The Gang

Our Author Gang

We are a small group of authors who write various genre books.

What brought us together on this blog:

First and foremost, our shared love for writing.

We like to "hang out" together, helping each another other by promoting each other's books, blogs, events, and doing whatever we can to support one another.

We take turns posting about our books, the rewards as well as the difficulties of publishing and book promotion, and about things we enjoy in everyday life.

We need your support, please visit our blog often, comment on our posts and share our posts.

Thank you!

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/mary-anne.html

Mary Anne Yarde is an award winning author of the International Best Selling Series — The Du Lac Chronicles. Set a generation after the fall of King Arthur, The Du Lac Chronicles takes you on a journey through Dark Age Briton and Brittany, where you will meet new friends and terrifying foes. Based on legends and historical fact, the Du Lac Chronicles is a series not to be missed.

Born in Bath, England, Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury--the fabled Isle of Avalon--was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/joe.html

Hello out there in cyberspace! I write Heroic Fantasy, Space Opera, Sword & Planet Sci-Fi, Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, Children's Books, and I also dabble a bit in Horror stories.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/grace.html

My fascination with the written and spoken word began as a 6th grader. I was like a sponge. I couldn’t get enough spelling, sentence diagraming, and literature. This passion followed me through junior high and high school and into adulthood.

I’m a Jill of most trades: co-owned a weekly newspaper, administrative office work, kitchen design, custom jewelry creation, wedding planning, floral design, preaching sermons, public relations and marketing, designing social media promotions, copy and manuscript editing, and now add the title author to this mix.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/erika_5.html

I became an avid reader at a very early age, thanks to my dad who introduced me to many great books. I write alternate history, romantic fantasy, magical realism novels as well as fun, educational, and bilingual books for children ages 4-12 about acceptance, friendship, family, and moral values such as accepting people with disabilities, dealing with bullies, and not judging others before getting to know them. I also like to encourage children to use their imagination and daydream about fantasy worlds.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/ruth.html

I originally studied fine and commercial art, way back when dinosaurs walked the earth and eBooks weren't even a gleam in Amazon's eye. I started my career as a graphic artist as the sign maker at the old Nut Tree in Vacaville, California. After a stint at a print shop (ouch), I began working as a book designer for Bill Yenne at American Graphic Systems. While working for Bill, I wrote my first two books, "Ghost Towns" and "100 Medical Milestones That Shaped World History."

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/toi.html

Hi there, Toi here. I’m the self-published author of 10 books and counting. I’m also a blogger and vlogger who loves to interview other creatives. A geek girl at heart, I’m also a bit of a techie and foodie, I was born in Texas but consider Virginia to be my home. I enjoy reading, cooking, painting, geek culture, collecting vinyl records, and spending time with my family. 

I also work as a special education teacher’s assistant and find comfort and peace of mind in chocolate, green tea, and naps. My husband and I have been married for twelve years and share our home with a tortoise named Betty and a Redbone Coonhound named Margie, who’s totally taken over the house.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/nikki.html

Nicola McDonagh is known for her unique writing style and is the author of the unconventional sci-fi/dystopian Song of Forgetfulness action adventure series. She loves to play around with the written word and the visual image and has been a photographer, actor, director, scriptwriter and other less exciting things, (worst ever job – dishwasher in a trendy bar in Liverpool) before settling in Suffolk with her musician husband, plethora of rescued cats and chickens.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/rebecca.html

Rebecca is an award-winning author, blogger, and book reviewer. While fantasy tends to be her primary genre she also dabbles in paranormal, romance, and sci-fi. Currently Rebecca has one epic fantasy series titled The Chronicles of the Coranydas. Rebecca likes writing in the the first person as well. Her paranormal fantasy For Their Sins and her Sci-fi action/adventure Neutral Space are both written in this style.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/christina-weigand-joins-grow-generation.html

Christina Weigand’s a writer, wife, and mother of three grown children and a teenage daughter. She is also Nana to four granddaughters. She lives with her husband and youngest daughter in Pennsylvania after a short sabbatical in the lovely state of Washington.

