Showing posts with label #OurAuthorGang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #OurAuthorGang. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Rainbows and Clouds by Erika M Szabo

Short stories about life’s humorous, happy, and dark moments.


Some of the stories are from my years in nursing, Steve's clumsiness and my cooking disasters might make you spit out your coffee laughing. The stories of my pets will put a warm smile on your face, and the stories about life's darker moments might make you wipe a tear or two.

Rainbows and dark clouds are part of life,
Without darkness there can be no light.
Without moments that make us cry,
We can’t enjoy moments that make us smile.
Without moments that make us laugh,
We can’t get through moments that make us sad.
~Erika M Szabo

Listen to a few stories

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Coven by Tricia Drammeh

Paranormal/Horror for Young Adults



Abby has finally put the horrors of the past behind her and is ready to move forward as a medium-in-training, but her vow to refrain from dabbling in the paranormal is harder to keep than she'd anticipated. A strained relationship with a former best friend, a mysterious stalker, and a new friend who is full of surprises turns Abby's world upside down, but when she discovers someone she trusts is keeping a shocking secret, she doesn't know where to turn.​

The Coven is the exciting sequel to The Seance. Filled with magic, chilling suspense, and surprises, this latest story in the Dark Summons series is the perfect read for teens and adults alike!

The Coven is available here: https://books2read.com/u/3kppPR

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Outcast by Rick Haynes

A fantasy tale of love, betrayal, and giants


The freedom of youth quickly disappears as a maelstrom of evil erupts. Torn between blind loyalty to his evil master and freedom, Sigbjorn chooses to escape from the clutches of Lord Uddi. With his two sword shields following, Sigbjorn leads them to Humli, a small peaceful town in the hills. Their hopes of finding a place to call home are soon dashed as a shadow grows in the east. With the vile Guths threatening to align themselves with the mysterious giants, only a tidal wave of hero’s blood can prevent the carnage.                                            https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1093832541

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Creativity - Your Way

Creativity - Your Way

There's the old saying that everyone has a book in them, waiting to be written. While I'm not sure that's true - not everyone wants to be a writer, after all - I think everyone has the ability to be creative. I would even go so far as to say creativity is part of who we are as human beings.


Creativity comes in many forms. Some of us are sculptors, painters, writers, poets, or song writers. There's scrapbooking, photography, crafting, woodworking ... the list goes on and on. Being creative is a way to let your mind run free. It's both relaxing and invigorating. And, even if you don't see yourself in any of the aforementioned creative categories I listed, I'm willing to bet you're still a creative person. Some people use creativty in their jobs - landscapers, architects, engineers, for example. And, then there's some common hobbies such as gardening, sewing, and knitting that require creativity.

If you've always wanted to try your hand at writing, painting, or some other artistic pursuit, what's stopping you? Don't worry about whether or not you'll be any good at it. The whole point of trying something new is to see if you like it. If you enjoy it, that's all that matters, Don't let anyone discourage you from being creative or expressing yourself.

Be creative - YOUR WAY!

*******************

To read more of Tricia Drammeh's post, please visit her blog: https://authortriciadrammeh.wordpress.com/

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Cursed Bloodline by Erika M Szabo

Romantic historical suspense 

by Erika M Szabo

EBOOK     PRINT
I recently changed the cover because readers suggested that the story is a bit darker than the cover indicates it. Judge it for yourself. Scroll through the book presentation below, read excerpts from the book and find links.

Friday, August 9, 2019

Hometown Memories Part 3.

 Falls and Creeks 

Terry F Conrow
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  From my viewpoint nothing is more majestic than the creations of Nature.  Whether a small cascade found along a hidden creek, or a well known falls like Chitenango Falls and Montour Falls, my connection is the same. 
Montour Falls by Terry F. Conrow

Chitenango Falls by Terry F. Conrow





















New York is home to many beautiful falls, most of which I actually had no idea existed.  Even these ones in my own hometown I had no knowledge of until I began this blog series.
Peggy Fly

Amanda Castilla
Jan Dainard
But, seeing them in these photos, I am still refreshed.

