D.G. Kaye's Blog, page 68

#WATWB – Superheroes Are Welcoming New Roles to Help Others – Goodnet

Welcome to this month’s edition of #WATWB – We are the World Blogfest, where we take a step away from the negativity going on in the world, and focus in on some of the good deeds people are doing as every day heroes to lift others.   Today I’m sharing just a few of the superheroes in our communities who are stepping up to plate in these uncertain times of Coronavirus. Some of these heroes who’ve lost their jobs or have been laid off in certain industries are finding alternative ways to help out – British Airways pilot, Peter Login is now delivery truck driver for Tescol, F1 Ferrari team boss, Maurizio Arrivabene, is now transporting sick Italians to the hospital as an ambulance driver, Canadian realtor, Jordan Zabloski is now baking hundreds of muffins for the homeless, a film maker in Georgia has turned to making PPE. Check out these heartening acts in more detail below.   Superheroes Are Welcoming New Roles to Help Others   Remarkable people around the world are stepping up, giving back and supporting each other.   Have you ever wondered what life would be like in a completely new profession or role? Would you consider trading your everyday routine for a different experience and even a new uniform? Although the world as we know it has virtually changed overnight, new opportunities (both paid and voluntary) have risen in light of the pandemic. Everyday heroes have emerged and embraced the ways in which they can use their skills and newfound time to help others. One such hero who has made a career switch is Peter Login from Horsham, England. While we can usually find Peter in a plane, navigating the skies for the British Airways airline, he has assumed his new role as a Tesco supermarket delivery truck driver, bringing food to those who need it most. . . please continue reading at Goodnet.org Source: Superheroes Are Welcoming New Roles to Help Others – Goodnet #WATWB runs monthly on the last Friday of each month. If you’d like to join in with sharing something good going on in the world, please join us on Facebook ©DGKaye  

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – D. G. Kaye Explores the Realms of Relationships – Forming Healthy Relationships – What’s Inside the Box? | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Today I’m sharing my recent article I wrote for my Realms of Relationships Column over at Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Blog Magazine. In this article I’m discussing how we often judge people by their appearances without looking in on the inside.   Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – D. G. Kaye Explores the Realms of Relationships – Forming Healthy Relationships – What’s Inside the Box?   Forming Healthy Relationships – What’s Inside the Box? Welcome back to this month’s edition of Realms of Relationships. In this segment, I’m delving into how we judge and are judged by others – First impressions and Body language and discovering what’s underneath the wrapping.     As humans, we are often judged by our outward appearances first. But if we never gave someone a chance to approach us to potentially form a friendship or relationship just because we couldn’t see beyond appearance, our circles would be pretty limited. People come wrapped in all assortments. Who and what we attract or gravitate to stems from the vibe we give off – this vibe consists of a combination of traits we emit with our words, body language, and our physical appearance. All these elements comprised will help to determine who chooses to approach us. Our demeanors and physical appearance send signals to others leading them to form a perception of what we’re all about. But without learning what’s on the inside, and perhaps what’s perceived as a first impression, we may not always adequately represent who we really are. Depending on how we choose to present ourselves on a given day, we’ll undoubtedly be judged by our actions as first impressions, so it’s a good idea not to misrepresent ourselves. Sadly, society does label people based on appearance, and as much as appearances do play a part in determining who we approach and how we’re accepted, appearance alone is not a great indicator of what’s inside our box. Now we all know the old saying – don’t judge a book by its cover, but sadly, it’s human nature that people are judged by their covers. Yes, it’s unfair, but there are shallow thinking people among us. And pity for those who judge because they may just be missing out on opportunity for a satisfying relationship or friendship because they couldn’t see beyond difference. What do we want most from a relationship? Acceptance, love compassion, trust, understanding, communication and reciprocation. These are the most important qualities a relationship should offer, and the qualities that will sustain a solid relationship. These aren’t qualities you can necessarily decipher based on looking at an individual. Yes, it’s easy to make judgement, but until we learn about what’s behind the cover, we aren’t able to make a complete assessment. We are hard-wired for judgement. We all have our own version of what’s acceptable to us and peeves we hold in our mental lists of what we seek out of a relationship. But maybe we need to look beyond those physical peeves and explore personality and values. . . Please continue reading at Sally’s Smorgasbord   ©DGKaye2020   Source: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – D. G. Kaye Explores the Realms of Relationships – Forming Healthy Relationships – What’s Inside the Box? | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine    