She received her BS in Interior Design in 1995, but after a few years of working in the industry God redirected her path with the addition of a fourth child to the family. So she returned to being a stay at home mom, but having been out in the world of school and work she realized she needed a little more, so she took several writing courses and started her second career as an author.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/rich.html

Rich Feitelberg is a poet and novelist, author of the fantasy series, the Aglaril Cycle. He also has four short story collections and a collection of poetry available at fine booksellers everywhere. 

Rich is an avid map collector, and student of popular culture. Growing up on a steady diet of comic books, science fiction, and fairy tales of all kinds, Rich soon began weaving his own tales at a young age. These activities continue to this day, as Rich is working on the next installment of the Aglaril Cycle, and writing more poems and short stories for your enjoyment.

Author Confession: I Broke Two Cardinal Writing Rules and I’m Glad #OurAuthorGang #POTL

I Broke Two Cardinal Writing Rules and I’m Glad

by

N. N. Light

I admit it, guilty as charged. My name is Mrs. N, one-half of the bestselling N. N. Light, and I broke the first rule in writing: never write about yourself or real life in a novel. The truth is I am happy I did both and here's why. I was inspired to write Princess of the Light through a chance encounter with a homeless man.

I first got the idea for our debut novel one chilly morning back in 2012. It was a cold wintry morning and I was walking to the grocery store. I happened to look across the street and what I saw made me stop in my tracks. A homeless man was sitting on a curb next to the gas station. He wasn't holding a sign or asking for money. His eyes were closed and his head was uplifted to the sky. There was such a contented and happy look in his weathered face. It took my breath away.

I wondered how he became homeless and if there was some way I could help him. I continued on with my day but my thoughts were filled with him and his plight. Who is he? Could I help him?

As the days and months passed, I saw him every day. He kept to himself and never begged for money. Instead, he walked the length of our town. Yes, he walked the length of the town. Every time I saw him, I nodded and said good morning. The simple act of kindness didn't seem like a big deal to me but to him, it was as if I had given him the sun. I started leaving food and clothing for him. The more kindness I showed, the happier he appeared.

Rule #1: Never write about real life in fiction

I knew in my heart it was my calling to tell his story. He isn't some nameless face; he's someone's son, brother, grandson, uncle, father, husband, and/or friend. If I had the power, I would be his protector and free him from the darkness keeping him prisoner. He would no longer be the forgotten man.

I made a promise to myself to donate part of the proceeds to food banks if our book got published. I am keeping my promise and through our marketing, people are donating to food banks on their own.

My motto for our book and for my life is spread the Light. It doesn't matter to me what your spiritual beliefs are for everyone has the Light inside them. Spreading the Light comes in many forms but it starts with being kind.

Rule #2: Never write about yourself, especially when it comes to love and romance.

I wrote about my own love story with Mr. N. Gasp! I know you’re in shock and hoping I brought smelling salts. Stick with me for a moment and let me explain. The romantic story between Mary and Joe is simply based on my own love story.

I met Mr. N back in 2001. We actually met online in a Buffy the Vampire Slayer yahoo group and hit it off right away. We both adore Buffy and it was one of many things we had in common. We started out as friends but soon it blossomed into love. Through some uphill battles and insecurities on my part, I broke his heart not once but twice. It pains me to admit it but the second time around, I was truly cruel.

I thought it was over and I had moved on. I joined another Buffy yahoo group in 2003 and as fate would have it, Mr. N was there. Is the Universe trying to tell me something? He and I got to talking one night off-list. I asked for forgiveness and he granted it. We took it turtle-slow and before I knew what happened, I was in love with him. I mean, true love (the hills are alive with the sound of music) and my walls came tumbling down.

Long story short, I moved up north and married him in 2004. A few weeks ago, we celebrated our thirteenth wedding anniversary. Every day, I thank my lucky stars he forgave me and loves me unconditionally. This is my love story and every time I tell it (or Mr. N tells it), people swoon and say how utterly romantic it is. So I incorporated our love story into Princess of the Light.

Giving the rules a heave-ho allows writers the freedom to create irresistible stories.

