serpent” it was Gadreel’s journey that mesmerized me in this story. A fallen angel, she now wants redemption and sets out to battle the evil threatening to take over the civilization. The relationship between Dracul and Gadreel is almost endearing as they join forces. The story is told from both sides of the battle, and I was always happy to get back to Gadreel and her new friends. Not that I didn’t appreciate the evil point of view, but there was a cruelty that rang true of how people treated each other during the dark ages that were captured very visually. Ms. Quiroz-Vega takes history and weaves biblical stories into it with a fresh take. This was a painful fight between good and evil. “The Rise of Gadreel” isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you love a well-told tale that will keep you reading late into the night, this is for you. I recommend starting at the beginning, so you understand how the characters developed. I highly recommend this book and series. . . Okay, let us get to know about Vashti and her writing! . But before we get started, I just have to add that as luck would have it, at this posting, Vashti’s Book 1 and 2 – The Fall of Lilith, and The Son of the Serpent is on for just 99 cents now! Grab your copies now! . Fall of Lilith . Son of the Serpent . . Do some of your own character traits or personal experiences spill into the book’s characters? . I don’t think as authors we have a choice as to what spills into a book’s characters. Usually, I write my first draft as it comes out of my head. It isn’t until I begin my revisions that I then notice that some of my traits and quirks have made it into some of the characters. Honestly, there are times that I don’t notice at all until someone I know reads the book and points it out. . D.G. – I think it should seem natural that parts of us would naturally sneak into our writing. I know that’s why I write nonfiction – my fiction would be a dead giveaway lol. , Do events in your daily life inspire your writing ideas? . I don’t think my daily life is that interesting or inspiring. If I relied on that, I wouldn’t have any writing material (ha-ha). I lead an ordinary life. That being said, I do have an adventurous spirit and an imagination that knows no bounds. If I see something that catches my eye or hear something that winds itself around my ears, I make a note of it. If I run into someone at the grocery store, pharmacy, mall . . . and they have an eccentric way of pronouncing certain words or move their hands in an oddly interesting way as they speak, I make a note of it. I enjoy watching people and listening to them speak and then writing down any appealing peculiarities they may have. . D.G. –  So basically, you’re a writer who observes life to fill your pen – story of my life. 🙂 . . , What would you like to see change to make the world better? . Empathy and tolerance for one another are sorely lacking in the world today. I think, if people of different races and religions would make an effort to learn about each other, we would see that we’re all the same in the basic sense. We all want similar things. If we got to know each other better instead of believing in the stereotypes shown on TV and in movies and amplified in the media, we would definitely get along better. It is impossible for everyone of a certain race, color, or religion to be all bad or good. . D.G. – I couldn’t agree more! . . Do you watch TV? If so, what is your favorite show and why? For some reason, I am obsessed with crime dramas like Criminal Minds, Law & Order, CSI, Chicago P.D., and others. I have to exercise discipline because I can watch those all day. My husband always says he doesn’t understand how I haven’t written a crime thriller already since I enjoy reading and watching them so much. I’m actually working on one right now. 🙂 D.G. – Wow, that’s interesting because I love watching a few if those, and police procedurals too, fascinated at what spurs criminals to act as they do – the human condition. Although, I stopped watching Criminal Minds a few years ago as I found it was getting way more graphically violent, which I cannot watch.   Do your books have messages in them? If so, what are the messages you feel are well received by your readers? Yes. All my books have messages in them: “there are always consequences to evil deeds” is a predominant message in my Fantasy Angels series. There are also messages of good and evil, physical and internal suffering, deception, revenge, hope, and redemption in my stories. I don’t believe in sugarcoating evil people or their acts. I understand that good people do bad things at times, but sometimes a person is just evil and enjoys doing bad things. I enjoy making that distinction. D.G. – As one who has read almost all your books, I can verify those messages threaded in them. . Excerpt from The Rise of Gadreel   In this excerpt, my main character Gadreel and her close ally, Dracúl meet Sabina for the first time. Although the three of them become close friends later, Dracúl and Sabina have a rocky start. (This excerpt is in Gadreel’s POV)   “My name is Sabina,” she said. “What are you doing here?” “Isn’t it obvious? I’m a plague