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Time to travel . . .

6/30/2022

32 Comments

 
Hello dear blog friends!
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I've been quiet for a while, just busy with life. I hope to get back into the swing of things in another week.

If all goes as planned, I’ll be boarding a plane at sunrise on Saturday to visit my four adult children in Connecticut and New York City. What used to be a simple process, is now far more complicated. Who knew we’d one day worry about if we’d have a pilot to send us on our way?

Because of the pandemic, I’ve not seen my kids for several years. Email and handwritten letters are no replacement for actual hugs, and I’m so looking forward to feeling their heartbeat.

For any parent, years disappear far too quickly. We remember when our sons or daughters were tiny. It was then that they became part of us. Their laughter and tears filled our hearts and reside there still. We can hear them through our dreams and old photo albums.

Time is elusive, isn’t it? Don't we all use the expression, "It seems like only yesterday"?

There are 15 years between my eldest and my youngest. Lifetimes are crowded into those years. In my wildest dreams, I couldn't have imagined my life as it has unfolded. But, what would I have changed?

At my stage in life, I'm simply grateful. 
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Over this next week, do something wildly wonderful. Find ways to laugh and perhaps remember the days long past. Till then, I leave you with a poem I wrote for my youngest son's birthday. 💗
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32 Comments

Celebrating Dan Antion's #NewRelease . . .

6/26/2022

51 Comments

 
Hello blog friends, I've a treat for you. Much respected blogger Dan Antion has just published his first novel: Knuckleheads. Today he will share an excerpt from the book and tell us a bit about the story.

​For those of you who do not know Dan, he lives in Connecticut and often blogs about the area in and around Hartford (background photo below). He's a natural historian, as well as an incredible photographer. I've come to love the seasons and wildlife of the Northeast through his posts which you can find here. 

Please join me in welcoming Dan ...
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​I was thrilled when Gwen offered to help promote Knuckleheads, the first book in the Dreamer’s Alliance series. It’s so cool to be appearing on her blog. I have enjoyed several of her books. In discussing the subject of this post, I reached back to a question Gwen asked in one of her segments in Story Empire: “Religion and Politics – Part 1.” Toward the end of her post, Gwen said, “I’d love to hear if or how you write about your characters’ spiritual life.” I’m glad she didn’t ask about politics because I avoid that at all costs.

I left the following comment, “My characters grew up with a strong religious influence as children. In the books in the series once they are adults, they reflect on that upbringing, sometimes humorously.”

We agreed that I would more fully answer this question today.
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Knuckleheads is a conversation between Zach Amstead, who has recently retired, and his adult daughter, Abbie. The story being told by Zach chronicles his childhood and that of his best friend, William Terrence – Billy. The book describes the way these boys grew up. It describes the values they carried into adulthood, and the experiences in which those values were formed. These are ordinary stories, from which I think most of us form the core values that guide us as adults.

Zach’s father works throughout the book to help the two boys as they struggle to control their emerging paranormal abilities. Zach found himself increasingly able to participate in the lucid dreams he had always had. Billy was plagued with shadowy glimpses of the future.

Zach’s mother and Billy’s grandmother, unaware of their abilities, but aware of the problems they caused, took the boys to church. Through school, church and work at Zach’s father’s bowling alley, Zach and Billy became best friends, and learned to manage themselves in a world in which they didn’t fit well.

​The little excerpt below hints at the role their church experience plays into the book. I chose this clip because I don’t think it spoils anything. In this scene, Zach’s mother has picked up Zach and Billy after a Friday night youth service.

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​Beyond the subtle moral and spiritual input, and a little mother-father conflict, there are two other reasons their religious experience is mentioned.

One reason is that church was an important part of my childhood experience, and the childhood experience of most of my friends in the 1950s and 60s. The book isn’t autobiographical, but readers of my blog will recognize some of the situations in which these two boys find themselves. I found it almost impossible to not draw on my experience and the experience of others I knew well.