Sometimes breaking the rules is needed to tell a really great story. I hope you will see how weaving real life with fantasy makes for an irresistible book. More writers should rebel like me and add dashes of real life into their stories.

Title: Princess of the Light

Author: N. N. Light

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Supernatural, Spiritual Romance

Tagline: Mary's the Princess of the Light but her only hope is to make a pact with her enemy.

Blurb: Mary Miller receives a startling visitation from Gabriel, the Messenger of God. The Archangel reveals an astounding truth--Mary is the Princess of the Light and even more amazing, her destiny is to battle Lucifer's army of demons and restore the balance of good and evil on Earth. It's getting harder to fulfill her new role and keep her identity secret while juggling her personal life, and when Than, Lucifer's second in command, amps up the attacks on her, she knows she needs help. Joe Deacons is everything she's ever wanted in a man. And as providence would have it, in a moment of great need, he's the Warrior of Light--the one who can help her defeat the forces of darkness. Not so simple when they confront Lisbeth, a demon hell-bent on usurping Than and Lucifer himself. When Lisbeth wages war and several innocent people die, Mary must form an alliance with her enemy in order to destroy her. But will this be a grave error or the choice that saves their world?

Excerpt:
Marie furrowed her brow and softly interrupted, "André is the Walking Man?" I looked at Marie and asked, "You've heard of him?"

Marie nodded. "Of course. He is a staple of the Downtown area. There are a few groups I'm affiliated with that hand out food and clothing to those in need. He never comes to these events so I leave them by the area where he sleeps." She paused, thoughtfully. "I just can't believe that it is André."

Joe cleared his throat and looked at his father. "What happened to André?"

Alfred sighed and after a moment said, "It really was the fault of that witch he was married to. She and her family treated him horribly. She was a gold digger and all she cared about was money and the prestige."

Marie interrupted Alfred by saying, "I remember her. She was so mean to André and all she cared about was looking rich. Wealth is a gift—she just wanted it for a toy. She treated André so badly... and his mother-in-law was the worst. She would put him down all the time. In front of other people, no less."

Alfred continued, "André was a good man and worked hard. He was working on a big project for the city. He worked night and day on the project and told me it was going to put Golden Lake on the map. "He absolutely adored his daughter, too. I remember that clearly. She was his everything."

Alfred paused, apparently lost in his thoughts. With a sigh he said, "There was a scandal with the project, though, and André got fired. Soon after, Dara left him, took Katherine with her and André fell apart. He started drinking heavily and, without his daughter, his life fell apart."

Joe looked at me and I fought to keep from throwing my hand over my mouth. There was purple fire in his eyes and I felt his anger. I already knew the story of André and I tried to smile at him. I smelled burning flesh. Joe flashed in full armor fighting demons with a golden sword. I gasped at the vision and brought my hand to my chest in shock feeling the key necklace, before I could stop the physical reaction. The necklace weighed heavily as did my heart. He would be fighting at my side soon.

Marie asked, "Are you okay, dear?"

Joe turned to look at his mother. He nodded and only said, "I never knew any of this."

Alfred continued, "I am sorry, son, but you asked for the truth. This is what I know. André was sleeping at the office and drinking all the time. He was supposed to give a presentation to a client and was drunk. He got into a scuffle with his boss and rumor has it, André punched him."

I feigned shock and said, "Oh my!" Than is to blame. I don't know how I know or what happened but I vow to the Lord that I will make Than pay, thought Joe. I choked and almost spit out my drink. I just heard Joe's thoughts! I had to set him straight and right away. I cleared my throat and said awkwardly, "Joe, I think I left something in the car."

Joe looked at me with eyebrows raised. "Excuse me, we'll be right back," I said with a smile.

I walked outside and knew that Joe was right behind me. When I reached the car, I whirled and said in a stern tone, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Joe stopped mid-step and said, "What are you talking about, Mary?"

I ran into his arms and whispered, "You cannot take on Than by yourself! I heard your thoughts in there. Now, I don't know how you know that it was Than who drove André to punching his boss but please promise me that you will not get revenge." I paused to catch my breath and remembered what Gabriel told me. "Joe, in order to defeat the darkness and not become dark ourselves, we need to have a pure heart. We are filled with the Light and our motives must always be to speak the Truth and spread the Light."