Sunday Book Review – Brody Cody and the Stepmother from Outer Space by Toni Pike – #Children’sbook

My Sunday Book Review is for a book not in my usual genre of reading – Brody Cody and the Stepmother from Outer Space is a children’s book written by my friend and multi-genre author, Toni Pike. I’m more used to reading Toni’s thrillers but couldn’t resist checking out this book when she gifted me with a copy. Wonderfully relatable book for children with clever lessons entwined in the story.       Blurb: Brody Cody is almost eight years old and definitely, absolutely, positively does NOT want a mother. His mother died when he was a baby but life with his dad is just perfect. Brody is horrified when his father goes away to a publishing conference and returns with a wife, Pandora Smith, who is a children’s author. His life spirals out of control as he is forced to eat healthy food, do his homework and help with some chores. Even worse, he and his friends suspect that his new stepmother might be an alien from outer space. A hilarious adventure for children aged 6-9.   My 5 Star Review: This was a pleasant diversion in the children’s genre from this author whose books I’m used to reading in the mystery/thriller genre, but was delighted to read how the author crossed genres. Pike did a wonderful job with this story about a little boy growing up with his dad, just the two of them after Brody’s mom died in an accident when he was a baby, living like boys with no rules. That was until Brody’s dad falls in love with a new woman while out at a business conference and marries her, and Brody’s life of  lounging, junk-food eating and lack of household rules are forever changed. When Brody proceeds to tell his best friend Kyle about his new stepmother, he also mentioned that Pandora had two different colored eyes. The boys were convinced she was an alien from outer space, especially since Kyle is convinced he saw a UFO while star-gazing. Between her two different colored eyes, her healthy cooking and creating new house chores, the two boys are convinced Pandora is from outer space. I found this book a delightful read. Reading a children’s book through adult eyes, we can see how cleverly the author has woven in the good changes Pandora has brought to Brody’s life, despite the fact that some of these changes were so foreign to Brody, and how he eventually learns to happily adapt and realize how wonderful it really is to have a new mom.   ©DGKaye2020  

Colleen’s 2020 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge #PhotoPrompt – Word Craft ~ Prose and Poetry

This week’s Poetry Challenge at Colleen Chesebro’s Word Craft Challenge  is a #Photoprompt. I’ve written a double Tanka written in syllabic form of 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 for my interpretation of this image. I found my interpretation very different than what others saw. Do you see it?     Image Credit: Balaji Malliswamy   Colleen’s 2020 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 178 #PhotoPrompt   It’s the third week of the month! Time for a #PhotoPrompt Vashti Q. Vega, from last month’s challenge, has provided the photo for this month’s challenge: Remember, a photo can be a metaphor for your poetry. Think about the mood, the theme, and the color. Think outside of the box. We know there’s a crocodile, but what else is going on here? What do you smell? What do you hear? There’s more here than meets your eye. Surprise me! On the Monday before the next challenge, I will select a poem from this week’s challenge and share it on my blog. Whoever I pick will choose the photo for next month’s challenge! Email your selection to me at tankatuesdaypoetry@gmail.com a week before. Thank you! For Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, you can write your poem in the forms defined on the Poetry Challenge Cheatsheet (click the link below): For the rules and optional poetry writing style forms and info, visit Colleen’s post   Source: Colleen’s 2020 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 178 #PhotoPrompt – Word Craft ~ Prose and Poetry The Watcher   Watching in silence Beneath nature’s greenery, Camouflaged seer. The eye focused on humans Suspended and awaiting. Positive action Required to mend the world. Last chance for healing. Backwards – a dangerous path. It’s our move – tread with caution.   ©DGKaye2020  

