A Golden Age #ourauthorgang

By Rich Feitelberg

feitelberg.net

I populated my fantasy world with nine races of various types, which I described in my last post. They had little contact with each other to start because were separated geographically.

Eventually, however, other races began to change this and caused havoc. Orcs burned and cleared the forest, causing the elves to go to war with them. And goblins moved into the hills near the dwarves stronghold, raiding their hunting parties, and in some cases, their mines as well. The dwarves had no tolerance for this and went to war with the goblins.

Lizard men lived in desert and other inhabitable environments keep to themselves, but were hunted by dragons as abominations of the saurians blood line. Many dragons believed at this race is the result of magic spells going horribly wrong.

Ogres and giants occupied mountain locations and fight among themselves.

Against this background humans emerged, establishing the city of Davenar. Soon they made friends with the elves, who teach humans magic. The humans helped control the orcs and goblins, bringing some measure of peace to the land.

Humans and elves collaborated more and more and a golden age began where the threats in the world were minimized and the joys were maximized.

Then in an act of hubris, the wizards of Davenar attempted to put an end to war with a spell of peace and prosperity for all. The spell went horribly wrong, and the city was destroyed unleashing demons upon the land. Some humans survived to father other groups in later years.

But the damage was done. The Golden Age was over and the elves rose to the challenge, doing battle with the demons.

What happens in this series of conflicts is the subject of my next post and forms a key piece of the background for my fantasy novels, the Aglaril Cycle. Hope you’ll join me to learn more about one of the major events that shapes the world forever.

A Small Gang of Authors: Anxiety #OurAuthorGang

A Small Gang of Authors: Anxiety #OurAuthorGang: Anxiety By Christina Weigand Finding a topic to write about for this post is giving me a lot of anxiety. So I decided to return to...

Anxiety #OurAuthorGang

Anxiety

By Christina Weigand

Finding a topic to write about for this post is giving me a lot of anxiety. So I decided to return to a post in my journal, written for a seven day workshop earlier in February. Through this post you will learn a little bit about my past. This post is about, you guessed it, some anxiety I experienced about seventeen years ago, when I had a new baby and was at a crossroads in my life with one path leading to my writing career and I'm not sure where the other one went since I didn't travel that path.

It had been almost seventeen years since I had an infant in the house. I was fresh off of being laid off from a job I thought I was meant to have. We had taken my second son to his first year of college while the oldest son was already away at college. My oldest daughter was a sophomore in high school and we were hosting an exchange student from Germany for the year.

See seventeen years. We had none of the accouterments a newborn needed, and everything had changed so much in those seventeen years anyway, so if I had anything left over it probably wouldn't have worked anyway. My older daughter, Katie had a baby shower for me, but I still felt totally unprepared for the impending addition to our family. So I had two teenage girls, one of them a stranger, and two sons in college, and I was pregnant. To top it all off in my eighth month we moved into a new house. Unprepared would have been an understatement.

To say the least, I spent many a sleepless night. I would lay in my bed in our new house, both before and after the birth and thoughts would assault my mind. With every little pain or cry of the new baby, thoughts of dying before my child would grow up haunted my sleep. Was the baby okay, would I live to see the morning? Inky black invaded my mind, blocking the hopes and dreams for this child. Angry, onyx dragons fluttered in my chest, breathing became difficult. Dank, fetid swamps pulled me into their dark depths as I inhaled the brackish waters.

I tossed and turned hoping a change of position would dispel my fears. Alas it was not meant to be. It finally reached a point with a new baby and little sleep overwhelmed me and I went to see my doctor. I was diagnosed with anxiety. What was he talking about, I didn't think I was feeling that anxious. When I told my father he agreed. I got the prescription that the doctor had given me anyway. The medicine helped a little and I was able to get some more sleep.

Over the next few years the symptoms eased and I no longer feared going to sleep. Oh there were some nights when I would have an attack, but overall the medicine helped. Fast forward six years: My husband, youngest daughter and I moved across the country, something that we had not done our entire lives (husband and I were on the verge of turning 50) to a city where we knew no one. My daughter made the transition easily. She was six and in first grade, so just starting to make friends. My husband and I did not have such an easy time transitioning to a new life without the family support network we had before we moved.


One day I was cleaning. I had chest pains and my husband rushed me to the emergency room. Thankfully it was not a heart attack. But it was a resurgence of my anxiety. The doctor changed my medication and for a while it worked along with some other coping skills I had developed. There was one big downside though; the medicine pretty much turned off my emotions. By this time I had started writing. Can you imagine being a writer and not being able to feel any emotions. I talked to the doctor again and we agreed that I should stop taking the medicine.

Since that time I have learned how to recognize when an attack is creeping up and what steps to take to head it off at the pass, before it immobilizes me. My choice for medication these days is prayer, specifically praying to Mary for intercession for my relief. Usually it only takes saying the "Hail Mary" one or two times and my heartbeat slows and my breathing evens out. Sometimes it takes a few more, but it has been a long time since I have had one of those attacks that so haunted me seventeen years ago.

