Our Guest Today is Author J.A. Clark #OurAuthorGang

Author J.A. Clark

J.A.Clark was born in Australia and grew up in England and Southern California. Sports is a passion, but writing is what is in her heart. She's dreamed of writing since 7th grade after reading  Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. She currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, two dogs, and two cats.  Elementals: Coming of Age is her debut novel.

J.A. would love to hear from her readers. Contact her at

http://www.facebook.com/jaclark1962

http://www.twitter.com/JACLARK1962

http://a.co/2b9f7CA

Excitement consumes Catharine Steele as she follows in her father's footsteps, becoming the youngest space flight commander in the history of the military. She hugs her father tightly before boarding the monorail heading to her first command. She is ignoring the unexplainable dark shadows out the corner of her eye that started the morning of her twenty-fifth birthday. After boarding, she meets young commander, Andrew Westlake, and strong feelings stir deep within her. That night, terrifying nightmares of warning began. She had no idea she was destined to meet another man whose love she would deny. At the age of twenty-five, she would change the course of her life and the lives of others.

An excerpt from Elementals: Coming of Age....

            "It has been two hundred years since humans have fought against one another over land, greed, or religion. Overpopulation of Earth is no longer a threat to our beautiful planet. Humans have colonized the moon and Mars. Advancement in science and technology allowed space travel within our solar system. Enormous cargo ships harvested frozen planets and asteroids for their water. Construction of great domes on Mars allowed humans to plant life to flourish, no longer worrying about depleting our food supplies. Earth has healed, plant life flourishes, and the air we breathe is as clean as when the dinosaurs roamed."

Life in the ER #OurAuthorGang

Life in the ER

by

Erika M Szabo

http://www.authorerikamszabo.com

I've been a nurse all my adult life. Taking care of the sick is hard, challenging, yet the most rewarding profession. Sometimes I cry with the patients but sometimes it makes me giggle when things turn out funny because of a simple misunderstanding.

I'll share some of the funny stories with you:

I checked on my patient at lunchtime and I saw that she didn't touch her meat. I asked, "Are you a vegetarian? She looked at me and replied, "No, I'm Presbyterian."

I placed my stethoscope on an elderly, hard of hearing lady’s chest and I instructed, “Big breaths.” She sighed and said, “Yeah, they used to be big and firm.”

After all heroic measures in the ER the doctor had to tell the wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. She cried, and I walked her out to the waiting room where her family waited anxiously. She told her family sobbing that her husband had died of a "massive internal fart."

A woman came in with upper abdominal pain and nausea and I was giving her the ordered medication. “I have your medication, it is Pepcid for your stomach,” I said.
She thought for a second and asked, “Is Pepsi better than Coke for stomach pain?”

I asked an elderly man about his medical history in triage. When I asked if he has angina, he indignantly replied, “No, I'm a man! I have a penis.”

A young boy was wheeled through the door by the EMT. The boy was on his stomach, crying in pain. Another boy about 13-14 years old trailed behind them rubbing his face in distress and cried out, "I'm in so much trouble! Good Lord, I'm in so much trouble! Are you okay Joe?" he rushed up and looked his buddy in the eye. "I hope you're okay because I'm in big trouble!"
Joe barked at him angrily, "You bet your ass you're in big trouble! You shot me!"
I looked at the EMT who couldn't keep a straight face and blurted it out, "No, it's not a GSW, his buddy shot him in the butt with a nailgun."

In my romantic, historical fantasy the main character, Ilona, is a doctor and some scenes play out in an Emergency Room:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DCVRRK7/

A young doctor, Ilona, is thrust from her easy and steady life and forced to face the unknown. She must uncover ancient tribal secrets but doesn't know about her heritage besides legends and rituals concealed as nursery rhymes by her mother. In her quest to protect her family and the future of her people, she obtains unimaginable abilities. She can use her powers for absolute good or absolute evil; the choice is up to her. Ilona’s birthright as a Healer runs alongside her desires as a woman. She must sort through her feelings about the men in her life. Travel with Ilona from the time her people were nomads, to the castles of the 14th century, to present day, as she struggles to overcome the obstacles placed in her path.