Writer’s Tips – #Blogging Tips, #Scam Alerts, #Editing, Show and Tell

Welcome to this edition of Writer’s Tips where I collect and curate articles I come across in my reading travels, and share the good stuff for my readers here. This edition is jam-packed with goodies and has some great information on trending scam alerts, information for bloggers to help keep our blogs safe, tricks to help with Word doc snags, authors unite on editing and head-hopping sharing what they anticipate back from editors – from some of the best in the biz, and as always, more!   Author Melodie Campbell is guest featured at Anne R. Allen’s blog, helping us clear up the sticky bits in our books – looking at acts, scenes, and messy middles. My Novel is a Mess! How to Survive the Chaos Point in your Novel   Also on the blog of Anne R. Allen, by Anne, –  Are we confusing readers by writing in too many characters? Learn how not to confuse readers. Does Your Novel Confuse Readers with “Too Many” Characters? 8 Ways to Unconfuse Them.   Kate Johnston is breaking it down – the difference between show and tell when book-writing. Four Ways to Decide if You Should Show or Tell   Roz Morris has a great author feature where specialized writers share their experiences on receiving back the manuscript after the editor has been through it. What to expect. Ready for the red pen – how to prepare for comments on your book manuscript   Jacqui Murray shares a great list of suggested books for a writer’s arsenal in this edition of her ToolTips https://worddreams.wordpress.com/2020...    Blogging guru, Hugh Roberts is back with some new information on keeping our blogs safe. Is Your Blog Under Attack?   Kathy Steinemann has a Microsoft Word trick for those encountering long waits when saving a document. https://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/s...   Natalie Ducey has another helpful post for authors, – How to get ebooks in various formats onto WordPress.  A How-To Guide for uploading eBooks in ePub and MOBI file formats in WordPress.   And last but never least, Stevie Turner found and shared a great article on finding out if our emails have been hacked. Have You Been Hacked?   ©DGKaye

Smorgasbord Health Column – Project 101 – Resilience – An opportunity to get fighting fit – Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Sally Cronin has begun a new health series at her blog – Smorgasbord Invitation. This new series, Project 101 – Resilience, is to both educate and inspire us all to get and keep fit. In this series, Sally will be talking about the sum of our parts and how to keep each of them running optimally, in this online sequel to her book Size Matters.     Smorgasbord Health Column – Project 101 – Resilience – An opportunity to get fighting fit – Sally Cronin   Welcome to the new series – Project 101 – Resilience. As with most of you, I have spent the last 10 weeks in lock down with only a visit to the supermarket for fresh produce once a week. Thankfully, and touch wood, none of our family or close friends have been infected and slowly we are all coming out of hibernation and preparing to face the world again. I am sure I am not alone in feeling somewhat nervous about this and will continue with my early shopping to avoid the crowds, wear gloves and a mask when shopping and decontaminate when I get home again. I have been making good use of the time by continuing to work on keeping myself fit plus resurrecting some writing projects. I have also been planning the direction I would like the blog to take in the next year. For example, I wanted to make use of all the health posts that I have in the archives which number in their 100s, and re-purpose them in a way that readers would find useful. Project 101 – Resilience. Let me say upfront, that I cannot promise that what you will read over the next few weeks will prevent you catching a viral or bacterial infection, but what I would like to do is to encourage as many people as possible to take themselves out of the identified high risk categories by making some small changes to their lifestyle and diet. One of the highest risks is to those over 70, particularly those who have underlying health problems. However, those health problems are predominantly lifestyle related and do not have to be for life. For example, Obesity, Type II Diabetes, Inflammatory diseases, nutritional deficiencies such as Vitamin D and High Blood Pressure. I see a window of opportunity for all of us to review our health, diet and lifestyle and see where we can make improvements to boost our immune systems, reduce our risk factors and feel more confident about going back out into the world again. A chance to get our bodies fighting fit. Over the last 20 years or so of working with 100s of clients as a nutritional therapist, I have discovered that making sweeping changes does not work. There are three elements that require attention, physical, mental and emotional, and making small but key changes in these areas is much more effective. . . . Please head over to Sally’s and check out what we can expect to learn in this series.   Source: Smorgasbord Health Column – Project 101 – Resilience – An opportunity to get fighting fit – Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine    