doctor trying to save these people, like the sick man said. They suffer from the plague.” “I have seen plague doctors before, but none dressed quite as elaborately as you,” I said. “All the doctors I have met have been men. I had no idea female doctors existed. What plague were you treating them for?” “One of many afflicting the people of this land. And perhaps you’ve never met a female doctor before because I am the first.” I picked up the mask from where she had placed it on the ground. As I examined it, I caught whiffs of lavender, mint, camphor, cinnamon, and sage. The herbs and spices were mixed with straw and filled the beak. “I don’t understand. Why do you wear such garments and this mask stuffed with herbs and straw?” I asked. “To protect myself from disease and miasma, of course.” “What is miasma?” I asked. She stared at me like I should have been aware of this. “Miasma is a noxious form of bad air that spreads disease. The herbs and essential oils in the nose of my mask protect me from inhaling the bad air. I also rub essential oils and herbs on my body and on the bodies of the sick.” “You’re a witch.” Dracúl jumped to his feet. I raised a hand, stopping him where he stood. “Is this true? Are you a witch?” “I am. As well as a plague doctor.” She shifted on the ground and glanced at Dracúl. “I practice white magic, but I’ve put no spells on these people. I’ve only used natural remedies to try to cure them. But what has worked five hundred times before hasn’t worked here.” Dracúl lumbered to my side, pointing at Sabina, his eyes fixed on me. “A witch is a witch to the church, whether she applies white or black magic. She practices witchcraft, so I thereby accuse her of heresy.” “You’re wrong!” Sabina cried out as she jumped to her feet. “I come from a long line of witches, and we’re not all the same. Does the church damn you as a devil?” Dracúl lurched and clutched his heart as if struck in the chest by the hilt of a sword. He swallowed hard, and his hands trembled. “I had no more choice being born a witch than you had being born a devil . . . or did you choose to be so?” “I did not.” Dracúl’s emotional pain seeped out in his words. He stared at the ground as he spoke, his tone much softer than before. Sabina’s eyes followed something from the area above my head to my arm. A purple emperor butterfly landed on my forearm. Afterward, a kaleidoscope of butterflies hovered around me, sporting iridescent wings that shone blue or purple in the light. Some landed on my shoulders, arms, and head, while others continued to...

Hello 2021 I’m Back! Stuff Happens %#&@!

Hello my writing and reader friends. I’m back to my blog after declaring a blog break, which in essence, wasn’t much of a break, as I was still somewhat visiting blogland and social media – sometimes hard to stay away when I needed a distraction. Truthfully, my online life has been my sanity. And I didn’t appreciate Facebook banning me yet again, this time for one full week, for using free and clean speech.   Well I can’t really say that 2020 went out like a lion and 2021 came in like a lamb, because really, it still feels like 2020, so far, as a continuation of 2020. I didn’t get near the things accomplished as I had set out to do as the days seemed to vanish as quickly as they did before my break.     In the 2-3 weeks of my blog absence, I’ve had three hospital runs with my husband and spent much of the time looking after him. It’s really difficult to complete an article with several interruptions to my concentration, so my writing is still impaired. My husband has been incapacitated with his liver issues as fluid continues to build up in his torso and legs, rendering his legs obstinate and uncooperative sometimes just to walk. It didn’t help that the condo above us did something wonky when they took it upon themselves to renovate their shower and didn’t follow protocols, so the result became our shower leaking from above and almost caving in the shower ceiling with water weight. The jackhammering of tiles now and the dust and the no use of our master walkin shower has become an added weight on me until they finish repairing it. We are left with the guest bathroom tub/shower combo and with the tub being a foot or so high, my hub cannot get his tree stump legs up to step in the tub. So I have come up with some funky ideas to get him in. After numerous failures I’ve finagled a way to set up the step stool in front of the tub, where he can hold on to the towel bar with one hand and onto my shoulder as I lift one leg at a time into the shower for him. No such thing as can’t in my vocabulary! It also didn’t help when the hospital screwed up his first appointment our wonderful Dr. B had arranged for my hub to have a paracentesis (draining of fluid through the stomach by radiology with a long needle that draws out the ascites fluid), a mixup that had me wheeling him directly to emergency for relief. That turned out to be a nightmare as emerge docs aren’t well-versed in the procedure and they didn’t get enough out of him – because they didn’t use the proper draw method and attached an IV tube instead, letting it slowwwwwwwwwwwww drip into a bag. He needed