Friday, May 30, 2014

Interview with Austin Dragon, author of Rising Leviathan


 


ABOUT RISING LEVIATHAN

Title: Rising Leviathan
Genre: Science Fiction
Author: Austin Dragon 

Rising Leviathan is the latest sci-fi thriller in the After Eden series—a dramatic mix of politics, religion, and intrigue. The saga continues in the Russian Bloc (Yes, Russia “owns” Eastern Europe too) in the year 2096 with the inexplicable death of the Russian president. Or was it murder? As one leader falls, a deadly power rises. Will there be war or more than one? The march to the explosion of World War III continues— the first global war of the tek age, a hell we have never seen before.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?
Recently, I am most proud of completing three novels in 13 months as a new author.
How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
It started with my mother who taught me how to read before I entered kindergarten and encouraged my love of reading.
When and why did you begin writing?
I wrote my first book at 3 years old because I wanted to write a book too.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
(Answered)
When did you first know you could be a writer? 
It’s strange because I was writing full novels (mysteries) by elementary school. After the military, college and a year of living overseas, “life” happened as I started my career. After almost fifteen years of not writing any fiction, and to see where I am now, I’m incredulous that I ever stopped.
What inspires you to write and why?
Everything does. I get ideas from current events, conversations, spontaneously, all of sudden, etc. I write in the genres I personally love to read myself.
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
Now it’s science fiction and I will soon add mysteries, horror, and even political satire to the list.
What inspired you to write your first book?
It was supposed to be one of my “projects” for the year, along with skydiving and skiing. Just write one book, publish it to know the process, and move on. It has turned into what will be my second career.
Who or what influenced your writing once you began?
It was mysteries that were the catalyst for my early writing: Sherlock Holmes and the Hardy Boys especially were my favorites.
What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?
For me, it’s the “business of writing” that is always the most challenging. The good thing is that writers have more opportunities than ever before. The challenge is that the pool of writers is larger than ever in history—600,000 new titles each year according to Forbes. The biggest challenge for any writer is discoverability to readers.
Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it?
Do you intend to make writing a career?
Absolutely! I write fast and I can write in multiple genres.
Have you developed a specific writing style?
Not sure about that yet since I’ve been immersed in only one series so far.
What is your greatest strength as a writer? 
Speed (and no shortage of ideas).
What is your favorite quality about yourself?
My dedication.
What is your least favorite quality about yourself?
Slightly work-aholic.
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

(The Serenity Prayer) “Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, he courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr, Theologian,

…and “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” –Edmund Burke, statesman

Both encapsulate my world view.


ABOUT AUSTIN DRAGON

Austin Dragon’s After Eden Series includes Thy Kingdom Fall (Book #1), Stars and Scorpions (Book #2) and soon-to-be-released Rising Leviathan (Book #3). He is a native New Yorker, but has called Los Angeles, California home for the last twenty years. Words to describe him, in no particular order: U.S. Army; English teacher; one-time resident of Paris; political junkie; movie buff; campaign manager and staffer of presidential and gubernatorial campaigns; Fortune 500 corporate recruiter; renaissance man; dreamer.
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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Interview with Leonard H. Roller, author of 'Darklight'



Leonard H. Roller was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He holds a BA degree in journalism from New York University, an MA in comparative literature from Columbia University. He has worked as an actor and public relations executive whose clients included such stars as Audrey Hepburn, Kirk Douglas, Joan Crawford, Paul Newman, and others. He’s been a communications consultant for Lockheed, Mattel, and Hilton Hotels and Resorts. He has served as a French translator for the U. S. Army in France, where he spent leave time climbing in the Alps. The author of a communications training text The Profits of Persuasion  (International Resources, 1986), his poems have been published in The Lyric, Pearl, The Storyteller, Deronda Review, Ancient Paths, Snowy Egret, Space and Time Magazine, Thema, California Quarterly, and many others.

His latest book is a book of poetry, Darklight.

Visit his website at www.leonardhroller.com. 

Thank you for this interview!  I’d like to know more about you as a person first.  What do you do when
you’re not writing?

I read - mostly classics. (I suppose that sounds snobby, but the classics are good!) I try to see the world (not so easy. we fall out of the practice of really seeing things...). I spend significant time being with my wife, who is beautiful and of the tribe of angels, with Tascha, our German Shepherd who is probably more intelligent than I, our cat, Jake, who is certainly more neurotic than I, and trying to understand bureaucrats who may or may not be either.I also like to look at the night sky. There's so much in it...