Memoir Byte: The Old Fur Coat in Rome #Terrorism

    Memoir Byte: The old fur coat in Rome   27 December 1985, Rome, Vienna Four members of the Abu Nidal Organisation attacked an El Al counter at Rome Airport, killing sixteen and injuring sixty-seven people. A similar simultaneous attack at Vienna Airport resulted in two deaths and forty-seven injuries. Source: https://www.ict.org.il/Article/893/Te...           On the day of the full moon on December 27th, 1985, I was on an Alitalia flight from my hometown in Toronto headed for Rome. I was going to meet up with my then boyfriend who was already there and was to meet me at the airport with his brother who would then drive us to Pescara on the Adriatic coast where the family lived, approximately a 2 1/2 hour drive away from Rome. I’ve always been a stickler for following rules and being on time. And I promised my dad I’d call him as soon as I landed. Being the end of December, it was winter in Rome just as it was was back home, only not nearly as wintry. I wore my long silver fox fur coat, my pride and joy coat I’d treated myself to with a small inheritance I received from my grandmother a few years prior. I was excited to be spending New Years in beautiful Roma where all the beautiful people dressed immaculately when strolling the streets and cafes. I’d already been to Rome once before and fell in love with the ambiance of the country, the people and the shopping! Nine hours later we landed. I was excited to get off the plane and see my boyfriend and begin our adventure. But many minutes had passed after we landed in the middle of the tarmac at Fiumicino International Airport,  ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ Airport. Not a peep from the airline staff or pilot. Nobody yet suspected there was anything wrong until a good 20 mins had passed then the natives began getting restless, including myself. Everyone peered out the windows to see what the hold up was, yet there was nothing unusual to see. It wasn’t until passengers, including myself, began bombarding the stewards with questions when the plane was getting stuffy and we just wanted to get off. A good hour had passed until we learned there was a bombing inside the airport. We were kept on the tarmac for approximately 3 hours before we were released. I was feeling quite anxious as I was walked from the plane, worrying that my father –  the worry wart, had possibly seen the news, or maybe he hadn’t, but nonetheless I was concerned because I should have called him 3 hours prior to inform him I’ve landed safely. I could sense my father’s worry deep within my intuitive gut. I visualized him listening to the news – he was a news junky, and hearing about a bombing at Rome airport where his daughter was headed, while not hearing a word from that daughter for hours after he’d expected her to land. I was happy to be comforted in my boyfriend’s arms after the ordeal and just wanted to get out of the crazy airport. We still had a 2  hour plus drive to Pescara before I knew I’d get to a phone. Too nervous to enjoy the beautiful country sights on the drive, or to stretch my ‘try to understand Italian’ thinking muscles, and not to mention it was now early afternoon after landing in the morning which was still the middle of the night on my body Toronto time and hadn’t slept on the plane. I remained tired and anxious and filled with a stomach full of angst, quiet. At long last we arrived at the flat and with feigned interest at all the familial introductions and greetings, I just wanted to scream just take me to your telephone. Finally, my nervous fingers were dialing my dad. And then the floodgates opened up. The sound of my father’s voice had unleashed all the emotions and pent up anxiety in a stream of sobs I’d contained for hours. My father did the same. It took us both a few moments before we could actually converse with words between sobs. And as I had gone through my own journey of worry and a nagging sensation of urgency to call my father all the while stranded until I could get to a phone, I learned about the panic my father lived through. My Aunty Sherry had seen the breaking news when the terrorists bombed El Al at Rome airport. According to my father, she’d seen many bodies sprawled out on the ground in the airport – some dead, some taking cover, and then she noticed a young blond woman wearing a long silver fox coat lying on the ground as the camera quickly panned over. My aunt had called my father in hysterics alerting him to what she had just seen and was eager to find out if he’d heard from me yet. But he hadn’t. And two of the most important people in my family life panicked and prayed together that the blond woman in the fur coat wasn’t me lying dead in a Rome airport. All their anxiety had come through to me as the hours passed while I waited to be able to make that call. And God was good to me that day. Some things we just never forget.   ©DGKaye2020  