Joe took several deep breaths while he held me. He stroked my hair and whispered, "I'm sorry, my angel. I didn't mean to frighten you and you are right. It was just a momentary thought."

I lifted my head and locked eyes with Joe. Tears filled my eyes but I was determined. I bit at my top lip and then whispered, "Promise me you won't put yourself in harm's way."

Hot tears spilled down my cheeks. Joe wiped at them and said in a deep, reassuring tone, "I promise, Mary. I promise I won't be a hothead and I won't be rash." Then, he laid his forehead on mine and whispered, "Please don't cry, darling. Please."

I nodded and whispered, "I would die if I lost you. Than will use you to try to get to me. You are my love, my everything." My voice cracked. "I would die if I lost you," I repeated.

Joe shook my shoulders a little and looked deep into my eyes. "Listen to me, Mary, you will never lose me! Do you hear me? I am by your side now and forever." Overcome with emotion, Joe kissed me.

Buy Links:
Free on Kindle Unlimited
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Light-N-ebook/dp/B00N19FDKO
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/Princess-Light-N-ebook/dp/B00N19FDKO
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Princess-Light-N-ebook/dp/B00N19FDKO
Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/5008419
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23009005-princess-of-the-light

Author Bio: N. N. Light is the husband-wife writing team, commonly known as Mr. N and Mrs. N. Mrs. N. has been creating stories ever since she was little. Her grandfather remembers when she was two years old, she would stand at the top of the stairs and tell him a story filled with emotion (and in a language foreign to him) with her hands on her hips. Let’s just say she was a born storyteller. They’re blissfully happy and love all things chocolate, books, music, movies, art, sports, trains, history, cooking and baking. Their mantra is to spread the Light. Most of the time you can find them on Twitter or getting new ideas on how to spread the Light on Pinterest. They’re a proud member of ASMSG and Independent Author Network. Sign up for their author newsletter and get exclusive content and prizes ow.ly/jWec308TabL In addition to being authors, they’re also book promoters/reviewers, social media marketers/influencers and the owners of N. N. Light Author Promotions. They both love books, have ever since they were young. Matching up books and readers is something that gives them great pleasure.

50% of the proceeds of Princess of the Light go directly to food banks (US and Canada) in order to feed the hungry and help those in need. With only 7,500 books sold, N. N. Light will be able to set up a monthly endowment for the local food bank. They’d love to connect with you either via email or via these various social media sites:

Website: http://princessofthelight.com Blog: http://princessofthelight.wordpress.com Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/nnlight Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-n-light Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NNP_W_Light Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/nnlight LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/n-n-light/90/1a7/902 Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/118060034268079734144/posts Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/nnlight Independent Author Network: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/n-n-light.html iAuthor: http://www.iauthor.uk.com/princess-of-the-light:10294

Footnote: All photos (with the exception of Princess of the Light cover and N. N. Light author picture) are from Pixaby.

Guest Author KJ Waters #OurAuthorGang

KJ Waters

KJ Waters is the author of the #1 best-seller Stealing Time and the short-story Blow. The second book in the series, Shattering Time, was just published on June 27, 2017 and the next day reached #6 on the UK Amazon site, and was #2 as a hot new release for one category, seating neatly after Michael Crichton’s Dragon Teeth.  

In addition to her writing, she is the CEO of Blondie's Custom Book Covers and the co-host of the popular podcast Blondie and the Brit.

She has a Master’s in Business and over 15 years of experience in the marketing field. Before quitting her job to raise a family and work on writing she was the Director of Marketing and communications for a national behavioral healthcare company.

What inspired you to start writing?

My favorite author, Diana Gabaldon, has a book called the Outlandish Companion where she described her somewhat haphazard way of writing a story. It inspired me to give it a try, with the pressure of a structured story removed, and I found my way to the bookstore to find some writing guides. 

What genre do you write?