When did you start writing?

At the age of six. I worte a 5-line Ode to Spring.

As a published author, what would you say was the most pivotal point of your writing life?

That's a tough one. The first time I realized the beauty and power of words.
If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing your next book, where would that be and why?

If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you do?

Being retired, I have enough time now, much of it wasted on trivialities, so I'm not sure that 4 more hours would make such a big difference.

Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?

On a distant planet, inhabited by truly intelligent life.

Back to your present book, (add book title here), how did you publish it?

Self-published through Friesen Press. I was too impatient to run the gauntlet of submissions to traditional publishers.

In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for research?

To faraway galaxies, black holes, the beginning and end of time. The fare was reasonable; i never left my desk.

Why was writing 'DARKLIGHT' so important to you?

I felt the stars needed a spokesperson.

Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think that is?

From God - that's as good an explanation as any. Most of them just find their way from my heart to my head. Why? If I knew the answer to that I'd either be the greatest poet who ever lived - or I'd stop writing.

Any final words?

The question sounds like what they ask a condemned prisoner before execution. The rest is silence.Oh...buy my book, I need the money.
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Monday, May 26, 2014

The Gifted: How to Live the Life of Your Dreams Book Blitz!


 We welcome Daphne Michaels as she celebrates the release day of her personal development/spirituality book, The Gifted: How to Live the Life of Your Dreams!


Title: The Gifted: How to Live the Life of Your Dreams 

Author: Daphne Michaels
Publisher: Daphne Michaels Books
Pages: 130
Genre: Personal Development/Spirituality 

Format: Paperback

BUY LINK:

Available in Paperback at Amazon: 
http://amzn.to/1mehbbL   

Book Summary: 




In The Gifted: How to Live the Life of Your Dreams author, speaker and licensed psychotherapist Daphne Michaels celebrates the nine gifts that are our birthright, guiding readers in how to recognize and use them to transform their lives.  In her author's preface, Michaels reveals how her own journey of life transformation began when she was young and realized that human existence wore two conflicting faces--one of love and joy, and one of fear and despair. She decided then to commit her life to reconciling these two visions because she knew that, irreconcilable though they seemed, together these two faces held the secret to living a life of endless possibility and authentic happiness. Her personal journey and formal education in social science, human services and integral psychology led to the founding of the Daphne Michaels Institute, which has helped hundreds of men and women design the lives of their dreams.



In The Gifted Michaels shows us that the first three “gifts” we must recognize and embrace within us if we are to re-design our lives are Awareness, Potential and Stillness. These three allow us to identify and use the remaining six with a life-changing power:  Disharmony, Harmony, Ease, Clarity, Freedom and Engagement.  Each of these six relies on the “essential three” for its own power to change our lives, and each has its own gifts--its “children.” By approaching the nine gifts with real-world metaphors, Michaels answers in easily understood ways what for many readers have been lingering questions about personal transformation—such as how it works, what kind of commitment it takes, and why, if we’re committed, real transformation becomes inevitable—and addresses obstacles that readers may have encountered in the past in trying to reach in life a happiness every human deserves.



While the human universe’s face of love is celebrated in The Gifted, so is the face of fear that haunted a young girl decades ago. As Michaels shows us in her book, even Disharmony—the “quagmire” of life born of the human ego’s fear, defenses, delusions and despair—is a gift, too, and one as important as the others if we know how to see it clearly and use it. Once we understand Disharmony, we are ready to understand the real purpose of Harmony in our lives. Disharmony does not need to rule us.  It is ours to use as we design the lives of our dreams. 



The final gift in The Gifted, Michaels tells us, is the gift of Engagement. Engagement—with the universe and with ourselves—allows us to use all of the other gifts with more power and joy than we ever imagined possible.