approximately six litres drawn out (which normally takes about half hour to 45 minutes – I know this because it wasn’t my first rodeo, and after three hours of only a litre dripped, my hubby was fed up and demanded to go home. We did, but not before speaking with the ER doc and requesting he forward what transpired with my hub to Dr. B so he could rectify the proper missed appointment. Dr B’s secretary Lisa, emailed me an hour after we got back home late that night asking, “What happened to the appointment we booked? How did he end up in emerge?” I filled Lisa in and she immediately faxed back Dr. B, who in turn communicated with the appropriate department and got my hub back in on New Year’s Eve afternoon. It seems like an eternity ago already because a week later he retained back all plus! So back to the drawing board, notifying Dr B. and he faxed in a new request with a standing order of draining every two weeks for my husband, until such time he stops retaining. Not so simple. A whole week went by before the hospital called back with such appointment. Another hospital mixup occurred with instructions. Only this past Friday the hospital called to book hubby in for a date this week. I pleaded my case about the delays and the state of my husband’s health, his big abdomen that begun laboring his breathing, and the prior mixups and asked for mercy. They stuck him in same day on an emergency list. My heart sang until the phone rang again and I was in rush mode to get to it when I seemed to have pulled a muscle in my calf, maybe a tendon? I could not walk. I still can’t! I hobbled around on hubby’s walker, got him ready, then took his cane so I could walk on one foot til we’d reach the hospital and I would push him around the various departments leaning on the wheelchair hopping all the way.     I was disheartened to learn they could only get 4 litres out of the 8-10 that were circulating in him. Leaving him with only an 8 pound loss instead of the 20 he was retaining. As of this writing he’s already gained back 4 of those pounds since Friday and next appointment isn’t til a week this Friday. Oye! This is has all been very difficult on me – not to even mention how my husband feels. But the standing order made me very sad because the heavy duty diuretics he’s been on to help avoid this situation, are no longer doing a great job. One of his diuretics was the hero for keeping him fluid-free and we’d worked so hard for a year, four years ago, monitoring for the correct dosage. But as it stands now, that pill has been quartered from its original dose because the drug was elevating his potassium levels to a dangerous number. Thank goodness for our wonderful doctors who also have a standing order for me to take him to the lab weekly to keep watch. The lower dosage has brought down the dangerous level, but leaves him building back fluid. The other diuretic has been increased to the max dose but still not enough to keep from pooling. Thus, Dr. B had warned that he just may have to be drained every two weeks indefinitely. It’s all been so disheartening for me, myself and I, but as I’m not here to complain, only update, I wanted to share how my new year has begun – where it left off, and keep you guys abreast of my chaotic life. I’m still eagerly awaiting my new sparkling 2021 to begin, but I’m back, because really, visiting blogland and being around all my far away friends is a comfort, and often where I come to feel sane.   ©DGKaye2021  

Sunday Book Review – #NewRelease The Rise of Gadreel by Vashti Quiroz-Vega – #Fantasy

Welcome back to the first of my Sunday Book Reviews for 2021. I’m back from my ‘so called’ blogging break and my Tuesday post will fill you in on the details. But to kick off 2021 with my Sunday Reviews, I’m thrilled to be reviewing Vashti Quiroz-Vega’s new release – The Rise of Gadreel, book 3 in this addictive series of fallen angels, where now, fallen on earth, Gadreel strives to right the wrongs of the evil that has spread across the globe of Satan’s doing in efforts to earn back her pure angel status she lost when she strayed in book 1, where she fell prey to Lilith’s desire to challenge the power of God. Although not in my reading genre, I was hooked from Book 1 and then Book 2 as I eagerly awaited this 3rd book in this sweeping saga of good versus evil.     Blurb:  In The Fall of Lilith, award-winning author Vashti Quiroz-Vega took readers inside the gates of heaven for a front-row seat to Lucifer’s rebellion. In Son of the Serpent, she introduced Dracúl, tormented offspring of fallen angels. Now, in The Rise of Gadreel, Quiroz-Vega is back with the next chapter in her Fantasy Angels saga—a gripping tale of hope and redemption set against the fiery backdrop of a demon’s insatiable thirst for power and revenge. Lilith is gone, suffering the torments of the damned in hell. Satan, once known as Lucifer, endures endless agony in an earthly prison. Yet their foul legacy lives on, spread by a corrupted priesthood that uses the blackest magic to fan the flames of evil and hate throughout the world. The former angel Gadreel, who fought and fell alongside Lilith and Lucifer, only to join Dracúl in his fight against them, is weary of war. Repenting of past sins, she wants nothing more than to be left in peace. But when a new threat to humankind arises, Gadreel is given the chance she has prayed for—the chance to earn God’s forgiveness. Now, with the aid of Dracúl and a trio of uncanny allies—a man of air, a man of stone, and a woman of fire—at her side, Gadreel must find the courage to confront her past and forge a new future for herself . . . and the world.   