K.D. Dowdall's Blog, page 57

Book Review Saturday: Protecting His Witch by Zoe Forward

[image error]

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is not my usually reading material, especially with the guy on the cover with an open shirt. I like reading books without shirtless men on the cover, but this one was about a witch and the description was interesting.  I was soon to discover that you really can’t judge a book by its cover! This fascinating and imaginative mystery romance is exceptionally well written and keeps the reader totally engaged as the writer builds the story into a crescendo from breathless interludes to heart-stopping suspense. From the very first pages, the reader is drawn to the beautiful and enigmatic Kat and the very dangerously sexy Matthew, as they try to untangle the web of mystery surrounding them.

Kat has no idea who and what she is as she struggles to understand the strange phenomena that grips her and even threatens her life. Matt is determined to avoid being pulled back into a world of ancient mythology that he has tried to forget. Kat and Matt, suspicious of the inexplicable physical chemistry in their passionate and contentious union, find they are under attack by powerful forces that threaten their very existence as ancient enemies lead the world toward Armageddon. Kat and Matthew are determined decide their own fate at the risk of losing everything they hold dear.

I was completely spellbound by the power unleashed in this story of sizzling passion and high suspense to see what fate had in store for the beautiful Kat and the devilishly handsome Matthew. I could not put this story down for a minute and I highly recommend this stylish and sexy thriller as a must read.

5 TED Talks Everyone Should Have Already Watched — Kopitiam Bot

(Source: dollarsandsense.sg) #1 The Secret Of Becoming Mentally Strong (Speaker: Amy Morin) “Good habits aren’t enough. It only takes one or two small habits to really hold you back.” Amy Morin starts off by sharing how everyone has a friend that seems to have a perfect life, and how we kind of don’t like that […]

via 5 TED Talks Everyone Should Have Already Watched — Kopitiam Bot

Favorite Horror Films of the 1960s: Psycho

Psycho is perhaps one of the most terrifying movie masterpiece’s every made, write’s Dr. French, especially for the time period it was produced. Professor French writes with an astute understanding regarding the here-to-for now clichéd rationale that a thieving woman can be viciously murdered on film – not as victim, not as heroine, but as the bad girl. Hitchcock’s movie in many ways changed terror movie-making forever. via https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2016/02/28/favorite-horror-films-of-the-1960s-psycho/

charles french words reading and writing

(https://it.wikipedia.org)

It is time to both revisit and move forward with my series on horror films. Psycho (1960) is a Paramount Film that was both produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock and was based on the novel Psycho by Robert Bloch.  This movie stands as one of the best, not only horror but American, films as a whole. Hitchcock is, without a doubt, an auteur, one of the great Masters of American cinema, and this film had huge influence on the creation of slasher films and psychopathic villains in films.

The film revolutionized the way the public viewed evil; it did not have to be supernaturally based nor a radiation caused event; rather, Hitchcock established that the human mind and life experience could create more frightening monsters than vampires and werewolves. These are people who suffered horror, and their creators were other people, at least in most cases of psychopathology.

View original post 424 more words

Didi Oviatt #AwesomeAmazonAuthor

Aggravated Momentum, written by Didi Oviatt, is one of the most real, terrifying psychological thrillers I have ever read. The spine-tingling suspense is intense and real with shocking twists complete with unexpected consequences. This writer brings emotions and feelings into her writing that draw the reader in to experience what is happening along with all the characters. The intimacy with the main character is like being there, feeling what the main character feels, observing, close at hand what is happening. I never would have guessed the ending. Didi’s writing is superb. It is spectacular from start to finish. Getting inside the head of a deranged antagonist is very difficult to do. Stephan King, honestly, could not have done it better than this author, Didi Oviatt!

 

Nesie's Place

Didi Oviatt is a small town gal who married a small town guy. Within a few years of experiencing a new families bliss, she discovered that she had a thirst to write.

Now, after digging down deep and getting in touch with her literary self, she’s writing mystery/thrillers like Search For Maylee (coming soon in the fall of 2017), Aggravated Momentum, The Stix, and New Age Lamians (the first in a trilogy to be continued in 2018), along with a six piece short story collection called Time Wasters.