That mountaintop decision never left me. It drove my life’s work and over the years led me to understand that there are gifts – nine of them, in fact – that we are all born with but rarely experience in their full glory and potential. These gifts – which make each and every one of us “The Gifted” of this book’s title – are the keys to living lives of endless possibilities and, in turn, achieving an authentic happiness that cannot be lost. They are, in other words, the keys to achieving the life of our dreams.       
                                                                                                                                                                                           - Daphne Michaels 
 
Excerpt:




Life’s greatest mystery is inside us. It is inside every living thing. Like the deep secrets of the universe, the mystery inside us will never be fully explained. By exploring it, however, we can discover gifts available to us that can change our lives forever.

Life’s great mystery is awareness. More basic than thoughts and more primal than instincts, awareness does not require a centralized brain, as scientists have proven through studies with invertebrates like starfish. While these beautiful creatures have no centralized brains, they possess awareness. Starfish, like all invertebrates, use awareness to perceive, eat, grow, reproduce, and survive.

Awareness is so intrinsic to life that it defines life: living means being aware. From the beginning of life – before we take an initial breath – humans demonstrate tremendous awareness. Prenatal psychologists have discovered that we experience, while still in our mother’s womb, not only light and sound but, even more astonishingly, emotion. We kick our legs when agitated by loud noises and sway pleasantly to beautiful classical music. Months before birth we grimace at the taste of sour amniotic fluid and drink heartily when it is sweet. Awareness grows as we grow.

As we develop as human beings, our awareness stretches in all directions – from awareness of our five basic senses to awareness of external events around us, from awareness of our emotions to awareness of our thoughts, from limited awareness of a topic that bores us to an expanded awareness of topics we feel passionate about. Of all the many dimensions of awareness, the highest form is self-awareness. With self-awareness we begin to appreciate just how far awareness actually extends. Just as ocean waters are deeper than the surface of the sea, awareness is deeper than the surface of our physical body or our conscious thoughts. The infinite depth and breadth of awareness is filled with gifts that are ours to receive.


About the Author:







Daphne Michaels is an author, speaker and licensed psychotherapist whose institute has helped hundreds of women and men transform their lives through the "gifts" every human being is born with. Daphne began her own journey of transformation at a young age, pursued it fearlessly, and later studied formally in the fields of social science, human services and integral psychology. The Gifted: How to Live the Life of Your Dreams launches both Daphne Michaels Books and The Gifted series, whose goal it is to share with the widest audience possible the principles that guide the Daphne Michaels Institute. Daphne's earlier book, Light of Our Times, featured her conversations with such international figures in the fields of spirituality and personal development as Ram Dass, Julia Cameron, Dr. Masaru Emoto, and Thomas Moore.



Visit her website at www.daphnemichaels.com.

Connect & Socialize!

TWITTER | FACEBOOK


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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

The Disappearance of Jessie Hunter by Richard Williams

ABOUT THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JESSIE HUNTER

9781475999365_COVER_FQA.indd
Title: The Disappearance of Jessie Hunter
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Author: Richard Williams
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 174
Language: English
ISBN - 978-1-47599-936-5

  Jessie Hunter is spoiled and always has been. He is in college when his father unexpectedly dies, and he must return home to sort out the family funds. Jessie expects to become lord of the manor, taking over his father’s business and land and becoming the high-powered man his father always wanted him to be. But nothing is as it appears to be. Jessie soon comes to suspect that his father was murdered and that whoever killed his father now wants Jessie dead as well. He can’t be sure why, but he knows he’s being hunted and must go on the run. Jessie must place his trust in an estranged uncle he never knew in order to stay alive. Now in hiding, Jessie leans on others to find safety and answers. But how will this spoiled, sheltered young man be able to solve the mystery of his father’s death? In order to get his life back, Jessie must be strong or end up dead at the hands of his father’s assassin.

Purchase your copy:

iuniverse

I am always looking for a good mystery/suspense novel to get me guessing, and The Disappearance of Jessie Hunter is just that book. The plot is well written, the characters strong and well developed, just what you look for in a book that features death, murder, and hiding out to solve the murder of his father. After all, a life of privilege has been all he has known. I loved this book!

ABOUT RICHARD WILLIAMS

Richard Williams is also the author of the Guardians series. He and his wife, Janice, have two children and two grandchildren. They currently live in Mississippi with their two shelties.
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Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Interview with Frances Fowlkes, author of The Duke's Obsession


ABOUT THE DUKE'S OBSESSION

Title: The Duke's Obsession
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: Frances Fowlkes
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous
Language: English
Pages: 185
Format: Ebook

London 1818

An American Heiress Who Must Swallow Her Pride

Miss Daphne Farrington despises three things: England’s dreary weather, the grimy streets of London, and most especially the English aristocracy. Despite her misgivings, she must persuade the very English Duke of Waverly to save her family shipping business. If only she could ignore the way he makes her pulse race whenever she’s near him.