“This is so different from the usual fare churned out by ordinary writers.” -Valerie Byron 

“The characters felt real, and the secrets are alluring. You will get hooked in right away.” -Brenda Barry 

“Szabo introduces readers to a fascinating world of ancient rights conducted by a secret order.” -J.E. Rogers

Angel Lore: part 2 by Toi Thomas #OurAuthorGang

from Pinterest via Flickriver: VNV Nation - Darkangel

Today, in part 2 of my Angel Lore series, I’ll be sharing more angel knowledge with you from the letters F – J, as I work my way through the alphabet (see part 1 here). But first...

The story within my Eternal Curse Series started from a dream I had about a gray man who later turned into an angel. The crazy thing about it is, I don't actually believe people can become angels. When I started writing the first installment of the series, EC: Giovanni's Angel, I knew I'd have to take my personal beliefs and mash them up with 'what ifs' and influences from other lores to make up the compelling story I felt developing in my mind.

Later, I tried to think back to my childhood and remember where the fascination with angels started. I don't recall thinking I had a guardian angel growing up, at least, not until I was a preteen. Growing up in a large family and being around babies all the time, I remember someone telling me that the reason babies often stared into space and giggled at nothing was because they were innocent enough to see the angels and that the angels were playing with them.

To many people, this scenario is a far out idea. To think that our perception and maturity affects our literal ability to see what's around us and the notion that angels are among us is a lot to accept. I would learn later in life that my notions and ideals of angels were not the norm around the world. Not everyone believed what I believed, so that made me wonder even more.

Do people who don't believe in angels lose their angels or do they never have them to begin with? What's the point of having a guardian angel if you can't interact with them? Perhaps, there isn't just one angel to watch over just one person; maybe it's more of a grouping effort. Perhaps one angel watches over several people because divine power allows them to multitask at a measure that is beyond human understanding.

These and so many more questions fuel my fascination with angels, and these are only the questions I have from a Judeo-Christian point of view. There are so many more to consider, but you'll have to wait till part three to discuss some of my other queries... On to the list.

The Fall, has one of three distinct meanings in relation to angels, some more popular than others, but here they are. 1) The Fall of Lucifer from grace/Heaven. 2) The Fall of Angels/The Sons of God who took human wives against God's will. 3) The Fall of man/humanity when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit (tempted by Satan in the form of a serpent).

The idea of a guardian spirit/angel dates back to the beginning of time, long before it was fully established as a popular Christian idea. In ancient Mesopotamia, massar sulmi, were the personal gods that looked after individuals. An, almost, ancient theologian named Origen can be credited for all those cartoons of little angels and devils on either side of a characters aiding them with the decision to do the right thing or be bad.

Did you know there is a hierarchy of angels? Well, actually, there are several, but the Dionysian one is the most popular. This doesn't necessarily mean that not all angels are created equal in value, but it does define the complexity of each type of angel. I guess historians and theologians figured that if animals and plants were going to be categorized, so should the greater/higher beings leading right up to God. Plus, this idea reflects the social or caste systems of many monotheistic religions where not all gods are created equal.

Here's a bit of name play for those not familiar with bible stories. Jacob and Israel are one in the same, but to explain why here would take too long. There's a bunch of Greek and Hebrew translations involved along with a family saga, a 'calling' from God, and a name change. In any case, I mention it here because aside from it being the name of a country, it's also the name of an archangel. Israel is the angel of praise or the "one who calls the angels to praise", also known as Uriel.

Speaking of Jacob; have you ever heard of a Jacob's Ladder? Aside from being a cool science experiment, it started out as a vision of angels ascending and descending from Heaven, which Jacob had on his way to fulfill is destiny...

Well, that's all I have for today. Stick around this blog so you don't miss part 3 down the road.