I write in a Romantic Suspense genre, but it’s more of a mixture of Historic Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Sci-Fi. It involves a lot of elements that I really enjoy writing. Because it’s time travel I get to include whatever points in time I’m intrigued by and it’s set during the hurricanes of 2004 in Florida. 

I invite you to check out my Stealing Time Series so you can experience the power of the storm: http://geni.us/guestblogseries. Here is one recent review: Shattering Time is a page turner, and for that reason is a quick read. I definitely recommend it, even to those who never thought they would enjoy time travel fiction. Oddly enough, I only recognized the complexity of the characters after I completed the book and let it all sink in.

http://geni.us/shatteringguestblog

The number one best-selling thriller Stealing Time continues its “breathtakingly original” journey.

Excerpt:

Ronnie Andrews returns from eighteenth-century London shell-shocked from her first terrifying time travel encounter. Her boyfriend, Jeffrey Brennan, casts doubt on her sanity leaving Ronnie wondering if she went back in time or is having a mental breakdown.

To add to the tension, Hurricane Frances, a storm the size of Texas, is barreling towards Florida and her fears of a repeat time travel experience mount. Ronnie’s best friend Steph, along with her friend Nick and Steph’s younger brother Ian, shield Ronnie from the dangers of Frances but cannot save her from traveling back in time. Unfortunately, their meddling brings Ronnie to the brink of destruction as they are caught in the throes of the hurricane’s wrath.

Once again, Ronnie is transported to dangerous places and plagued with desperate situations, while experiencing perilous cultures including one of America’s first mysteries -- the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island. 

A stunning conclusion brings Ronnie face to face with a dangerous ally who may hold the key to her past while offering salvation for her future. 

Please check out my #1 Best Selling short story, Blow, on Amazon here: http://geni.us/guestblog. It has 4.9 out of 5 stars on Amazon.

Here is one short review: Action packed short story about the intensity of Hurricane Ivan. I was so immersed in the tale, I had to look up to check that my roof was still there once I had finished. Waters is a great story teller!

Please sign up for my newsletter on my website (kjwaters.com) and see my weekly sales and contests. I’m always offering ways to win copies of my books, and other special sneak peeks. I’m also offering a Goodread’s Giveaway here of my latest release – (Starts July 10) https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11164130.K_J_Waters

This Is Me #OurAuthorGang

Rick Haynes

http://www.rickhaynesauthor.com/

I was born in South London, England, not long after the end of the Second World War. My family was poor, but I never knew because my childhood was fun. I was always outside, playing in the street. I was happy.

I passed the 11+ exams and was lucky enough to be offered a place at a local grammar school, but any desire to read was lost in a world of sport and watching those strange and beautiful creatures - girls. 

My sister gave me a copy of The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley, a story of the occult and black magic. Risqué it was for a thirteen-year-old, but a revelation. Yet even though I had to study English Literature, general reading still didn’t grab me at all. 

I left school and little changed until, in my 30’s, I read the book that would engulf me. It took a long time to read The Lord of the Rings, longer to understand it and even today - having read it 7 or 8 times - I find bits that I have missed. I began to devour books, gobbling them up one after another. Anne McCaffery with her dragons, Isaac Asimov with his robots, Brian Herbert with his giant sand worms, I was hooked, but once again as the years passed my interest in reading faded.

In my 50’s an author appeared who would subsequently change my reading life forever. I read a book about a hero, Druss, a giant with a code of honour, and my love of David Gemmell’s work exploded. 

Like a kid I fell under the spell of pure imagination, yet whilst I still had no desire to write, I’d fallen in love with reading once more. I collected all his books and have read them many times since.

But time waits for no one and my body started the downward spiral into decay. I was diagnosed with cervical spondylitis in the neck in 2006 and was forced to give up my job that I loved, due to the pain, but I wasn’t finished at the hospital, not by a long way. I went so many times that they nearly gave me my own parking space. As if? But as a substitute, they did give me a lollipop for being a good boy.

In all, I had 7 knee ops, 2 shoulder ops, several injections in my neck and was diagnosed asthmatic.  