Sunday Book Review – How to Sell Vintage and Gold Jewelry Online

Welcome to my Sunday Book Review. Today I’m reviewing a book I ordered because I was curious to learn about the inside tricks of selling personal items online, such as Ebay, and I discovered – How to Sell Vintage and Gold Jewelry Online by Micki Suzanne – expert Ebay seller. I came across this book in my quest to learn more about selling techniques, and as I’m aiming to de-clutter my own home and have a small collection of antique jewelry collecting dust I’ve been considering selling. I wanted to learn about how to maximize profits and gain potential buyers, fair pricing, shipping and policies.  Plus, I also found it helpful as a writer who has to market her own work, getting more into the marketing aspect of things. Most authors (like me) would much rather be writing than marketing.     Blurb: Do not surrender good jewelry to the gold buyers! Written with heart and humor, this sassy little book explains how to sell vintage and gold jewelry on eBay for top dollar. Since success can lead to obsession, the author explains how to buy online to resell online. Explanations of the entire process are peppered with the author’s real world wins and woes. Micki Suzanne is a freelance marketing writer and lifetime collector who has owned her own brick and mortar antique shop. Lyme disease turned her world upside down, forcing her to turn to eBay for inventory and much-needed additional income. She is a former eBay Voices of the Community member with 100% positive feedback.   My 5 Star Review: This book has a wealth of nuggets for those of us wanting to learn how to sell our treasures on Ebay, or on any other online platform for that matter. Although the book is in a specialized niche of vintage and antique jewelry, it’s also a great instructional on online marketing and may also pique one’s interest if they are the proud owners of lots of ‘stuff’ and want to learn the inside secrets from one successful and avid seller to help us become profitable sellers. How to Sell Vintage and Gold Jewelry is not only informative for those who want to learn how to sell items online successfully, but it is written with a bit of a memoir touch as the author includes personal stories about her selling journey,  offering a wealth of  tips on how to maximize sales among great competition. Suzanne arms us with good info about the nitty-gritty- all the tedious things some sellers may overlook when presenting their wares such as: tools to have on hand for repairs, required craft supplies, best angle shots for photographing items for sale, and lots of detail on what to include in selling descriptions to maximize profit and become a good seller on Ebay, as well as the various shipping methods with pros and cons. As a bonus from reading this book, I’d say it’s also a good book for online buyers to help identify all the little important things we should be looking for to aid in helping us make good purchasing decisions.  