A Duke Who Must Overcome Her Prejudice

 Edward Lacey, the Duke of Waverly, is convinced that the lovely Miss Farrington, with her penchant for numbers, is the woman he’d like to make his Duchess. But unless he can convince her that not all English lords are callous, calculating rakes, a dark secret will ruin his chance at happiness.

  

AMAZON* BARNES & NOBLE

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?
Everything. Sixteen years of marriage and three kids has taught me how much I have to be thankful for. I’m proud of it all.
How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
My mom is a huge romance reader and her love of that genre, coupled with her leaving those same stories around the house for an impressionable young teenager to pick up, steered me toward writing love stories.
When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing with the intent of getting published around five years ago. I always wanted to write my own “Great American Novel”, so I set out to see if I could.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
When I realized it could get me a date. Yep. Back before text messages, there was this thing called ‘note passing’. And if you wrote your phone number on a piece of paper, you could get a movie and a meal with a cute boy. SCORE.
When did you first know you could be a writer? 
When I started writing a personal blog recapping my life as a young harried mother. My relatives were the only people reading it, but they all encouraged me by telling me how much they enjoyed my writing—and I thought, hey, I might be able to do this whole writing thing!
What inspires you to write and why?
Love. It’s a dang powerful emotion and I enjoy writing about the crazy ways it affects us.
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
Historical romance. Ballrooms, elaborate gowns, and archaic manners—what isn’t to love?
What inspired you to write your first book?
A really bad book. After throwing it against the wall, I challenged myself to write a better one.  And I think I did.
Who or what influenced your writing once you began?
Stephanie Meyers. Yep, the vampire lady. When I first started writing, “Twilight” was all the rage. I thought if she could be a mom to her three sons and write, what was stopping me?
What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?
Writing itself. Sitting my butt in a chair and forcing myself to focus on a blinking cursor and a blank screen is tough.
Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it?
Yes—that dreams can become a reality. If I set my mind to do something, lo and behold, it really can come true.
Do you intend to make writing a career?
I do. I have a second book in the words right now with a third simmering on the back burner. You haven’t seen the last of me, yet!
Have you developed a specific writing style?
Not yet. I do whatever it takes to get words on a page. If that’s through plotting, pantsing, or a combination of the two, so be it.
What is your greatest strength as a writer? 
Dialogue. I’ve been told it sounds historically plausible so I’ll go with that.
What is your favorite quality about yourself?
My impulsiveness. My spur of the moment vacations have often been our most memorable.
What is your least favorite quality about yourself?
Um, my impulsiveness. Sure, it brings excitement and adventure, but it also gets me in trouble. Sometimes I wish I could just stop and think things over first.
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?
Geez that’s hard! There are so many good ones out there, but there is one that makes me smile every time I see it: “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” –Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Thanks for having me! It’s been a blast!

ABOUT FRANCES FOWLKES

 Frances Fowlkes lives in South Carolina with her high school sweetheart, three red-headed sons, and a spoiled standard poodle. When not writing about ardent heroes or strong-willed heroines, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing with makeup, and planning her next vacation.

TWITTER *FACEBOOK* WEBSITE*GOODREADS

 

Don't miss out on great books from Entangled Publishing - Check out their Steals and Deals! 

Frances is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • 1 winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive each of the prizes
  • This giveaway begins May 12 and ends on May 23.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on May 24, 2014.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Guest Post from Katherine Perreth, author of Making Lemondade with Ben - Win a Kindle Paperwhite

Making Lemonade with Ben 

With deftly wielded humor and heart-wrenching candor, Katherine Perreth vividly recounts the myriad physical, mental, emotional and spiritual repercussions stemming from her son’s massive brain hemorrhage. Seven-year-old Ben suffers numerous disabilities and, later, mental health challenges. Yet, love wins. Making Lemonade With Ben is a compelling Cinderella story tracing sixteen years of Ben’s life. It begins with the night a University of Wisconsin Hospital neurosurgeon saved Ben, and follows Ben through young adulthood. Although he encounters years of substantial obstacles, in 2011 his never-say-die cheery attitude and uber-outgoing ways ultimately carry him to Washington D.C. There he represents the Madison Children’s Museum, his employer, at a national award ceremony. Wearing his ankle-foot-orthosis with a smiley face on the back, Ben juggles one-handed everywhere he goes, accomplishing his life goal: “Make humanity smile.” Universal themes of perseverance and compassion encourage readers to contemplate contemporary issues: mental illness treatment, recovery and stigma, the role of intentional employers in the lives of those with disabilities, and the success that can occur when a community values all of her citizens.

