K.D. Dowdall's Blog, page 54

A Review of The Starling by Author Kathy Lauren Miller

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This dystopia novel, The Starling, is a fantastically exciting foray into a world, our world, that may exist in the future. The author, Kathy Lauren Miller, uses real scientific possibilities that are on the drawing board of technological advances as we speak.

She carefully crafts two characters, like Jamie, a young girl in an emotional crisis and, by a twist of fate, is transported through time to earth’s dystopian future where humans are dominated by a malevolent AI and various degrees of terrifying humanoids. Jamie is used as bait to draw out free humans who live like Outliers on the hidden fringes of society.

Quinn is a male humanoid, whose internal program has been manipulated by a secret group inside this dystopian world, to make him a little more human. What happens between them defies logic but creates in its path a different way of thinking and hope for the future.

The Starling novel is a fantastically exciting foray into a world that may exist in the future. The writer combines great characters in a futuristic adventure with intrigue, danger, romance that is so realistic you begin to believe this will be our future. It is exceptional because the writer uses real scientific possibilities that are on the drawing board of technological advances. I highly recommend this exciting novel.

It Can Happen Here: A Lesson from Charlottesville, Virginia

Charles French has written a very germane commentary about fascism, bigotry, hatred, and dictatorship. I will also add neo-Nazis, and Racism. President Trump has played a large role in this democracy-crushing-road to ending the United States of America, as we know it, by his dog-whistle baiting, tyranny-like speech, and the company he keeps.

charles french words reading and writing

(https://en.wikipedia.org)

This will not be a post about my normal subjects.

In 1935 Sinclair Lewis’ book It Can’t Happen Here spoke to the issue that many Americans held that fascism could not occur in the United States of America. His book is satirical, frightening, and, unfortunately, still applicable.

Erik Larson’s nonfiction history book In The Garden of Beasts, 2011, detailed the experience of Ambassador Dodd in Berlin in the 1930s, during the rise and solidification of Hitler’s power, and it is a terrifying read.

We must always remember that it can happen here, that bigotry and hatred can lead to terrible results. That white nationalists and neo-nazis brought their horror and bigotry to Charlottesville, VA yesterday, resulting in violence and death should make all Americans, regardless of political party, Democrat, Republican, or Independent, aware of what can happen.

We should all be frightened of the possibilities of such hatred…

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The Tyranny of Fire and Fury

[image error]Looking back in human history, one can see that war is the quickest way a Tyrant can assert power to destroy democracy and rule as dictator.  However, how does a nation recognize a Tyrant?  Here are some famous quotes to consider.

All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.” Alexis de Tocqueville

“In every age, it has been the tyrant, the oppressor and the exploiter who has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion, or both to deceive and overawe the People.” Eugene V. Debs

[image error]The world is made up for the most part of morons and natural tyrants, sure of themselves, strong in their own opinions, never doubting anything. Clarence Darrow

Ignorance has always been the weapon of tyrants; enlightenment the salvation of the free.  Bill Richardson

The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants.   Albert Camus

It is no coincidence that the growth of modern tyrants has in every case been heralded by the growth of prejudice.  Henry A. Wallace

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Tyrants always have some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before destroying them.  Voltaire

Secrecy is the freedom tyrants dream of.   Bill Moyers

“Those who are capable of tyranny are capable of perjury to sustain it.” Lysander Spooner

“The essence of tyranny is not iron law. It is capricious law.” Christopher Hitchens

 

 

Supportive Bloggers, 1st poem

Didi Oviatt, a beautiful person, a very special blogger, a very talented writer, and poet, did something so special for her blogger friends and who knows you could be in her next poem. I will certainly cherish this lovely poem by Didi Oviatt. K D

Quotations on Thinking (Revisited)

Wonderful Quotes! Especially from our own Professor French!

charles french words reading and writing

(https://commons.wikimedia.org)

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

                                                                             Socrates

(https://pixabay.com)

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
                                                                              Albert Einstein

(https://en.wikiquote.org)

“Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible; thought is merciless to privilege; thought is anarchic and lawless, indifferent to authority, careless of well-tried wisdom of the ages. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. It sees man, a feeble speck, surrounded by unfathomable depths of silence; yet it bears itself proudly, as unmoved as if it were lord of the universe. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man”
                           (Russell, Bertrand. Why Men Fight 178-9).