Why is it they give you a nice shiny metal knee and forget the oil can? My knee squeaks louder than a horde of mice at times. 

After so many months of housebound imprisonment, I was sitting in the lounge, feeling sorry for myself and going stir crazy as the walls closed in. I shouted, asking my wife where I should go, to release me from my incarceration.

‘Try the kitchen,’ she said. 

‘Come on love, what should I do?’ I asked seriously.

‘Try the washing up,’ she said. That didn’t go down too well either.

But then my beloved suggested that I write my feelings down. It was that wonderful light bulb moment. I was up the stairs just faster than a snail, and I started typing. Only I couldn’t type - and I still can’t even now - but I’m a tenacious sod and I refused to give in.

I eventually wrote a diary of getting old. I had no idea what to do next but a new local writing group had started and I joined. Full of pride, I showed them my diary. Euphoria lasted just 5 minutes as I saw their faces. They were trying to be kind but sympathy was written all over their faces.  My writing was crap; I was crap. I did the only thing that I could. I listened, learned and spread my wings through the written word. My teacher was very inspirational and her style of teaching suited my fledging career perfectly.

I started writing Drabbles, those little 100 word gems, and won an international Drabble competition. 

SPECTRAL MORNING by Rick Haynes

As the dew gently caressed the leaves in the wood, a soft light slowly grew in luminance. The coalescing sparkles began to take the shape of a young girl. A pure white gown swished and swirled around her as she moved towards the graveyard, her slender feet leaving no tracks in the soft soil. 

The fresh grave had been hastily refilled but all her attention was focused on the sobbing cries of a terrified infant.

Holding out her hands to the cold earth, she spoke soothingly.

“Come forth you beautiful child, for I will take you to your true home.”

From that I got my first break. Four authors had decided to write an adult story for Halloween, Drabble style, but one pulled out and I was invited. It’s a naughty, sexy, adult tale, as you can guess from the name of my character HumpZeLot. I was way out of my comfort zone but it was great fun to write, and all the proceeds went to a charity.

My confidence grew. Along came a novella for all the family, short stories and eventually two novels.

Yet being an author is not all a bed of roses as you can’t please everyone. For those that want me to change, I say this - throw money at me, lots of it, and I’ll think about it.

Thanks to Tolkien and Gemmell, my passion is heroic fantasy, but writing my first novel, Evil Never Dies scarred me to death. Maybe the title had something to do with it. I remember talking to myself. ‘How do I start? Where do I start?’ I had the shakes, the trembling and the panic as it suddenly hit me that I was writing a novel. In the end, the answer was simple. I found the right cover and drew a map of my imaginary world, and then I was up and running like a three legged donkey. The imagination flowed, I became a recluse, and divorce papers were issued. 

Eventually, Evil Never Dies was professionally edited and published. We took a holiday as my wonderful wife needed a break more than I did. How she puts up with me is beyond all logic and I love her dearly for all her wonderful support. 

I am pleased to say that so far it has received 15 reviews all 4 or 5 star. And it made my day when 2 top reviewers likened by book to those of the great David Gemmell.

After a good break, to recharge my batteries, I started the follow-up but had no idea where it was going. Heroes Never Fade is the 2nd in the Maxilla trilogy but is a standalone book. It follows on about one year after the first book. It’s once more a tale of good and evil, yet shows that all men and women are flawed, for I show that war brings out the best and the worst in even the gentlest of folk. Once more a reviewer has compared my work to that of David Gemmell, but this time it was an Amazon top 500 reviewer after reading Heroes Never Fade. My head is currently in the clouds but with much humility.

Heroes Never Fade has.

Short chapters – I want you to keep turning the pages.

Strong male and female characters – I want you to emphasize with them.

Many twists – It’s a good job I have an editor who loves my genre.

As one well-respected reviewer posted, “To say it is a well- researched book shows how believably the characters, both human and fantasy, have been created. A definite 5* for fans of the genre, and highly recommended for other lesser mortals.”

That is a tiny insight into the world of my creation as all is never as it seems.