Purchase your copy:

amazon

Guest Post

I’m 53, and because of mental illness, I didn’t think I was going to make it out of my forties. The glorious day I hit 50, I felt I’d really accomplished something – chose to live long enough to gleefully exit that fifth decade.

At age 51, I reinvented myself by writing Making Lemonade With Ben: The Audacity to Cope (MLWB). At heart, it’s a love story with multiple threads. (The book also includes a cameo appearance by Johnny Depp. When Johnny hugs you at 4:00 in the morning, you know you have a story.)
I love new experiences, and MLWB has led to some oddities: having an Olympic-like medal placed around my neck for “Nonfiction: Inspirational,” and receiving a standing ovation. The latter occurred after Ben and I delivered the 2014 keynote speech for our local National Alliance on Mental Illness annual banquet. My uber-outgoing, cheerfully charming 25-year-old son, robbed of various abilities at age seven, and for a time, his speech, also juggled lemons one-handed on stage. (This had a great deal to do with that standing O I’m thinkin’.) You simply cannot stop Ben from communicating with humanity, pursuing his goal to make everyone smile.

People ask what my family thinks about MLWB. I gave my kids the three censorship options: Trust me, I’m your mother, read the entire manuscript, or read only the sections in which you feature. Ben read it all and offered insights, commentary, and clarifications, making MLWB so much richer. In fact, three of his essays are included, and I gave him the last word. My other two kids chose to read only their appearances, and approved them all – I threatened to stop cooking nightly dinners if they didn’t.
My husband read every draft, adding his voice while encouraging me to keep mine. Whenever I wanted to yank a section, because I felt too vulnerable, he talked me out of it. I took his advice except for the chapter entitled “A Woman Is A Woman.” He asked if I could at least blow up some shoes. Ain’t gonna happen.

People often muse that writing the book must have been cathartic. Actually, all the writing I did for years before beginning MLWB was cathartic. Organizing the writing, weaving in black, white and gray humor and my Creative Cathartic Vignettes, putting all that together into one hefty rectangle, was healing. I often say MLWB is my heart and soul in 3D – it may be a broken heart, but it has been soldered. 

In conclusion, I’m passionate about removing stigma from mental illness. The sooner we all understand that mental illness is just like physical illness, the better. Mental illness is nothing new, nothing to be ashamed about, is a global concern, and can be a killer – just like physical illness. 

Powerful good can happen when a community values all of her citizens through intentional employers and proper mental illness treatment and support. Ben’s life bears witness to that.



About Katherine Perreth

Katherine holds UW-Madison Social Work and Sociology degrees, is a reporter for her hometown newspaper, the Middleton Times Tribune, and conducts a class on reminiscence writing. In addition, in her role as administrative staff with WESLI (an ESL school on Madison’s capitol square), she deals in chalk. And paper. Oodles of paper. She recently took an EmptyNester Victory Tour with her husband of 28 years, but hasn’t yet changed the locks on their home. Their three kids can still get in. Her latest books is Making Lemonade with Ben: The Audacity to Cope Drop by to pay her visit at: www.katherineperreth.com.