Q & A with D.G. Kaye, Featuring #HistoricalFiction author Paulette Mahurin

Welcome to my Q & A today. I’m delighted to have one of my favorite historical fiction authors over here today, Paulette Mahurin. As many of you who read my Sunday Book Reviews know, historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read in; and I was hooked on Paulette’s writing ever since reading her gripping book – The Seven Year Dress – the story of one woman who survived WWII and lived to tell. Recently, I reviewed her latest book – Irma’s Endgame, a medical mystery/thriller, which I enjoyed too. But today Paulette is introducing us to her book – The Old Gilt Clock. Paulette’s  royalty profits are donated to save dogs from kill shelters.   About Paulette: Paulette Mahurin lives with her husband Terry and two dogs, Max and Bella, in Ventura County, California. She grew up in West Los Angeles and attended UCLA, where she received a Master’s Degree in Science. While in college, she won awards and was published for her short-story writing. One of these stories, Something Wonderful, was based on the couple presented in His Name Was Ben, which she expanded into a fictionalized novel in 2014. Her first novel, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, made it to Amazon bestseller lists and won awards, including best historical fiction of the year 2012 in Turning the Pages Magazine. Her third novel, To Live Out Loud, won international critical acclaim and made it to multiple sites as favorite read book of 2015. Semi-retired, she continues to work part-time as a Nurse Practitioner in Ventura County. When she’s not writing, she does pro-bono consultation work with women with cancer, works in the Westminster Free Clinic as a volunteer provider, volunteers as a mediator in the Ventura County Courthouse for small claims cases, and involves herself, along with her husband, in dog rescue. Profits from her books go to help rescue dogs from kill shelters.     Thanks for being here today Paulette, I’m excited to learn more about your latest book too! Let’s get into some questions!   Where do your book ideas grow from? As glib as this may sound, the tree of life and what spouts organically, what comes to me with spontaneous interest is where my ideas come from. I have a fascination and passion, naturally, about hard topics. Anti-Semitism, homophobia, women’s abuse, racism, to name a few and am drawn to these topics. Ideas come to me and if they hold an interest I research the subjects. For example, when I read of a little known man, a heroic historical resistance fighter whose last words were, “let it be known that homosexuals are not cowards,” I was instantly intrigued. What was this person’s life that brought him to these final words? That became the topic of my last novel, The Old Gilt Clock. The man, William Arondéus, was a World War II underground resistance fighter in the Netherlands who along with his collaborators managed to save the lives of close to a million Jewish people. D.G. – It’s no secret I love your books, and it’s fascinating to learn what inspires you. I am drawn to same hard topics, and am always mesmerized by learning people’s actions and the whys of behavior, so no wonder I enjoy your books.   Do you have any advice you can share for new writers? The best advice I think any writer can ever receive is what defines a writer is sitting down in the chair and writing. Like the Nike commercial, just do it, it’s the same with writing. Everyone has something to say. We all live stories. Our days have a beginning, middle, and ending. The same is true for all aspects of our lives. We communicate to friends in stories, usually snapshots of events with personal judgments and narrative commentary thrown in. It’s no different for anyone who wants to write. You just sit down in a chair, put your hands on the keys, and punch in; vomit out what you want to say. Vomit out what you don’t want to say. Don’t hold back. And when the inaccurate critic inside your head starts complaining, you say to that critic, “Shut up!” It doesn’t matter if you sit for a minute or ten hours, typing your ideas down makes you a writer. Period. If you want to write a novel, a novella, etc. then that also is about sitting down and doing it. Tell what comes to you organically and don’t worry about editing, grammar, how flowery it sounds, and for Pete’s sake don’t listen to the inside of your head when it tells you that’s crap and you have no talent. We all have those voices, not a human being alive (with the exception perhaps of a malignant narcissist) who doesn’t have doubts, anti-creative thoughts, feeling it could be better, etc. you name it. Leave all that for after you finish writing what you want to. Then hand it over to an editor. Writing is a process, the more time you put in the stronger your writing muscle becomes. Some of the greats hated their own work. Millions disagreed. We just can’t know how something we write will be received but if you never sit down and just do it then you miss the opportunity to find out. D.G. – I love your advice. And I’m sure I speak for many writers when I say, we are our own worst critics.   Share with us a book that moved you so much it stays with you. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It is one of the most profound books I’ve read. A non-fiction account of Frankl’s imprisonment and experience in an concentration camp where he lost the love of his life, his wife, and parents. His entire family was wiped out and yet this incredible man watched others and observed the resilience of the human spirit shine through the worst of circumstances. A Viennese psychiatrist by profession, in the most unthinkable situation he saw other dance, sing, and go to their deaths laughing. With everything lost to him, he gained an insight: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” ― Viktor E. Frankl. I’ve never forgotten this. When dark times happen, I remember this and like a ray of sunbeam shining through a rainy cloud it lifts me. Frankl made it out of the camps and went back to his psychiatric profession in Vienna, and was subsequently a visiting professor at Harvard. What a teacher he must have been. He certainly changed my life for the better—to me there is no better educator. D.G. – Wow, I just got goosebumps Paulette. We both read a lot about the atrocities of mankind. I’m sometimes asked from some, why I want to read those sad war stories of evil and sadness. Because I can’t help myself from reading about the human spirit and how some people manage, despite almost zero odds, to overcome despite the heinous world they live through. And Frankl said it so succinctly. I will definitely be looking up that book. Thank you for sharing this. ♥     Blurb: During one of the darkest times in human history when millions of innocent Jews and others deemed “undesirables” were being sent to concentration camps to be brutality worked to death or slaughtered, a group of Dutch resistance workers rose up against the atrocities. Their resistance to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands created a vast counterintelligence, domestic sabotage, and communications network to help hide Jewish people from German authorities. The Old Gilt Clock is the story of how one Dutch resistance member, Willem Arondéus, risked his life to defy the Nazis’ plans to identify and deport hundreds of thousands of Dutch Jews. Arondéus’ courage is largely forgotten by history, but not by the Jewish and Dutch people. Written by the award-winning international Amazon bestselling author of The Seven Year Dress, comes a story of Arondéus’ courageous struggle to stand up to the unimaginable evil designs of Hitler. Inclusive is Arondéus’ battle to come out to his homophobic father, who hated his son’s homosexuality. It is also a story about friendships formed in the Dutch resistance movement, their joys and sorrows, their wins and losses, their loves and betrayals, and ultimately their resilience to oppose tyranny and oppression when millions stood silent condoning heinous behavior. Thousands are alive today because of these brave, compassionate men and women.   The Old Gilt Clock Excerpt: Across the ocean in America, where Birgit now lived with her new husband and a baby girl, the Roaring Twenties were reaching an end. It had been a time when blues and jazz bled into the culture, a time of rags-to-riches for black entertainers when the American prosperity was a way of life. But as the end of 1929 approached, it all came to a sudden end with the stock market crash. Not limited to North America, the Great Depression created a worldwide economic desperation that would last well into the 1930s, impacting the Netherlands. It led to political instability and riots. Hit hard was Germany. Already in political turmoil with the rise of brutality in the form of the Nazi and communist movements and the economic destruction levied on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles’ imposition of reparations in the sum of 50 billion gold marks, opportunity was provided for the rise of Hitler. The end of the roaring twenties took on a new roar. At first, it was a low rumble but by the end of the thirties heading into the forties, it was deafening. The earsplitting grandiose contra-life outcry included talks of plans to create murdering machines. Sane ears discounted the oppressive rumors as madness. Just the talk of idle idiots. Sadly, as ears became unwaxed and able to hear, it became clear they weren’t just listening to rumors. “There’s no such thing as a gas to kill people.” “Oh, there isn’t? What of the poisonous asphyxiant gas used in the United States to execute condemned prisoners?” Soon it would not be a far stretch from the talk of one criminal being put to death to a vast number of undesirables. Undesirables! They are not human, according to the proponents, remembered Willem, as electric ripples moved up his spine.   Review: Fifty Sheds of Books 5.0 out of 5 stars The Old Gilt Clock Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2020 Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase During these troubling times when fascism is on the rise, it is good to see quality authors like Paulette Mahurin tackling serious issues. In turns, I found this story gripping, sad and uplifting. There appears to be two sides to the human coin: people of evil and their acolytes, basically bullies and cowards, against people who demonstrate amazing bravery and courage. This is a story of incredible bravery and courage, a story that young people in particular should read so that they do not make the mistakes of past generations and our generation. I found the setting intriguing, the story impeccably researched and the storyline engrossing. The men and women of the Resistance were a breed apart displaying the best of humanity, and the author captures their special qualities in this wonderful book. Paulette Mahurin has created a back catalogue of impressive quality and this book sits with the others as one of her best. Without doubt, she is one of the most impressive novelists writing today.   Well, between the blurb, excerpt and this rave review, you know I can’t wait to sink my eyes into this book! Thank you for joining us here today, it was fabulous having you over Paulette. ♥   Follow Paulette at her Social Links:   PAULETTE MAHURIN BOOKS AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Paulette-Mahuri...   PAULETTE MAHURIN AUTHOR PAGE AMAZON:   PAULETTE MAHURIN BOOKS FACEBOOK:   https://www.facebook.com/Paulette-Mah...   PAULETTE MAHURIN WEBSITE: http://thepersecutionofmildreddunlap.......