My attraction to water has been with me my entire life.  What is odd is that when I lived along the gulf coast in both Florida and Louisiana, my reaction was not the same.  I found going to the shore relaxing but not refreshing.  The music of the waves, watching the tide playing tag with the shore, was pleasant.  However I my soul did not seem to revitalize, my worries did not fade.  I am not certain if it was the water itself smelling like fish and leaving my skin feeling sticky and dirty or just the fact that the water was the temperature of a bath.  It just was not the same.

As a final show of beauty, I am sharing other falls from my home state.  I hope they refresh you as they do me.

Glendora Falls by Terry F. Conrow



Ithaca Taughannock Park by Heather Ratigan

Corbetts Glenn by Rogina Davis

Falls in Dansville taken by Austin Passamonte

Buttermilk Falls, Ithaca  by Heather Ratigan

Honeoye Falls by Jan Dainard


Austin Passamonte

Wolcott Falls by Terry F. Conrow



Aunt Sarah's Falls by Terry F. Conrow
Akron Falls by Terry F. Conrow

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Hometown Memories Part 2

The Seasons at Letchworth

Marti Hurlburt
Carol Groat
Jonathan Lee
Letchworth is a gorgeous park no matter what time of year it is.  In the spring, the water rushing from the thaw has the  tributaries displaying their seasonal waterfalls while the major ones are in their full glory. 

Jonathan Lee
Lori Naqpier
Sandy Sucher
Eli De'Enn
In the fall, nature outdoes herself.  The colors add so much to the experience of visiting the park.  It was my favorite time to go.  The colors seemed to make the entire area glow.  It felt more magical.  Each stop a new palette of color to stimulate your brain while the sounds from the rushing water cleansed your soul.


Joe Pecoraro
Carol Groat

Jeanne Mcnamara
Sandy Sucher








Fall in all its glory just sings of cosy fires and hot spicy apple cider.  It makes me think of friends.





Carol Groat











 
Claire Harrington



 Winter offers its own special touch to the scenery here.  Even in its icy grip, the power of the falls is evident.

John Wilber
 
Jonathan Lee



 
Katie Houseknecht


 
 Colleen Przybysz



I hope you have enjoyed these pictures which bring my memories of this beautiful place to mind.   










Find Cindy on her:
Blog:
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Portfilio Links
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365 narration by Karina Kantas https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d0UNM-QtpvOBS84qlAr9fiEK6by7QkwG/view

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Cursed Bloodline: Secrets and Lies

Cursed Bloodline

Romantic suspense with historical elements
EBOOK     PRINT     AUDIO
Is it possible that an ancient curse cast by a powerful witch sixteen-hundred years ago could destroy families in every generation for centuries?
Dark family secrets separated Sofia and Daniel when they were children, but fate brought them together years later.
When Sofia’s brother finds a leather book in his grandmother's secret room that was written in 426 by a shaman, dark memories of their childhood start to surface.
Reading the ancient runes, they learn about their family's curse. If it remains unbroken, the curse will bring tragedy and ruin their lives as it destroyed many of their ancestors' lives. Could they find the way to break the ancient curse?

“This is the curse of an evil deed that incites and must bring forth more evil.” ~Johann Friedrich Von

Prologue

Present day
“Wow!” Sofia blurted as they entered the secret room. “You were right, there are lots of treasures in here.”

“I looked only in this trunk but look at the shelves.”

Sofia walked to the shelves and touched the carved, wooden and stone statues one by one. “Look,” she said, “the Sacred Turul. This wood carving is a masterpiece!”

“Yes, I estimate it to be at least a thousand years old. Look at this horse.” He pointed at the black onyx statue.

“Magnificent!” Sofia marveled.

“We can look at those later,” Jayden mentioned to Sofia. “Let’s see if we can find more writing in the trunk.”