When I finished the book and it had been edited, my mind refused to function. It was if all my imagination had been used up as my head was as empty as a new dustbin. Once devoid of all superfluous thought my brain initially failed to respond to a long list of chores that I had promised to do over the previous 12 months. What a pity. I thought I’d got away with it. 

I’ll continue to write until my time is up, for the power of my imagination is beyond measure and I love to see my words on paper. Like tiny seeds, they gradually grow and blossom into one magnificent tree.

I always say this to my wife. This time next year love, we’ll be millionaires, so I’ll leave you with this thought.

If you don’t have dreams, how can they ever come true?

Thanks very much for reading. Please let me know what you think.

Love and laughter. 

Rick.

Heroic fantasy

https://www.amazon.com/EVIL-NEVER-DIES-MAXILLA-TALES-ebook/dp/B011GP1LQO/

Heroic fantasy

https://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Never-Fade-Maxilla-Book-ebook/dp/B06XYS1RBX/

Humorous fiction

https://www.amazon.com/CHOCOLATE-CHUNKS-CRAZY-CRETE-Haynes-ebook/dp/B01M7WRPSF/

Talking Fingers #OurAuthorGang

Look, I Can Talk With My Fingers!

When I was a young child we were having a family dinner in a restaurant. I remember watching a couple at the next table and I was mesmerized by what they were doing. They smiled at each other, their facial expression changed rapidly as they moved their lips but they didn't make any sound. They moved their hands and fingers as if they were doing a well-choreographed dance.

My mother touched my arm and whispered to me, "You know it's rude to stare at people, right?"

"What are they doing?" I whispered back.

"They're talking to each other."

"No, mom," I argued. "They're not saying anything."

"They're deaf," mom explained. "They can't hear, so they're talking to each other with sign language."

"Why can't they hear?"

"Some deaf people are born that way and others get sick and lose their hearing."

"Why can't the doctor fix it?"

"Well, some people are not completely deaf and they can use a hearing aid, but others can't be fixed so they learn sign language to talk to each other."

I will never forget the mixed feelings that swirled in my mind and I kept asking my parents about what deafness might feel like. When we got home mom handed me two cotton balls and said, "Put these in your ears if you want to find out what it feels like."

I did and it scared me that all I could hear was my heartbeat in my head. I saw my dog moving his mouth but I couldn't hear his voice. My cat swatted at him with mouth wide open but I couldn't hear her angry hiss. It felt awful, I felt alone in the silent world and removed the cotton balls quickly.

My parents always said, "You don't know what other people are going through until you walk in their shoes, so when I was older, I wanted to "walk in a deaf person's shoes" and decided to live in silence for an entire day.

I put swimmer's earplug in my ears that blocked even the loudest sounds. It felt awful not to hear the everyday sounds that I always took for granted. After about an hour I started to feel a little claustrophobic as well and I couldn't keep the plugs in for more than a couple of hours.

These experiences inspired my first children's book. The story is about a compassionate and clever little girl who found the way to communicate with her hearing impaired grandmother.

Click on this link to read a few pages from the book:

http://online.flipbuilder.com/qvwg/mceq/

Find this book in your favorite store:
https://books2read.com/u/4jKZP2

Order a signed paperback in my BOOKSTORE

This book is also published in Spanish, click to read pages from the book

http://online.flipbuilder.com/qvwg/ylyq/

Find this book in your favorite store:

https://books2read.com/u/3neQ2K

Order a signed paperback in my BOOKSTORE

One of my friends purchased the book for her niece and she sent me a picture of her husband and his friend. Watch the short video with a heartwarming message.

The history of sign language

I've found this very informative website about the history of sign language. It's so sad how badly deaf people were treated before it was understood what being deaf means.

"Early in human history, humans used simple sign language to express basic ideas. Even when vocal communication became the mainstream form of interaction, people would still use hand and facial gestures to enhance ideas in communication. When people were found to be deaf in ancient times, they were often persecuted and mistreated; therefore, deaf people were not given the chance to work on creating a language. This lasted until the 1500's Pedro Ponce de Leon, a Benedictine monk, created his own form of sign language to bypass his "vow of silence". This form of sign language may have been then taught to deaf children later on. In 1620, Juan Pablo Bonet wrote a sign language dictionary that outlined how to learn sign language and contained the first sign language alphabet. His sign language alphabet later influenced deaf communication when the first schools for the deaf were opened. In addition, Martha's Vineyard was an area that was settled by about 200 immigrants who carried dominant and recessive genes for deafness, so the inhabitants came up with their own kind of sign language and taught their descendants how to learn sign language."