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – D. G. Kaye Explores the Realms of Relationships – Know when it’s time to go – When giving becomes one-sided by D.G. Kaye | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Today I’m featuring my article written for my monthly column over at Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord – Realms of Relationships. In this issue. I’m discussing Friendships – how to keep them alive and well. and learning when it’s time to go.   Relationships – Know when it’s time to go – When giving becomes one-sided   Welcome back to The Realms of Relationships. In this edition, I’m going to talk more about friendships. I talked about keeping friendships healthy in my last column. In this post, I’ll share some of the flags that indicate when friends may be taking advantage of us. Friendships are special to us because they are the people we choose to let into the most personal and intimate part of our lives, the people we trust most. But sometimes in our lifetime of relationships and friendships we may realize that a certain friendship becomes all give and no get back. Today we’re going to take a look at some of the signs that tell us that a friendship we may have with someone is not as fulfilling as it once may have been, how to attempt to repair, and how to decide if it’s time to sever ties.     Friends are those we permit into our personal spaces and hold dear to us. Friends are the ones we share common bonds with, share our world, our homes and often our hearts with. Friends are ones we can rely on for uplifting, favors, companionship, and the ones who have our backs. Do something to betray any of these bonds, it puts a dent into a friendship, and if we let misgivings escalate without confronting our friend about issues bothering us, or better yet, if we have confronted a friend over an issue and they tend to blow it off or ignore our concerns, consider petty, it may be time to re-evaluate that friendship. As with everything that works smooth in life, there is balance. We take the good with the bad in stride and go about life. Sometimes there are obstacles we learn to work around, sometimes the obstacles must be confronted in order to resolve issues to restore an even balance. If the balance of a friendship begins to teeter, yet one party of the friendship doesn’t see it, someone must alert that person that more effort must be put into that relationship or it’s going to fizzle out. When one party is doing all the giving and supporting and there’s nothing in return – giving back, this is not a friendship. Make sure you’re not doing all the giving and being sucked into an energy vampire sucking relationship. As a lover and not a fighter, I require peace in all my relationships. I’m a passionate person who cares about all people. I’m also a great communicator, which I learned to become as I’ve spent most of my life observing people and their behavior. If I detect an imbalance or a missing ingredient within a close friendship, I’m going to bring it up for discussion so we can get to the root of a problem to find resolution to continue on with the friendship, hopefully, strengthening the bond once the imbalance is corrected. But what if the other party doesn’t see our side or perhaps thinks we’re making too much out of something insignificant? Or, what if that person is completely blind to a troublesome situation and what if we become tired of rehashing the same issues that never seem to change? Are we just supposed to sit back and live with the lumpy situation, continuing to make excuses to pardon that friend from their faults, or can we keep making excuses to not be available for them? That becomes our decision. But for me, I learned a few relationships ago, when you become a doormat, it may be time to leave. . . please continue reading at Sally’s blog   Original Source: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – D. G. Kaye Explores the Realms of Relationships – Know when it’s time to go – When giving becomes one-sided by D.G. Kaye | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine