I met a Man… #Poetry
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posts that cover a multitude of fascinating subjects
The Enthusiasm Wagon…
Here we are again, it’s Monday, the sun is shining, every reason to feel optimistic…
But I don’t. Somehow, I fell off the enthusiasm wagon over the weekend. Not sure why, for there didn’t seem to be a reason. Maybe I just needed to chill out for a bit.
Trouble is, today, I can’t seem to find that bloody wagon!
I have been feeling a little uneasy lately, but nothing I could put my finger on. Just enough to make my thoughts wander. I need to be more organised, have more work scheduled, already written, that sort of thing. This simply must happen if we want to move on, or up in the writing world.
Marketing has been a bit of a non-entity this year, and for the life of me, I cannot remember when it stopped being at the top of our must-do list! These days there are so many things going on, it has become difficult to string several thoughts together in order to trigger the creative process.
Apart from the garden, which does see me occasionally. More duty than inspirational though, despite managing to grow our first tomatoes, as they must be watered. But for those few minutes, as I wander around spraying water, something magical happens and I come back inside in a much better mood.
Now the weather is getting warmer, I think I will be working/writing outside. I’m not sure if this is where the enthusiasm wagon is parked, but it’s definitely not in my office!
Macro Monday…
Silent Sunday…
What a Difference a Day Makes…
That lovely productive mood that I have been basking in lately, took one hell of a tumble yesterday.
We had already started with some of the bad news a few days before but managed to cope.
Yesterday, the full force of the meaning of bad, hit us with both barrels.
One by one, and spread over the course of a week, four members of our family have been hit by the covid virus. Two of them are quite vulnerable, which was even more worrying.
Then came the news that our only breadwinner’s wages this month turned up with several hundred pounds missing. Turned out to be a clerical error, but no chance of amending this until next month. We are not a wealthy family, constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul, if you know what I mean. My sister and I are pensioners on a permanent budget, so looking to help replace this shortfall took some doing, and will involve rationing everything for a few weeks.
Drama taken care of, I couldn’t relax. What if the error wasn’t corrected next month? I had visions of us all sharing a tin of beans and/or going hungry.
This morning, the mood seems to have lifted. The sufferers are fighting the virus and feeling much better, thank heavens! We have also managed to convince ourselves that all will be well and the money will be reinstated next month.
Writing was the last thing I wanted to do yesterday, and that didn’t help my mood either… but today already feels more positive on that front, so I already have my happy hat on!
Awake… #Poetry
Wake up, you’re not dead You’re dreaming The ghosts you see had their time My bones ache from walking I see new faces through the fog They smile, then vanish It’s as if I’m walking from room to room Families seated at their dinner tables Then the screaming starts Drumming against my ear Then I could see the bodies, heaped in a pile The screaming came from the women Their mouths a giant O Their eyes blank white orbs I wake to my own screaming So glad I was only dreaming… ©AnitaDawes2022
Dead of Winter: Journey 14 ~ The Veil ~ #Teen & Young Adult Ghost Stories eBooks @teagangeneviene
Book Description
From the very beginning, a prophecy from a creepy voice threaded throughout this story. “Winter is coming!” it warned. As the Journeys progressed, we became aware of additional related prophesies like one of the “lost white brother” and “the frozen sands.” Both of those are touched on in this concluding novella.
Other threads from the previous thirteen Journeys also come together in this volume, which concludes Dead of Winter.
.As many readers said they don’t want these Journeys to end, in the final chapter, I added hints about potential future adventures for many of the characters. These are food for the imagination of readers, so that the story can continue in the mind.
.This has been as much of a “journey” for me as it was for Emlyn. I’ve seen truths about myself along the way. Perhaps the same applies to you.
.“Who can say? What is true for us? That with which we are born? Or that which is the manifestation of our heart and soul? I like who and what I am, as well as the way I see the world I see around me, when I am a dragon.”
.Thank you for being an important part of the Journeys of Dead of Winter.
Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene
Out Thoughts for Dead of Winter 14
The penultimate episode set even more questions.
So many problems to be resolved
So much truth to be discovered
The final episode has been a long time coming…
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As this episode begins, the land seems to be holding its breath.
Mist travels down the mountain and through the trees, reinforcing the belief that the forest is haunted.
When the veil separating the Realms of the Living and the Dead from the Realm of the Dead was broken, life had become unbearable. Something had to be done, but who was strong enough to defeat Arawn, the King of Hell?
Warriors are preparing themselves, and in the calm, before the storm Emlyn is visited by her late mother, Eriu, who explains what happened all those years ago, and why she must help Boabhan and rescue her from Arawn.
My favourite part of this series was the developing story of Emlyn and Lucetius, although I was left wanting more. Maybe another story?