My 5 Star Review: Fallen angel Gadreel is back with her cohort and trusted friend Dracul the good. And Gadreel’s journey begins on the shores of Egypt with Dracul, the red fiend, son of Lucifer (Satan) and Lilith, as she sets out to find her mermaid daughters she was forced to leave behind with their father to keep them safe from the jealous wrath of Lilith, who has finally disappeared into hell where she belongs. We hope. Gadreel learned long ago of her mistake following Lilith’s lead among other angels, smugly thinking they were more clever than God, when they were both exiled from heaven. When Gadreel escaped Lilith’s evil, and saved Dracul’s life from her, Dracul and Gadreel became close and compassionate friends who went on to fight off evil to atone for their own mistakes. In this book 3 of this fascinating series, the journey is all about good versus evil. Gadreel says goodbye to her mermaid daughters one last time before they go into hiding in the new underwater world, deep in the ocean their father Dagon has created for them to keep deep away from the evils that are sweeping over the world. And Gadreel and Dracul set off to save the world from the darkness of the black plague befalling upon people. They know this is the work of Dracul’s father, Satan, and must find out the props and black magic and vehicles he’s using to gain power. It’s not long before the two reach a new village of people dying and discover exactly what Satan is up to through some of the last dying words from those they managed to speak with. They put all the clues from stories together and figured out Satan’s plan to rule the world, using his evil. His plot is to make the people sick and heal some, disguised as a priest, so he can appear to make miracles along his way through the churches, his goal – rising to archbishop, killing priests along the way to reach his ultimate goal of becoming the Pope. Along their journey, Gadreel and Dracul meet up with many dangerous moments and creatures, witnessing some horrifying things. They also meet a few new allies along the way who join their group of evil fighters – Sabina, a white witch, Golem, a man with the power to transform into stone with forceful powers, and another spirit ghost of a priest, Thomas, whose soul was revived by Sabina, and has the voice of an angel when he sings. Thomas remains invisible, his presence can be seen only when he sparks his light, convenient illumination in a few dark situations and uses his soothing angel singing voice to stave off evil. Together this merry band of goodness encounter several battles with evil, turning themselves into various creatures as they use their own powers to shapeshift into whatever being or animal necessary to take on Satan’s army. By the time the group has visited many dark lands saving as many people as they could, they make their way to London where they learn Satan has worked his way up to first advisor of the King of England. This is when the final battle will ensue where Dracul and Gadreel plot the monumental task of finally ridding the world of Satan and his evil. Despite the evil that ensues in this book, Vega has once again done a masterful job of evoking a fantastical story of good vs. evil. The story is filled with moments of human compassion, and besides the mission of this tale and it’s fantasy genre, there are plenty of moments while demonstrating the will to conquer evil that sparked a tear as Gadreel and her merry band of earth angels take us right into their human emotions of hurt, pain, and loss. A most satisfying ending through a wild journey of seeking out and facing evil to its face to save the world and banishing evil. Each of the books in this series is equally addicting and could be read as standalones, but that would only be half the fun, as by reading each book, we get a better insight to each character, their emotions, their strengths and weaknesses that grow and continue through each book. From The Fall of Lilith, book 1, where the angels become fallen, to Son of the Serpent, book 2, where Dracul and Gadreel form a bond and begin their mission to seek out Dracul’s evil mother Lilith, to The Rise of Gadreel, where Gadreel strives to earn back her status as a good angel by conquering world devastation. This gang of goodness will certainly steal your hearts as they relentlessly stand up to the darkness they encounter at every turn. I cannot recomend this riveting series enough. It may be in the fantasy genre, but it has all the components of human emotion and humanity all rolled into the evil that man can do in this plight for justice.   Note: Stay tuned for next Friday when Vashti will be my first guest author to kick off 2021 for my Q & A series interviews!   ©DGKaye2021