“Okay…” Sofia hesitantly replied. She was having a hard time averting her eyes from rows after rows of statues, jewelry, headdresses adorned with beads, gold chalices and bowls.

Jayden opened the wooden trunk and started taking out the items that were wrapped in leather. He pulled the coverings open which revealed swords, knives, handmade leather shoes, and carefully-wrapped scrolls.

“Jay, look!” Sofia pointed at the inside of the trunk lid. “There’s an envelope and it doesn’t seem old.”

Jayden grabbed the corner of the white envelope but couldn’t pull it away. “It seems to be glued to the top,” he stated as he carefully lifted the corner with a knife and pried it away from the wood without ripping the paper.

As he turned it he saw writing on the envelope. “For Sofia and Jayden,” he read out loud. “It’s Grandma’s handwriting and it’s for us.” He sat down on a box, opened the envelope and pulled out the folded letter. He started reading it out loud.

Dearest Sofia and Jayden,
You’re reading this letter, which means I’m gone. I swore to your mother that I would never tell you about the family curse, but I cannot take it to my grave. Although your mother always strongly believed that it is merely a stupid legend and refused to listen to me, I must let you know somehow. Jayden, your life in danger…

The year 426 in the Carpathian Basin
As they got close to the trees and peeked out, they saw disheveled men sitting on the ground around fires. Their savage laughs, as they were eating and drinking, cut through to their hearts. Elana gasped when she saw the lifeless bodies of her neighbors thrown to the ground. Zala turned to Elana and raised his eyebrow, silently asking if she was ready. Her eyes shone with anger. She nodded and placed an arrow on her bow and pulled the string, aiming at the head of the loudest bandit who seemed to be the horde’s leader.

Zala whispered, “You have lost the most. You have the right to revenge.”

Elana let the arrow fly, and it pierced the bandit’s forehead between his eyes, coming out at the back of his head halfway. His body fell backward, limp and lifeless.

Zala looked at the waiting wolves and motioned them to go forward. The bandits scrambled to their feet in horror as their leader fell, and the wolves attacked them. Zala and Elana started riding around them in circles, aiming and shooting as the men tried to flee. A few slumped to the ground pierced by arrows, others screamed as the wolves chomped at their hands.

Elana spotted the alpha as he clamped his powerful jaw over a man’s wrist and with a jerk of his head, bit the hand off. And then Elana froze when she saw her mirror image looking at her with crazed eyes.

“Tuana!” Elana yelled and urged her horse toward the disheveled young woman.

Tuana turned her horse and kicked its side, urging the horse to a gallop. Within seconds they collided. The horses neighed in terror as the women were thrown off their backs by the impact. Both women jumped to their feet and faced each other. Elana gave out the warriors’ battle cry, raised her sword, and thrust it toward Tuana. Elana’s move was swift, but Tuana was fast as well and leaned out of the way of the deadly blow. As Tuana jumped back, she looked down with terror in her eyes. A gray wolf standing next to her growled and dropped Tuana’s hand on the ground; it was still clutching the sword. The wolf shook the blood from his muzzle, turned, and ran toward the bushes. Tuana stared at her stump as it spurted blood on her legs.

Tuana howled like a wounded animal and then gave out an insane laugh as she held the stump of her arm close to her chest and started backing away. “I curse you and your descendants! Every woman in your bloodline will have a daughter like me who will be thrown away like garbage. The daughters will kill their brothers and leave their sister alive to carry the bloodline. All mothers for eternity will pay for what your mother did to me.” 

Monday, July 22, 2019

Why I Write for Children

Why I Write for Children 


Writing for children is important to me because I want children to develop the same love of books I had as a child. A love that doesn’t fade with time. Children’s books create lifelong readers; readers who eventually buy adult books.

I began my love affair with words many years ago. Some of my fondest memories are being read to as a child, visiting the library, and discovering the ability to read by myself. I still have worn copies of favourite childhood books, such as The Bobbsey Twins, Little Women, Black Beauty and Anne of Green Gables; and revisit these old friends from time to time. Books and children go together like toast and jam, in my opinion. Since I never show up without a book as a gift, my grandchildren call me, The Book Gramma.