I'm sure I will never be completely free of the anxiety, but with some safeguards, like lavender lotion, chamomile tea, turning off my computer by 8:00 and trying to read a little before I go to sleep and of course prayer, I can hope to minimize them.

Melrose Abbey and the Scottish Borders #Scotland #History #OurAuthorGang

Melrose Abbey

(St Mary's Abbey, Melrose)

by Mary Anne Yarde

I have a bucket list of historical buildings that I want to visit ~ No jumping out of aeroplanes for me ~ I would much rather explore the remains of ancient castles, battlefields, and abbeys. At the very top of my list was Melrose Abbey in Scotland.

Why Melrose Abbey? To be fair, I have no idea. I do have a bit of a thing for ruined Abbeys, always have. Maybe, in this case, it has something to do with Robert the Bruce ~ his heart is buried at Melrose. Or perhaps, it is because when asked to name an Abbey in Scotland, Melrose is the first one I think of. Whatever the reason, it was on my must see list.

We spent two nights in the Scottish Borders and boy did we pack a lot in. But I was determined that one of those days was going to be reserved for Melrose.

We woke up bright and early on the day we had planned to visit Melrose. The weather was fine, a little bit on the chilly side, but at least it wasn’t raining. We packed the kids in the car, put Melrose in the Sat-Nav and off we went. But the thing is with Scotland, you can't drive 100m up the road without a sign pointing to yet another historical site, and I am afraid, we did get rather distracted. But it was so worth it for views such as this...

Our first stop of the day turned out to be an unplanned visit to Hermitage Castle. Hermitage Castle has a rather sinister feel to it ~ it certainly has a rather gruesome history...there was that whole witchcraft incident in the 14th Century, which saw the Lord of Hermitage, William De Soulis, boiled in lead by the locals ( or so the legend goes).

  Hermitage Castle
(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia ~ My photos were a little blurry!)

Once we had explored Hermitage Castle we were back on the road heading for Melrose ~ but then we saw a sign to Jedburgh Abbey ~ so of course, we had to visit that as well.

 Jedburgh Abbey

And then while we were there we visited Mary Queen of Scots House ~ it would have been rude not to. When I say Mary’s House, it wasn’t actually hers. She just so happened to visit a sick friend there once.

So much for taking the day to explore Melrose!

We finally arrived in Melrose in the middle of the afternoon. Melrose is a small town but the amount of traffic was staggering, and there didn’t seem to be an awful amount of parking, but as luck would have it, we finally managed to find a parking spot. For a moment I didn’t think we were going to.

Melrose Abbey was stunning. As soon as I entered the property I had a stupid grin on my face ~ I had finally made it here! My husband, bless him, knew how much I was looking forward to visiting Melrose, told me he would take care of the children while I took the audio tour. So while he and the kids went on a hunt for the bagpipe-playing Pig and other such notes of interest as pointed out by the children’s quiz, I took my time and explored the Abbey.  The audio tour brought the Abbey back to life for me, and I learnt a lot about the Cistercian monks and lay brothers that once lived there. I am sure this new knowledge will make its way into a book one day! 

We spent just over 3 hours at Melrose and I enjoyed every single minute of it. I could have spent longer there, but the road was calling us as our next stop over was in Ayr and that was a good three hours away.

First published on Myths Legends Books & Coffee Pots 03/10/2016

The Du Lac Princess

 (Book 3 of The Du Lac Chronicles)

Readers' Favorite 5 Stars
Chill with a Book Readers' Award 2018
Chill with a Book Cover of the Month 2018

The ink has dried on a Amandine's death warrant. Her crime? She is a du Lac.

All that stands in the way of a grisly death on a pyre is the King of Brittany. However, King Philippe is a fickle friend, and if her death is profitable to him, then she has no doubt that he would light the pyre himself.

Alan, the only man Amandine trusts, has a secret and must make an impossible choice, which could have far-reaching consequences — not only for Amandine, but for the whole of Briton.

Amazon

Crystal Healing #OurAuthorGang

Crystal Healing

By Erika M Szabo

http://www.authorerikamszabo.com

Did you have a rock or crystal collection when you were a kid? I had, and I was especially fascinated by sapphire. My aunt gave me sapphire earrings for my 6th birthday, hoping that being a tomboy, I would wear it and start to be interested in "girlish" things.

Well, it didn't turn me into a "girlish" girl, but I managed to free the stones from the gold setting and I held them often, rolling the smooth, oval-shaped gemstones between my fingers.

Perhaps I knew it by instinct that I'm prone to develop thyroid problems, asthma, and upper digestive tract problems? I may never know.

I believe there is a primal connection and we know it by instinct that holding certain color crystals make us feel better. Maybe that's why as grown-ups, we’re so enamored by crystals and gemstones.

Red and black 

Healing crystals: hematite, black obsidian, red zincite, garnet, and smoky quartz. 