Facebook * Goodreads

 

Katherine is giving away a Kindle Paperwhite!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • This giveaway begins April 21  and ends on June 27, 2014.
  • Winners will be contacted via email by July 2, 2014.
  • Winner has 72 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Friday, May 16, 2014

Guest Post from Peter Cassels-Brown, author of The Key


ABOUT THE KEY

Title: The Key
Genre: Inspirational
Author: Peter Cassels-Brown
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 80
Language: English
ISBN - 978-1-47593-797-8

“So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we have the key” -Eagles THE KEY is about finding that key, and freeing youself of your chains. It is about the alchemy of changing tension, anxiety, and stress into happiness, health, and prosperity. It is a compact manual for the human spirit, containing wisdom to help you realize your dreams. To discover one’s own true nature as a creator is to know the joy of an expanding universe in one’s heart. THE KEY is a compilation of nearly a half century of reading, thinking, conversations, reflections and experience, boiled down into a book that is eloquent in it’s simplicity, clarity, directness, and honesty. It contains essential wisdom that was at times hard won, but in the end, helps one to move toward a happier, healthier, richer life. We need a critical mass of people to reach this place of creativity and positive responsibility if we are to live in a world where creativity is the name of the game, and we are working together on a global scale instead of against each other.

Purchase your copy:

iuniverse

We live in a fascinating time in the overall history of human race. The amount of change in the last century is mindboggling. For one of the growing number of centenarians, I’m sure it has been an amazing time to be alive. To have been here to see some of the first automobiles, the industrial revolutions, a couple of world wars, the great depressions, the 50’s and 60’s, and 70’s, man on the moon, the cold war, Watergate, Vietnam, Hippies and the Fuzz, the internet, 9/11, the unfathomably widespread unrest breaking out all over the planet, and the global climate change to name a few things, must have been an amazing ride. My own brief life starting in the 1950’s has been amazing enough, and I trust it is nowhere near over yet, and it is only getting more interesting.

The time we are entering will eventually be regarded as the Great Transition. The focus of this time period is increasingly on information, energy, and communication. As if the internet and cell phones weren’t enough, there is also an emerging awareness/consciousness that has nothing to do with technology, except that technology will undoubtedly accelerate its spread. For better or worse, the Internet has become sort of the embodiment of our collective, conscious mind. You can ask it just about any question you can think of, and you will get an answer. It is definitely one step up from the Ouija’ Board (a big step).

In our everyday physical world, the shift is from the industrial age to the information age, and from a world fueled by finite, toxic, fossil and atomic fuels to one fueled by nearly infinite and non-toxic renewable sources. It is astounding to me the vehemence with which some people cling to the old ways when we have every reason to believe that the new ways are better. Granted, there are a few people who are benefitting from the system the way it is and are understandably reluctant to change it.
On the metaphysical level, we are undergoing a shift that is hard to quantify, but one that is undeniably real. We are getting closer to the realization of our potential as creators, of our individual lives as well as our global, collective live. There are those among us who have already realized their ability to create, and are showing the rest of us by example. There have been a few strong souls who have also modeled for us the perseverance to bring about constructive change. Civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, and some artists, musicians, and writers, have all been helping to shift our consciousness away from negativity and destructive thoughts and actions, toward a brighter better future/world for all of us.

I believe we are moving toward achieving a critical mass of positive, healthy, creative thoughts and actions as a species. Of course there are always the people for whom the only answer seems to lie in negativity, greed, destructiveness, and violence. I feel if we can just tip the scaled in favor of positive, healing, creative, prosperous, loving thoughts and actions, it will start a snowball effect that could  profoundly affect our future for the better. Once love and healing starts to gain the upper hand, it will be hard to stop. Why would anyone want to stop it anyway? When our energy is collectively moving in a positive, healing direction, we will begin to evolve at an ever-accelerating rate. I believe this shift/transition is upon us. If a critical mass of people can believe this and have faith in it, it will happen.

ABOUT PETER CASSELS-BROWN

Peter Cassels-Brown is currently owner of Mountain Woodworks/Green Mountain Renewable Energy, A custom design building renewable energy company in Bristol, Vermont. He studied solar design at the University of Vermont and went to Woodbury College for graduate studies in mediation. He currently lives in Bristol with his two children.
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Thursday, May 15, 2014

Shopping for a Lighter Cross by Dr. C Book Feature

ABOUT SHOPPING FOR A LIGHTER CROSS



9781475996821_COVER_FQA.inddTitle:
 Shopping for a Lighter Cross
Genre: Biography
Author: Dr. C
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 64
Language: English
ISBN - 978-1-47599-682-1
Everyone has life’s challenges and can face them with fear or with trust. I choose to look at them as experiences where God blessed me with His curve balls thrown in. These curve balls are not the negative, painful or abusive life experiences that I have lived through, but rather the unexpected, blessings, gifts, and graces God threw in to help me through the experiences. I believe that these curve balls were given so that I can witness to His great and awesome presence in and through the experiences, the people in those experiences and in myself as living through and surviving the experiences as a better, not bitter human being.