It´s not surprising then, that I love to write for children.

While writing for children can be fun, it isn´t easy. It requires removing yourself from the adult world and think like a twenty-first century kid. Fortunately, I like to hang around kids, listen to the words they use, observe the gestures, the looks, the trends. I also enjoy reading current, children’s books to see what sparks the interest of today’s young people. Children notice things adults wouldn’t and could care less about things adults think are important. It’s necessary to get into their head space. And guess what? While I’m writing, I get to be a kid again - and I love it!

The main character in my first book, Amanda in Arabia-The Perfume Flask, is a Canadian girl who wishes for travel and adventure on her twelfth birthday. The next day she gets a ticket to fly to the United Arab Emirates to visit her aunt and uncle. There she has an adventure of a lifetime. One young reader said to me, “I want to know where Amanda will travel to next.”  That motivated me to write Amanda in Spain-The Girl in The Painting. 

I had so much fun writing about Amanda, her travels and escapades that I continued by writing Amanda in England-The Missing Novel.

While doing a presentation at a school, one student asked, “Why doesn´t Amanda stay in Alberta and have an adventure?”

I replied, “That´s a great idea,” and consequently wrote Amanda in Alberta – The Writing on the Stone. 

Kids are always giving me ideas. I often quote things I overhear them say in my stories. They can be so clever too. Often wise beyond their years.

I recall taking the ferry to Vancouver Island one summer weekend. It was packed, mostly with families. I was pleased to see many of the children, and some of the parents, reading books. I knew that those kids would grow up to be readers and most likely read to their children one day. Studies have proven that children who are read to at a very young age, even as babies, are more likely to be successful in school and in life.

I have written two more books in the series, Amanda on the Danube – The Sounds of Music and Amanda in New Mexico – Ghosts in the Wind.  Book seven, Amanda in Holland – Missing in Action is about to be released in September of 2019. I am currently working on book number eight and have ideas for others. I have to keep writing, as my  fans are expecting more of Amanda’s Travels.

Although it is a lot of work, it brings me much joy to write my books as I know these fans will grow up with a love of reading and buy adult books soon. Writers of children’s books help create readers for life. It’s an important occupation and one I am happy to be a small part of.

Children who read, become adults that think.


Darlene Foster has always been a dreamer of dreams and a teller of tales. Following her dreams, she’s a well-travelled author of the Amanda Travels series featuring a spunky young girl who finds mystery and adventure everywhere she visits. Darlene divides her time between the west coast of Canada and the Costa Blanca, in Spain where she lives with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Partner or Inferior?

Where is the woman's place?


I still hear these opinions, not only from older men but from younger ones as well:

"Women are inferior to men because Eve was made from Adam's ribs, therefore, she belongs to him. Eve doomed humanity by committing a sin which by enticing Adam to eat the apple."

"A woman's brain is incapable of making rational decisions because she can't comprehend to the big picture."

"A woman should focus on raising kids, doing laundry, obey their husbands, and provide clean and comfortable homes for their families."

"We must keep women submissive because with equal rights comes chaos. They need constant reminders that their place is in the home."

"Women don't have the intelligence to make rational decisions because they're too emotional. Men must make decisions for women."

Right! My opinion?
These neanderthals need to hide under their comfy stones and be very, very quiet!
What say you?

We're getting there
Slowly, but with good parenting and setting good examples to our kids, we're getting there.

Example 1:
A salesman calls trying to sell windows. The woman say politely, "Thank you for your call but we're not planning to install new wind..."
​The aggressive salesman rudely cuts her off and says, "Is the man of the house home?"
The woman's blood instantly boils but because she's a gentle person, she doesn't reply and hands the phone to her husband,"This bozo is selling windows and wants to talk to you."
The husband takes the phone and says to the salesman, "Listen! My wife is the financial genius in this house. She said no. Good bye!"