Health problems: constipation, diarrhea, piles, colitis, Crohn's disease, cold fingers and toes, urinary frequency, hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney stones, impotence, hip and leg problems.

Orange

Healing crystals: orange calcite, vanadinite, and carnelian.

Health problems: pre-menstrual syndrome, problems with menstrual flow, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, irritable bowel syndrome, endometriosis, testicular and prostate problems.

Yellow

Healing crystals: citrine, yellow jasper, and golden calcite.

Health problems: diabetes, pancreatitis, liver disease, peptic ulcer, Celiac disease, and gallstones.

Pink & green

Healing crystals: rose quartz, tourmaline, aventurine, malachite, and jade.

Health problems: heart diseases, immune system related problems, possibly fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, allergies, and breast cancer.

Blue

Healing crystals: sodalite, blue calcite, blue kyanite, sapphire, and blue turquoise.

Health problems: Thyroid problems, anorexia, asthma, bronchitis, hearing problems, tinnitus, upper digestive tract problems, mouth ulcers, sore throats, and tonsillitis. 

Indigo

Healing crystals: lapis lazuli, azurite, and suqilite.
Health problems: tension headache, migraine, visual defects, short-sightedness, glaucoma, cataracts, sinus problems, and ear problems.

Violet, golden-white

Healing crystals: amethyst, white calcite, and white topaz. 

Health problems: depression, Parkinson's disease, Schizophrenia, Epilepsy, senile dementia, Alzheimer's, many mental disorders, confusion, and dizziness.

Are you fascinated by any specific color crystal or gemstone?

Besides being fascinated by Natural Healing, I write fantasy and children's books.  
Click to read my portfolio: http://online.pubhtml5.com/ahsh/mobl/

COMMENTS

Erika M Szabo via Google+

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Like crystals? Find out why :)

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Erika M Szabo via Google+

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Crystal Healing #OurAuthorGang
Crystal Healing By Erika M Szabo http://www.authorerikamszabo.com Did you have a rock or crystal collection when you were a kid? I had, and I was especially fascinated by sapphire. My aunt gave me sapphire earrings for my 6th birthday, hoping that being a t...

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Grace Au

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Love, love, love this post, Erika! I'm a total believer in the properties of crystals. I have a plate filled with different ones in different categories, as you've written. My favorite is rose quartz and my clear crystal quartz point that was given to me by a rock seeking friend from Arizona. They are beautiful and when they are cleansed and charged by the energy of the sun and/or moon, their appearance is incredible. Thank you so much for this post.

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Erika M Szabo

11 months ago

 

 

It is fascinating that your favorite is rose quartz because it's related to immune system problems, possibly fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue. Keep it with you always :)

Grace Au

11 months ago

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In my pocket! 😁

Rich Feitelberg

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

I have lots of these; one of the side effects of having a fantasy series featuring precious gems, people think you're into or collect rocks and crystals. I don't really but they look nice is a glass jar.

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Erika M Szabo

11 months ago

 

 

I don't write about crystals in my fantasy series, I'm just fascinated by precious gems :)

Nikki McDonagh

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Very informative post , thanks, Erika.

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Mary Anne Yarde

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Such a wonderful and fascinating post, Erika!

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Toi Thomas

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

I was always fond of quarts; still am. What a cool post letting me know that my childhood rock collection may not have been all that childish.

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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Erika shared her knowledge of crystals and healing with us today. Fascinating stuff!!

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Ruth de Jauregui

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Blue -- and wow, I have thyroid problems. Maybe I should get that bit of turquoise out again...

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Lorraine Carey via Google+

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Crystals have so the power to do unbelievable things! Great Post, here!
#healing #crystals

Erika M Szabo originally shared this

 

Like crystals? Find out why :)

 

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Rebecca Tran

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Need a little relief from your ailments this winter? Erika Szabo shares an interesting post on crystal healing on Our Author Gang today.

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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Today in A Small Gang of Authors, Erika M. Szabo​ talks about crystals and crystal healing, something very close to my heart. Truly fascinating!

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Eva Pasco

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

I was also fascinated by rocks and had a few collections.  To this day,  I love garnets.

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Joe Bonadonna

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Thank you for posting this, Erika. I find this very interesting. As you probably know, I started using crystals as part of my magic system. Fascinating stuff!

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Chris Weigand

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Wow cool stuff. I always try to explore different crystals and stones and minerals for my books so I can create unique places for my cultures to live. Amethyst has been one of my favorites for the caves of Dun Dealgan where the Mantion live.

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Chris Weigand shared this via Google+

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Rich Feitelberg shared this via Google+

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Eva Pasco via Google+

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly

Erika M Szabo originally shared this

 

Crystal Healing #OurAuthorGang
Crystal Healing By Erika M Szabo http://www.authorerikamszabo.com Did you have a rock or crystal collection when you were a kid? I had, and I was especially fascinated by sapphire. My aunt gave me sapphire earrings for my 6th birthday, hoping that being a t...

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