Purchase your copy:

iuniverse


ABOUT DR. C

The author lives in Aston, Pennsylvania with her husband John, their golden retriever Clover and their two cats: Duchess and Graygray. Dr. C is a Pastoral Associate/Spiritual Director for a Catholic parish in Delaware County and John works for the Federal Government. Dr. C graduated with her Doctorate in Ministry degree in May 2013.
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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Ghost Sanctuary by Becky J Book Review


ABOUT GHOST SANCTUARY

Title: Ghost Sanctuary
Genre: Non-fiction paranormal/occult
Author: Becky J
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Pages: 166
Language: English
ISBN - 978-1-49180-336-3

Ghost Sanctuary is a factual accounting of a family’s struggle with ghosts living in their home. The book explains in detail the happenings faced by the family and their reaction to the invasion of the spirit realm into their own. The book contains fascinating photo and video evidence of what the family has and continues to experience. The author identifies how her own belief in God and the afterlife has helped her to overcome and understand the trials and tribulations of her family’s ordeal.

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My Review

I have always been interested in the paranormal. I love shows such as Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventurers, Long Island Medium - you name it, I'll watch it. I was born in the caul and am not sure if I have the gift of 'sight' like is rumored - maybe a little too much of a Type A personality and not open enough to it. But, when I had the opportunity to read Ghost Sanctuary, I couldn't wait to jump in.

What would you do if you had ghosts/spirits in your house? This book is their story - a story of 10 years living with ghosts and the details surrounding their ordeal. Were the spirits good? Bad? There were some of each, but thankfully they were able to remove the negative spirits and learned how to adapt to the other activity they experienced.

Whether you have experienced paranormal or not, this book is extremely interesting. Maybe you have energy in your house and don't even know its there.

 

ABOUT BECKY J

Becky J. is an equestrian lover and spends her days in Western activities, teaching, riding, training, and breeding horses. For more information about her unusual nonfiction tale, please visit www.GhostSanctuary.com.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Interview with Cheri DeGroot, author of Dear Friend


ABOUT DEAR FRIEND

 
Title: Dear Friend
Genre: Non-fiction humanities
Author: Cheri DeGroot
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 60
Language: English
ISBN – 978-1-44016-146-9

Are you looking for a way to meet new people from all over the world, make new friends, and help others? The solution is simple and affordable—become a pen pal. In Dear Friend, author Cheri DeGroot shares the joys and rewards of becoming a pen pal and provides tips on sharing friendships through handwritten letters. Based on fifty-three years of personal experience as a pen pal, DeGroot details how her lifelong passion for pen palling began and how her friendships with people from all over the United States have helped her through life’s good and bad times. This guide demonstrates the positive aspects of pen palling—from sharing news of family, hobbies and emotions to expanding their knowledge by learning about different cultures and different people. Stressing the importance of communication, Dear Friend reveals how becoming a pen pal can help those who are lonely to find friendship, love, and happiness through the power of the written word.

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iuniverse

What has influenced your writing?

I believe writing since I was ten years old has influenced my writing quite a bit as I truly love it and it has grown on me.

Why did you write Dear Friend?

I wanted others to know what a joy it is to write. Writing to me is a gift in itself I find when I started writing the words just came out so clear on the paper. Everyone always told me I was born to be a writer.

Have you ever experienced writer's block?

Well sometimes when you want to write a story on someone you know what you want to say. But the words you wanted to write were holding you back it like having writers block. If you leave and come back later you find the words will come back.

What is in your future?

Well I would like to write another book on pen palling in the future, as all my pen pal friends liked this one so much.

Where do you like to write?

I like to write in my office mostly where it is quiet and peaceful I write what I feel and I find writing from your own personal experiences. I really don’t have a specific style.

ABOUT CHERI DEGROOT

Cheri DeGroot loves writing letters and journals of her life. Pen palling helps her make new friendships by reaching out through written letters and by computer. DeGroot has initiated several pen pal clubs. She has three grown children and seven grandchildren and lives in Milverton, Ontario, with her husband, Joe.
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