Example 2:
​​​A man visits a couple for the first time and as soon as he's introduced to the attractive wife by the husband, he walks up to her attempting to pinch her face and says, "Aren't you a pretty thing!"
The couple's teenage kids watch the interaction.
The woman takes a step back and shouts, "Out! Don't you ever step into this house again!"
The man looks at the husband who opens the door and says to him, "My wife is my partner and you've disrespected her. get out, or I'll throw you out!"

Example 3:
Father and son sitting on a bench in the park. The boy is around twelve, happily licking his ice-cream.
A statuesque woman walks by and the father says to his son, "Nice piece of ass, huh?"
The boy looks at his father with a disgusted expression on his face and replies, "Dad, she's a person. You're an ass!"

Equal partners

It's about time to teach our sons and daughter that this is not a competition. Neither men or women need to prove who's better, smarter, or stronger.

Biologically and psychologically men and women have similarities and differences as well. The best thing about this is that we complement each other and able to form a great partnership by mutually accepting and respecting each other.

What is your opinion?



Friday, July 12, 2019

Hometown Memories


LETCHWORTH STATE PARK 

THE GRAND CANYON OF THE EAST

Jonathan Lee
Jesse Crowden

Peter Anuszkiewicz
Everyone has a favorite place they went to as a child.  For me, Letchworth State Park was paradise! My family only went there for day trips. I do not recall any sojourn that felt like a repeat, for nature always provided new beauty to behold. The light on the water, the colors of the foliage, or even wildlife making an appearance; something made each trip special.

 

Dan Rittenhouse
Eli De'Enn

So, what exactly is Letchworth that makes it stand out? It is a 14,427-acre park (about 17 miles long) located in Eastern Upstate New York. It follows the path of the Genesee River as it travels north to its outlet Lake Ontario near Rochester.  With canyon cliffs as high as 600 feet, it is often referred to as "The Grand Canyon Of The East".  The northern end is marked by Mount Morris Dam which helps thwart the chance of flooding. There are nearly 50 waterfalls located within the park with three major ones (Upper, Middle and Lower Falls) located in the southern end.

Marian Carloni
Phil Conroy
Many tributaries flow into the river and can be found along the various hiking trails. The numerous smaller falls can be found along these tributaries or by following the hiking trails or by kayak or rafting. One of the more well-known ones is Inspiration Falls, which is a ribbon falls with a drop of 350 ft. Unfortunately, its appearance is seasonal, like many of the other smaller ones.

Jeanne Mcnarmara
It has been a very long time, 26 years to be exact,  since I have been able to enjoy an outing there. My sister and I took my husband to NY so he could see where I grew up.  We also felt the need to prove to him that there was country in NY, since he was not convinced by my descriptions.  While there, we went to Letchworth.  Unfortunately, there was a drought at the time and he did not get to experience the full beauty of the falls. 

 
Jack Geising

I feel a connection to the river.  My troubles seem to fade away with the flow.  I can almost feel the gloom being purged from my heart as the water cascades over the falls, the spray on my skin refreshing my soul. 

From the thundering power of the three main falls, to the tinkling of those along the tributaries, the music of nature frees me.

Ryan Yo-nv Schmidt

Ryan Yo-nv Schmidt kindly shared this gorgeous shot and several other pictures of the falls.  I gathered them into a short slide show,  click on the link to enjoy some beautiful views.
https://docs.google.com/presentation









I am thrilled to be able to share these many pictures with you.  They were all provided by members of the Facebook group Letchworth State Park Lovers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2218333570/) If you like what you see here, be sure to visit them on Facebook, they have many more beautiful scenes to share.  I find the pictures take me back in time and I am able to relive, re-experience this wonderful paradise.

Remember to check out my next piece where I visit Lower and Middle Falls. 

Find Cindy on her:
Blog:
https://cindysvoices.blogspot.com/
Website:
http://carternovels.com/author-cindy-j-smith.html
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/cindysvoices
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/CindysVoices/
Goodreads:
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Pinterest:
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Portfilio Links
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