The other reason is that church attendance solved a logistical problem. The demands of the future books in the series required this first story to develop to a point where Zach and Billy were no longer living in the same town. I won’t explain that because it would introduce way too many spoilers.

​However, I can say that attendance at the same church gave them a place to meet when they no longer attended the same school. That’s the cool thing about fiction, you can make it work.

Gwen, thanks again for inviting me to spend some time with you and your readers. Also, thank you for the lovely review you left for Knuckleheads. I am glad you enjoyed the story.​
​
BLURB: 
Zach and Billy didn't ask for the paranormal powers that were beyond their capacity to understand or control. Zach, with his lucid dreams, and Billy, with his shadowy glimpses of the future, struggle to make sense of the world around them. Adults in authority have no time for what they consider mental outliers of the baby-boom. The boys are institutionalized, marginalized, and ignored. Zach's father realizes the dangers they will face as adults. With no way to comprehend how these boys perceive and move within their world, he must find a way to guide them. 

SERIES BLURB:
The Dreamer's Alliance Series chronicles the challenges and dangers faced by two men who have been gifted with paranormal abilities. From their struggles to understand and control these powers through their battle with the attempts of corrupt authorities to exploit them. 
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AUTHOR BIO:
Dan Antion was born outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He grew up and attended college in that area. Dan has written and published the popular No Facilities blog since 2011. A lifelong interest in writing became a reality after he retired from a successful 42-year-long career in Information Management. Dan lives in Connecticut with his wife, a few pets and all the wildlife they can feed.
CONTACT LINKS:​
​
Author Page       Amazon       Blog       Twitter       Facebook     
51 Comments

Author D.L. Finn has a #NewRelease!

6/19/2022

46 Comments

 
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Hello blog friends, I've a treat for you!

​Writer D.L Finn joins us to tell us about her latest book: A Voice in the Silence. 

I've read all of Denise's books and each one holds a special place in my heart. This latest jewel is a must-read. You'll discover magic amidst loss, you'll travel with the protagonist and discover your own life afresh. A Voice in the Silence is a book of hope, determination, and possibilities.

Denise is quiet about her loves and her accomplishments. But one I simply must share is her profound love for the outdoors, which at times means, a ride on a Harley. 

Please join me in welcoming Denise ...

~   ~   ~   ~
Thank you for having me here today, Gwen, to celebrate the release of A Voice in the Silence 😊 I love to write, and read, about a character getting a second chance in life. A Voice in the Silence offers this theme of loss and possibilities.

​After losing her husband and pets, Drea finds herself in a dark place. She believes that her purpose in life is missing—until life finds her again. She has a strong curiosity and is open-minded enough to accept what she finds. Plus, there is that powerful side of her that will do whatever it takes to survive, including an inner mama bear who protects those she loves.

The story not only is her journey to finding her new place in the world, but a message that you are never too old to find it. Of course, it isn’t easy for her dealing with the evil that surrounds her, but Drea is someone who jumps in and does what she needs to. I like that in a protagonist.

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Amazon Purchase Link US          Amazon Purchase Link UK
BLURB
Drea Burr has experienced more than her share of loss when a stray dog, cat, and rat enter her life. Although the animals start to mend her broken heart, there is something very unusual about them.

During a snowstorm, Drea discovers a chilling set of footprints leading to her front window. Both the police and a ghostly messenger warn her about a killer stalking widows. Help comes from her late husband’s best friend, Adam Hale. As the two try to discover answers, more questions arise— about a killer, ghosts, and animals experimented on in a lab.


Can Drea and Adam survive the threats coming from so many directions and save themselves and the animals they’ve grown to love? Or will more tragedy destroy her second chance at happiness? Find out in this thrilling, cozy paranormal adventure.
 
EXCERPT
Drea gasped and sat up on the couch. Her heart was racing like her nightmare of falling off a cliff had been real. Although it was still dark out, dawn was peeking through the veil. She had slept soundly through the night. The familiar crackling of the fire was absent. She shivered in the cold room, wrapped the blanket tightly around her, and took the simple route of turning on the central heat over rekindling the flames. This time of year, she preferred the warmth of a woodstove over forced hot air, but since becoming a widow, she chose where to put her energy.