The author has excelled with this series. Every scene is worthy of the silver screen. Heartbreaking moments and devastating losses come thick and fast as one by one the obstacles are met and then defeated, leaving just the veil to be rebuilt.
Can Emlyn, a twelve-year-old child succeed where all else has failed?
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An amazing epitaph for the series. Vividly dramatic, remarkably tense, an amazing, well-written story…
Teagan Riordain Geneviene
Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene is the acclaimed author of the epic high fantasy series, “Dead of Winter.”
Teagan lives in a “high desert” town in the Southwest of the USA. She had always devoured fantasy novels of every type. Then one day there was no new book readily at hand for reading — so she decided to write one. And she hasn’t stopped writing since.
Her work is coloured by her experiences from living in the southern states and the desert southwest. Teagan most often writes in the fantasy genre, but she also writes cosy mysteries. Whether it’s a 1920s mystery, a steampunk adventure, or urban fantasy, her stories have a strong element of whimsy. That element is also present in “Dead of Winter” but the whimsy is presented in a serious way.
Founder of the Three Things method of storytelling, her blog “Teagan’s Books” contains serial stories spontaneously written according to “things” from viewers. http://www.teagansbooks.com Some of those serials have been rewritten into books, like “Hullaba Lulu,” “Brother Love, a Crossroad,” and the series “Pip’s Three Things.”
Major influences include Roger Zelazny, Agatha Christie, Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, and Charlaine Harris.
See book trailer videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoM-z7_iH5t2_7aNpy3vG-Q?disable_polymer=true
The End is Near…
The new me seems to have acquired a deadline.
I have recently discovered that coming to the end of writing the end of your WIP is a fascinating experience, although in some respects, quite sad too.
This is a new feeling for me and surprising, for I am writing my sixth book!
All I remember about finishing those was an immense feeling of relief. I wonder why I feel differently about this one?
But I digress…
Creating a satisfying ending for all the characters you have come to love (or not!) involves some serious decisions. Will they walk into the sunset, happy and fulfilled, or will they face a difficult ending, one they didn’t see coming?
As a writer, you end up being judge and jury as you decide their fate. I love being in charge, all the creation, the character development, the sadness and the joy.
Each story I write will be totally different to anything I have done before, even if the genre is the same.
Different people’s lives and situations, all living and breathing and all under your control.
Being a writer must be the best job in the world!
All this productivity is having a knock-on effect on everything, and although I welcome all this mental activity, I am having trouble understanding why I end up with so many more plans than those I started with. Usually, having nothing to do with what I am doing at the time. So much for not having so many irons in the fire!
Finishing one job lands me among all those ghosts of other projects I either made a mess of or have completely forgotten about.
My mind does try, bless it, to think along dual idea lines, and I have had serious talks with the muse, to stop cramming my head with so many ideas, to at least wait until I finish one!
Holy Orders… #Poetry
Our Review for Between the Vines by Staci Troilo ~ #Contemporary Romance ~ @stacitroilo
When you grow up on a vineyard, you learn the grapevine can’t always be trusted.
Elena Santucci is one of the best wedding planners in the Keystone state—ironic, as she doesn’t believe in love. Why should she? Rumors cost her all meaningful relationships, sending her into the arms of one loser after another until she swore off men entirely. Now she spends her days helping brides put together dream days… even though she suspects they’ll all lead to nightmares.
Aaron Kennedy looks like a tough-as-nails cop, but he’s got a marshmallow for a heart. One that’s recently been roasted over the coals by Heather, his former fiancée. After discovering her affair with his best friend, he broke off his engagement and swore off women—at least for a while. When his sister asks for help with her wedding plans, he can’t say no. Then he learns the wedding is at Blooming Valley Vineyards, and his former crush is the event planner. Maybe this is fate telling him not to give up so quickly.
Just when Aaron starts to break through Elena’s icy shell, Heather comes back into his life with an unbelievable story—one Elena seems to support. Rumors travel the grapevine faster than he can make sense of them. He needs to discover the truth before his one chance at happiness withers on the vine.
Find your copy HERE
Our Thoughts
I don’t often read romantic stories, for like Elena, the heroine of this story, love hasn’t been kind to me.
On a good day, I do still look for it, which is why this is the second story I have read in the Keystone Couples Series.
Romance is a funny thing, so many things can ruin your chances.
Unusual circumstances, strange coincidences and jealous people almost wrecked every chance for Elena, and my heart went out to her as she struggled to create perfect fairy-tale weddings for other people in the course of her job, knowing she would probably never walk down the aisle herself.
Luckily, love will usually find a way, for even the most stubborn of hearts…
All three stories in the Keystone Couples Series were wonderful romances and well worth reading…
Words on Paper 