Be sure to check out my Eternal Curse Series?

Book 1:
Giovanni is a creature out of time. Mira is a doctor trying to classify him. Beauty and the Beast meet Jekyll and Hyde in this paranormal tale with romantic and biblical influences.

Book 2:

A tale for fathers, sons, and daughters, this epic saga touches the past and future. The story of Giovanni will bring you to tears as loss and duty blur the lines of hope for what is to come.

The Eternal Curse series was my first book and series I ever wrote and to know that someone liked it meant the world to me. It's currently unavailable pending a rewrite in order to align it with new developments in the 3rd installment. If you'd like to read the first two books and offer me your feedback, please consider joining my email list to receive a free digital copy. 

Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads | The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

#cursescanbebroken, #angels, #wings, #Pinterest

COMMENTS

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Nikki McDonagh

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Dreams as inspiration for stories! Fabulous. I wish I could remember mine in such detail.

 

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Grace Au

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Thanks for sharing, Toi. I have a fascination with angels, too.

 

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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Wednesday on A Small Gang of Authors, Toinette Thomas​ -- author of the "Eternal Curse" series -- continues with part of her article on Guardian Angels, the Hierarchy of Angels, and the 3 aspects of The Fall from Grace. Please, check it out. Thanks!

 

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Joe Bonadonna

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

This is great, Toi! I liked you're discussing of Guardian Angels, and especially the hierarchy and the 3 aspects of The Fall. I am so looking forward to part three.

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Toi Thomas

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

I'm so happy to continue my exploration of angel lore, sharing some of the cool things I've learned in part of this series.

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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

More on angles and the inspiration for her book, from Toi Thomas.

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Ruth de Jauregui

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Oh that is fascinating. And I do believe in guardian angels -- mine probably has migraines. Or maybe there's a rotation so they don't get burnt out because Lord knows I've had some adventures along the way...

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Toi Thomas

1 year ago

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I hadn't considered the rotation theory. I like it!

Mary Anne Yarde

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

I love your posts, Toi!

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Toi Thomas

1 year ago

 

 

Thank you. I try to make them a mix of facts and my personal rants... I mean my geekdom. ;)

Erika M Szabo

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Great post! I could never be sure if I have a guardian angel or not, but I had a few events in my life that made me a believer. One morning everything that morning delayed me leaving for work such as my dog pooping on the carpet which needed cleaning up, I spilled coffee on my uniform and had to change, so I left the house 20 minutes later than usual. Two miles from my house there was an accident which claimed a driver's and a passenger's lives and two people were critically injured. The EMT I knew said that accident happened 20 minutes before. Another time I was at work and the supervisor noticed that I didn't have my badge on. I remembered putting it on the dashboard, so I headed out to the parking lot to get it. Before I reached the door, a patient's cardiac monitor beeped and I went to check. A few minutes later I went out. There was a thunder storm and I saw my Subaru from the door with a large tree branch sticking out the windshield on the driver side. Had I been in the car looking for my badge, the branch would have gone through my chest. Coincidences or my guardian angel watching over me? Who knows...

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Toi Thomas

1 year ago

 

 

I love stories like this. It really makes you question the actions we take in life and all the things that happen around us that could change our fate at any moment.

Rich Feitelberg via Google+

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

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Rich Feitelberg

1 year ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Did you happen to see the movie Jacob's Ladder? Has some stark images in it.

And it doesn't matter if others believe what you believe. That's why diversity is cool. I can appreciate your beliefs even if I don't share and vice versa.

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Toi Thomas

1 year ago

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I have not seen Jacob's Ladder, but I have heard of it. And you are right about diversity. Sometimes the thing I enjoy most about a story is seeing someone else's beliefs or point of view on a particular matter that is different than mine. For me, it's not about trying to have the same opinion or change people's minds, it's about being exposed to a different mind set and appreciating that difference whether I agree or not. I have so many ideas floating around in my head that I never would have had, had I not been exposed to different social, cultural, and even religious influences.