“All good writing is inherently subversive.”
                                                                          Charles F. French

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THE GIRL IN BLACK

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“The Girl in Black” by Kathy Lauren Miller, is a hauntingly taut murder mystery as well as an awesome page-turner! The mystery begins with high school senior, Kate Mckenna who happens to live in an old Victorian manor that is also the Mckenna Memorial Funeral Home. Her father, Dr. Brendan Mckenna, happens to be the county’s Chief Medical Examiner.  Shy Kate, whose social life as always been nearly non-existent until she is thrust into the limelight when the promiscuous prom queen, Ashley, is found tortured and murdered.

Accusations run rampant in Kate’s High School concerning several male students that were involved with Ashley.  To make matters worse, Ashley’s remains now reside at the funeral home where Kate lives. Kate and her best friend Cooper, a computer nerd, and Kate’s unattainable heartthrob, handsome Shane, all become involved in Ashley’s murder.  Suddenly, Kate finds herself in the cross hairs of the sadistic killer and the vengeful ghost of Ashley, the murdered prom queen. What happens next is beyond Kate’s worse nightmare.  The Girl in Black is a fascinating and terrifying murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. I highly recommend this book.

 

 

 

17 Secrets Only Book Lovers Are In On

What a wonderful way to promote falling in love with reading books and I love all the 17! Thank you! K D

THE UNIQUE BLOGGER AWARD

[image error]Professor Charles French nominated me for The Unique Blogger Award and I am honored by this recognition. Thank you Dr. French. https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com

THE RULES:

Share the link to the blogger who has shown love to you by nominating you.
Answer the questions.
In the spirit of sharing love and solidarity with our blogging family, nominate 15 people and notify them.
Ask them three questions.

THE QUESTIONS:

1.) What (or who) inspired you to get into blogging?

I love connecting with others that love writing, reading, and to learn from them how to be a better writer and the joy of connecting with like minded, talented people.

2.) Describe your ideal three-course meal? 

A large salad with grapes, avocado, mixed greens, fresh mixed vegetables with a butter sauce, and shrimp, scallops, and lobster, stir-fried with tomatoes, onions, bell pepper.

3.)  Would you consider naming any future children after fictional characters, if so which characters? (Or if you already have children, did you gave them names after fictional characters?) 

No, I haven’t, and I probably wouldn’t.

MY NOMINEES:

https://insearchofitall.wordpress.com/

https://jenniefitzkee.com/

https://lisalancaster.wordpress.com/

https://zombiesalmonthehorrorcontinues.wordpress.com/

https://jazzynews.wordpress.com/

https://jeanswriting.com/

https://lynnefisher.wordpress.com/

https://annabellefranklinauthor.wordpress.com/

https://aviewtoabook.com/

soburinmuhandae@gmail.com

dailyecho@mehousdon.com

https://www.bluehavenpress

 

MY QUESTIONS:

(1)  If you could have written a famous book by a famous author, what book would that be?

(2) IF YOU COULD BE A CHARACTER IN A BOOK BY A FAMOUS AUTHOR, WHAT CHARACTER WOULD YOU BE?

(3)  IF THERE WAS ONE AUTHOR YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET (DEAD OR ALIVE) WHO WOULD THAT BE?

A very special thank you to: https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com

 

Of Dreams & Ghosts

Richard M. Ankers, a prolific writer, wrote this beautiful and beautifully written work. I felt mesmerized and drawn into the other worldly aspect of a ghostly spirit, billowing night clouds, and a drifting moon that somehow wakes one in the middle of the night. https://richardankers.com/2017/04/10/of-dreams-ghosts/

Richard M. Ankers - Author

Author’s Note: I wrote this immediately after reading a post by my good pal the wonderful Sue Vincent and her struggles with sleep. I hope you enjoy it.



When one is small, the night terrors seem all the more fearsome, bigger, unavoidable. The act of sleeping becomes a nightmare that one will do anything to avoid. Anything!

The beauty of youth lies in the length of the days and the innocent belief they will never end. The sun will rise to hang in the sky seconds dragging to minute, minutes to hours. Years never enter the equation. This is the way of things. The moon, however, is a fleeting visitor. This changes with time.

As an adult, the days shorten and nights increase. The inevitable slide toward death sees the daylight hours hurtle by at a rate of knots, the nights drawing out in their passage to one continuous…

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New Life.

Lisa Lancaster write’s great fan fiction and flash fiction. Her writing is always rich with humor, tongue and cheek, and includes hysterical takes on everyday things, especially when one reads between the lines. K D