The animals were curled up on the blue wool hearth rug and hadn’t stirred. A pleasant sensation passed through her— a sense of belonging, or being needed. That inspired her to pull on her snow boots, coat, and gloves and grab her new black fabric wood carrier. She shut the door quietly behind her without letting it latch. The garage door creaked open, exposing her to the winter chill.

The headlamp fit snuggly across her brow. A simple flick of a switch lit her path across the pristine snow to the woodshed. As the narrow beam of light guided her forward, her boots sank into the covered landscape. She quickly filled her carrier with oak and turned to go back into the house when her path crossed another set of footprints.

Her heart raced as she studied the tracks. They were bigger and deeper than the ones she’d made. The square heel left out any possibility of being a forest animal, and the tracks led away from the house into the trees. A quick scan of the area didn’t offer any answers.

She took a deep breath to push her fear away. Next time, she’d bring her gun. How stupid to go outside alone with a killer on the loose.

Charlie’s paw swept the door open, and he sprinted to her side. 

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She met the dog’s wide-eyed gaze. “Someone’s been here.”

Charlie sniffed the air, nodded, and fell in behind her. His head bumped against her legs, quickening her sluggish pace. Looking to her right, she spotted more footprints—right outside her front window. Time inched forward as goosebumps crawled over her skin.

Finally they were inside the garage. She dumped the load on the concrete floor and raced to the button that would shut the door and offer her protection from the outside world. Charlie stood statue-still next to the closing door, which moved at the speed of a turtle. She sighed in relief when the outer metal door thumped shut and quickly gathered up the wood.
​

AUTHOR BIO
D. L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include adult fiction, poetry, a unique autobiography, and children’s books. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.

​Some fun facts: 
Fun Finn Facts
  1. We have never had to evacuate in 32 years of living in the forest. Although, we’ve packed up a couple of times.
  2. I do believe in ghosts and the unseen around me.

CONTACT LINKS
Twitter       Facebook       Instagram       Pinterest       Blog       Author Amazon Page

Amazon Purchase Link US          Amazon Purchase Link UK
This Last Chance    Just Her Poetry    The Button    This Second Chance    No Fairy Tale
​

Elizabeth's War    Things on a Tree    An Unusual Island    Dolphin's Cave    Tree Fairies
46 Comments

A #TankaTuesday response: Brokenhearted

6/14/2022

31 Comments

 
Hello blog friends! Today poet Colleen Chesebro invites us to write a tanka prose. She offers a detailed explanation of this poetic form on her website (linked above). 

My poems are a verse envelope - a tanka/prose/tanka. It reflects upon a recent heartbreaking tragedy that occurred in the small town of Uvalde, Texas.  My poems --

BROKENHEARTED
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In the small town of Uvalde, Texas, a disturbed shooter and multiple mistakes by professionals left all of us bereft. Violence is senseless and has no favorites, even the tiniest can be its victim. And I wonder, have we forgotten how to love? ​​
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I hope you have a fabulous week, my friends. May blessings abound! 💗
31 Comments

A #TankaTuesday poem -- I Remember

6/7/2022

39 Comments

 
 Hello blog friends, it's Tanka Tuesday and author Colleen Chesebro invites us to create a syllabic poem using color. My poem is a butterfly cinquain of 9 lines with the pattern 2-4-6-8-2-8-6-4-2. 

As many of you know, I walk in the early morning. By 6 AM, I'm on a desert path accompanied only by wildlife. The local birds and the occasional bunny are my companions. And always, with the sunrise, my spirit soars.  

Whatever calms your heart and allows your spirit to rise, I wish that for you today. 💗

​My poem...
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Have a wonderful week, dear friends, and may blessings abound.  
39 Comments
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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, Man’s Search for Meaning


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