If interested, read more on this website:

http://www.deafwebsites.com/sign-language/history-sign-language.html 

Sometimes we need a reminder to enjoy more that we can see, hear, smell, touch and move freely without restrictions and limitations. It makes us understand a little better what others, who can't enjoy this freedom, must go through.

How did it make you feel when you met the first deaf person?

COMMENTS

Erika M Szabo via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

A nice post about sign language

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Cristina Grau via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

A nice informative article about sign language.

 

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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Today on A Small Gang of Authors, author, illustrator and publishing consultant Erika M. Szabo talks about very special subject: "signing," and how she came to write her children's book, "Look, I Can Talk With My Fingers."
https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/2017/06/talking-fingers-ourauthorgang.html

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Mackenzie Flohr

1 year ago

 

A wonderful written article. When I was younger a classmate of mine taught me how to sign the alphabet. I later learned a cousin in the family was deaf, which I honestly never knew because she had learned how to talk similarly to Helen Keller.

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

Thank you Mackenzie! A lot of deaf people read lips and learn to talk very clearly. I met a young woman and I thought she spoke with a nice accent, but when I started talking and she watched my lips instead of making eye contact. That's when I realized that she was deaf.

Firetulip

1 year ago

 

Hearing impairment can come in many forms. I known of one girl who wasn't actually deaf, she could hear perfectly, but she suffered with Auditory Processing Disorder. Something between her hear and what her brain processed wasn't working and language came to her as a gibberish. she was in the regular school up until grade 7 or so, but she relayed too much on sign language that they had to put her into a special school to learn how to read lips and pick up on other non-verbal cues. With the Cochlear implants less hearing impaired people relay on sing language. I'm glad you put yourself or at least tired, in those shoes. I suffer from Tinnitus in my right ear and all I hear is humming all the time in that ear, but if the music is louder than the low hum, I can hear it just fine. It's a blessing in disguise because if there is any kind of noise I turn on my good ear and I block the sounds and can go to sleep. Doesn't work on my husband's snoring though.

Read more

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

There are so many types of hearing impairment, the link I added is a great website to find information. Sorry you suffer with tinnitus and it's great that you can look at it on the bright sire :) My father snored, and when I was a young kid, I could hear him from two doors down behind closed doors. Now I know he must have had sleep apnea, but he was never diagnosed.

Mary Anne Yarde

1 year ago

 

Fantastic post, Erika. Very insightful and a wonderful concept for a book. In the UK there is a BBC children's program called 'Something Special', which teaches basic sign language to children under 7.

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

Thank you Mary Anne! That's a wonderful program! Maybe there is one in the US too, I don't watch TV often

T.C. Rypel

1 year ago

 

Wonderful concept that combines compassionate understanding with a commercial, niche-market practical function. Kudos for this creation, with a special thumbs-up for seeing and filling an overlooked literary need at the kid-lit level.

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

Thank you Ted! Although this book is not about popular topic for children such as princesses and pirates, hopefully the story will deliver the message to be compassionate to others.

Joe Bonadonna

1 year ago

 

Very heart-warming indeed, Erika! Sign language was something I never learned. I grew up with a deaf kid, whose name was also Joey. He could read lips better than I can hear! "Look, I can Talk with My Fingers" is a very special book, and much-street cred to you for writing it.

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

Thank you Joe! Joey was lucky and sounds like he grew up with kids who accepted his disability. Unfortunately a lot of children have to face isolation and even ridicule. Hopefully, children who read my book will have better understanding of hearing impairment and accept others who happened to be deaf.

Cristina Grau

1 year ago

 

Very nice informative post.

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago

 

Thank you Cristina!