Didi enjoys chatting with readers, bloggers, and other authors and easily found on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress.

The psychological thriller Aggravated Momentum is Didi’s latest published work.

Synopsis

Deadly thriller, twisted plot, shocking, and dark conspiracy hardly scratch the surface to define Aggravated Momentum. Not everything is as it seems in what appears…

View original post 168 more words

Book Review Monday! Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

[image error]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Uniquely Magical, Alien, and Danger-at-Every-Turn Mystery Thriller! Great Story!

This magical, alien driven, strong female heroine story, first captured my attention by its interesting cover and title. This story takes place in a normal appearing small town in the present day, with chapter one opening with, “Brutus is dead”. Well, I had to find out what happened to Brutus and from that moment, I was hooked and couldn’t stop reading. Our intriguing Heroine, Dina, keeps us guessing about who, what, where, and when, as she struggles to resolve the mysteries surrounding her – while managing to stay alive. This fascinating story takes you by surprise with exciting and scary alien adventures from the very first page with unique mysteries, good writing and complex characters that will make your head spin. The ending left some unresolved issues, however, they are carried over to book 2. Anyone looking for a good mystery involving human and alien magical interactions, this is it.

A Summary of K.M. Weiland’s “Write Like a Master”

 

[image error]My summary of K.M. Weiland’s excellent article presented in Writer’s Digest, Work Book: Exercises and Tips for Honing Specific Aspects of Your Writing presents the key points of her exceptional article via Writer’s Digest 2014 Reblog. It is especially for writers penning their first novel, but also for seasoned writers to again remember a classic, Jane Eyre, a novel that was ahead of its time, by Charlotte Brontë.  Often, reading classics, as most of us do, gives us fresh insight to dramatic storytelling par excellence. K.M. Weiland gives us 10 distinct techniques for dramatic masterful writing.

Hook: Start in the middle of some type of interaction within environment, statement, or internal angst to provoke reader curiosity.


Characteristic Moment: Reveal/show a personality trait of the Protagonist.


Setting Description of Scene: Start broadly, and then zoom in.


Symbolism: Small details set story’s tone and foreshadows its course.


The World Protagonist Inhabits: demonstrate character’s interior and exterior world.


Back Story: Intersperse with dialogue, don’t dump back story in long paragraphs in chapter 1.


The Premise of Story: Present the Dramatic Question early on, involving the moral foundation, the impetus that drives the story forward.


Physical Actions: The physical movements of characters interspersed throughout dialogue increases depth of character traits.


Protagonist’s Belief: Once Dramatic Question is identified, writer presents obstacles for protagonist until she/he can relinquish belief/misconception and meet deepest needs.

10.Extraordinary Factor: What makes the Protagonist important? How at odds is protagonist in his/her world with others that creates friction, tension, and thus the central conflict of story premise.

***see Writer’s Digest, October 2014 edition, for full article.

Underneath My Pale Skin

It is a wonderful thing to suddenly find a beautifully unique and extremely talented Poet, Palabras Delmar (Delia) who writes with such raw heart, rich in deeply felt emotion that is real, honest, deep from within her heart and gut. Breath-taking and stunning. via https://artemisdelmar.wordpress.com

palabras DelMar

Underneath my pale skin-

below my white concealment

the spirit of;

African beats;

Taino blood;

European conquest;

Through a Caribbean echo;

the dormant beats of island sounds.

Exposing this-

American identity.

 My history;

I recall-

The darker skins that preceded me.

The caramel flesh my daughters possess; the tangled hair that sits on their head

my ghost-like flesh and their mixed tones;

Show an Afro-Caribbean-Indian-European mix.

Rhythmic drums,

pounding out the tears,

of the island’s sing-song melody.

Composed with time;

two worlds collide;

to produce the American in me.

View original post

Who Is Normal?

Seeing the person and not the disability as John writes is something some people do naturally, without thought and because people like John and many us of writers on WordPress, it is important to spread the word that there is really no label to be given called “Normal”. My twin sister and I have been working with disabled children and adults since we were teenagers. My sister is has spent her life as a teacher for severely, profoundly disabled children. Normal is a word that is foreign to me and I applaud John for his insights and understanding. I know the word normal is foreign to him too regarding physical and mental disabilities. via: https://johnkraft.wordpress.com/2017/05/30/who-is-normal/v

Down the Hall on Your Left

EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE I AM ASKED TO GIVE SHORT SPEECHES or presentations to civic groups or service organizations. I’ve done a few things for the likes of Kiwanis and businesses. Lately I have been asked to speak before an organization that serves citizens with special needs.

A couple of months ago I went downtown and spoke before both clients and staff of this same outfit about the value of writing down their own personal stories.

I said to them that, “No matter who you are you are a special and unique individual and you have a story worth telling.” I spoke to them about how to write down their stories and how, in doing so, they would be able to both learn and to teach. They would learn more about themselves and they would teach everyone else about their uniqueness, challenges, and gifts that they have to offer to…

View original post 442 more words

Why We Search for Authenticity in People!

[image error]Authenticity is the practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.” – Brené Brown via http://www.powerofpositivity.com

Psychologists correlate the attractiveness of authenticity to three things: (1) We believe that people who are authentic are more trustworthy; in part because they’re truer to themselves. (2) Genuine people often possess a sense of individualism and firmness, which we admire. (3) Remaining true to oneself requires courage, strength and tenacity – all qualities that we find appealing.

With that in mind, here are 10 signs of authentic people:

They Speak Their Mind: Authentic people are confident about their opinions and perspectives – and share them with confidence. Their thoughts are also well-constructed and, when prompted, are conveyed with both firmness and civility.

They Realize the Unimportance of Material Things: While authentic people may enjoy certain things, they certain do not base their happiness off of them. Furthermore, they do not judge an individual by what they have and do not have. Authentic people focus on a person’s character, not their bank account.

They Relish in Experiences: Genuine people realize the impermanence of life and try to live it fully. This means experiencing what people and the world has to offer – and they make every attempt to do so.

They Set Their Own Expectations: As apparent by now, authentic people are highly individualistic; they do not seek the “approval of others” and never will. Their beliefs, ideals, morals, and value are self-acquired and applied.

They Are Active Listeners: Genuine people exemplify the “two ears, one mouth” axiom. Active listening is listening without anticipating one’s response. 100 percent of their focus is on the speaker and nothing else. (Was the person you thought of earlier an active listener? Please share!)

They Acknowledge Their Faults and Mistakes: It takes tremendous fortitude to admit to your failures – and authentic people have plenty in reserve. They know their weaknesses and mistakes; but what really differentiates a genuine person is they take necessary action to correct them.

They Take Personal Responsibility: This one really doesn’t need to be said, but here it is. Authentic people are hold themselves accountable to what they do and don’t do. They are very responsible for many reasons, including the self-empowerment and pride that comes from being answerable to themselves.

They Make Their Own Way: Genuine people are not a “sit back and wait” group. They find a way to make things happen, regardless of the sweat, blood and tears required. Further, the path they set for is their own – something that requires grit, determination, and… self-reliance.

They Aren’t Scared of Failure: How many of us would love to say, “I’m not scared to fail”? (Raises hand and nods head.) Part of being a truly authentic person is acknowledging the possibility of failure, looking it in the face and not blinking. Whew…easier said than done.

They Aren’t at All Judgmental: Perhaps of all the wonderful traits listed, this last one may be the most admirable. Genuine people can wholeheartedly and honestly accept individuality precisely because they are different. Authentic people are often very smart – and are able to see right through the pointlessness of preconceived expectations and human stereotyping

Twin Flames & Karmic Soul Mates – What is the difference?

[image error]

 

 

 

When I first saw you, my soul said, “There you are, I have been looking for you!”  

 

“What is the difference between a twin soul and karmic soul mate? Can I have more than one soul mate?” ​We have many soul mates, or karmic soul contracts, but only one twin soul. To better explain is to understand what each one is. via http://www.powerofpositivity.com

Signs of a Twin Soul Relationship (Twin Flames)

Many also refer to Twin Souls as Twin flames. This is because the level of passion and radiant light that is involved in these relationships. Not everyone will experience a twin soul reunion in their lifetime. This only comes to those whom are ready to ascend from this realm onto the next, by sharing and completing a mission which requires the help of their twin. There are many legends and myths about twin soul relationships and a lot of them share a common theme. While they do share these qualities, each relationship is different any may not be exactly by the book. Not to mention, a lot of these qualities may just be karmic soul mates – there is really a lot more to a twin soul- relationship than some of the info explains online. If most of these signs relate to a relationship you feel is of twin soul quality, then you just may have met your twin. However, if only a few stick-out, then you more than likely have a karmic relationship.

The ‘Knowing’: You just know from the depths of your being that “the one” or some romantic fairytale was meant for you. There is a strong urge to love, to be loved, and to find your healing cure of true love.

Repeated Visions or Prophecies: Many Twin Souls have foreseen one another or had dreams which manifested upon meeting their mate. Your dreams and daydreams are filed with passion and spiritual love. You may have even encountered previous karmic mates who have matched many of these “visions”.

Folk Memory: Twin Souls are usually very evolved, or ancient beings whom are connected with their past lives. When you have met your twin in the past, and did not complete the mission you were destined to, then you get a chance to repeat the lesson in a future life. This is much like karmic soul mates and balancing the debt, however with your twin soul you have a mission to fulfill together, rather than just personal growth and life lessons to partake in.

The Runner & the Chaser: Now here’s the thing, I don’t necessarily believe that twin souls run from one another when the connection gets too deep, or the shadow work becomes too intense. If they run, they are simply karmic soul mates here to teach you about attachment or rejection and loneliness. The ‘theory’ is that when they first meet, they are given a mirror image of what needs to be worked on within, and then they will part ways to evolve and come back to one another evolved, and ready to do the soul work they were destined to do with one another. I feel that information was placed there to give those hope whom are desperately chasing after someone who doesn’t want to get “caught”. ​Twin Soul relationships are more powerful than karmic ones, and that is because each soul much do the self-work and soul evolution before the meeting can even take place to begin with.

Shared Life Purpose:  Twin Souls reunions are more than just a mind exploding love that transcends time and the universe. They are work. Not just self-work, they are work in serving humanity as a whole. Your life mission becomes apparent, which is shared and amplified with your twin. You don’t have the share the same trade or modality in healing, but you two together as a team enable each of you to push forward with your best self for doing what you do. This is the key ingredient to make a twin soul relationship – without a mission or some urge within to help mankind together, the relationship is then just karmic.

Ascension: When the mission is fulfilled, the souls will combine into one, and leave this plane or realm. You would not have to come back to this Earth again to undergo karmic lessons and soul evolution.

Signs of a Karmic Soul Mate Relationship

Before you reincarnated on this earth you had discussed the lessons and goals you aimed to achieve with your soul group. Many have different ideas and theories on what a soul group is, or how many you have in your group, but mainly these souls are reincarnated with you to fulfill soul contracts of spiritual evolution, growth, and life lessons.

​Karmic soul contracts:  are some tricky relationships, can be anything as well as romantic. A karmic mate is someone you had made a contract with to balance karmic debts and life lessons. They are here to teach you, to change you, and to evolve you into new levels of consciousness and growth. Often these are relationships are the ones where you feel as if you have known one another lifetimes before because the connection is so deep and painful.

Karmic relationships: can also be your most challenging and life-altering. These can be the people who have hurt you the most – but through that pain and experience you are able to find your strengths and redirection towards your higher path. For example: Your mother may have rejected you or withheld affection growing up, and so you had spent much of your life with toxic or difficult relationships with women when it comes to attachment and that need for affection or validation. Your mother had taught you what you needed in love, by giving to you the opposite.  Often, you will meet many of the same personality or tone in relationships until that karmic lessons are learned within yourself – each one of those relationships are placed there by contract to push you of the repeated mistakes/lessons so you can evolve and grow.