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Exploring reality?

Published on by Kathy Lauren Miller1 Comment

Dreams, those fields of wonder. This is a thought provoking post by Sue Vincent.

Sue Vincent's avatarSue Vincent's Daily Echo

flowers moon 020It was one of those conversations where a simple thought ended up taking us a long way. There had been a dream… one of those where it seems more real than reality and a lifetime is lived in the space of a night, and though completely out of context in terms of the waking self, it has its own validity and depth.

In such dreams you have relationships… ones that feel, to the dreamer, to be as full and rounded as in an ordinary day. That’s where the discussion started. How do relationships work in dreams? They are built on memory… How can a dreamer have memories of events neither their dream-self nor their day-self has experienced? And if that is impossible, how can there be relationships of love, friendship, fear? And yet, when we dream, we feel them. An interesting one to ponder…

You could put it down to…

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All Hearts Beat the Same Within#WritePhoto

Published on by Kathy Lauren Miller12 Comments

She is crouching beneath the rock’s overhang.  Her long, bushy tail is curved around her newborns. She growls deep and fierce, showing teeth and fangs.  We’d seen her mate, cold and stiff among the tumble of rocks below, a single splotch of blood at his temple.

“They shoot coyotes on sight here,” Beth whispers to me.

“I’ve heard as much,” I whisper back.  The she coyote’s wolf-like eyes bore into mine. My heart, a mother’s heart, pangs for her. She will starve now, she and her pups.

“The hunters should have finished the job. She won’t leave them. Now they will starve or be ravaged by other animals.” Beth grimaces.

“We should do something, Beth. Bring food. Leave it where she can easily get it.”

“That will bring other predators, Kate. It’s nature’s way.”

“And we’re the predators in this case, Beth. Why must they be killed? I don’t get it. Coyotes have as much right to live as any other creature on this earth,” I whisper, though my words have an edge to them.  I’ve held the female’s stare. Her growl is reduced to a low rumble in her chest. Does she sense we will not harm her? Does she sense we are females, mothers?

“I hate this too, Kate. I’m not sure what, if anything, we can do to help her.”

“We can try, Beth. I, I just can’t go on as if nothing happened, knowing she and her pups are at risk.” I slowly sling off my backpack. Opening it, I take out my plastic lunch box. Tearing the turkey sandwich into small bits, I set them out near the over hang.

“Okay then, let’s do this.” Beth tears off bits of her sandwich. “If she and her pups are still here and still alive tomorrow, we’ll leave meat.”

“She’s a mother. We’re mothers. I mean, within our chests, our hearts beat the same. We are creatures of this earth, all of us.”

 

 

 

Bellman & Black

Published on by Kathy Lauren Miller2 Comments

Anything by Diane Setterfield is worth the read. I loved The Thirteenth Tale. This is one I’d never heard of. It’s now next on my TBR list. Can’t wait!

theopinionatedreaderblog's avatarThe Opinionated Reader

17571907Title: Bellman & Black

Writer: Diane Setterfield

Publishing House: Atria

Date of Publication: November 5th 2013

Rating: 5 stars

‘’In the few minutes since the boys had left the place, rooks had come. They circled above the oak, fifteen or twenty of them. More were arriving from all directions. They stretched across the sky, loose skeins of dark marks, converging on this place. One by one they descended to alight in the branches of the tree. Ordinarily such a congregation would be accompanied by the noise of strong chatter as the birds flung sound at each other like gravel. This gathering was different: it took place in intent and purposeful silence.

 Every bird on every branch was looking at his direction.’’

First things first. This novel is the very definition, the epitome of the Victorian Gothic story. It is the child of a contemporary Dickens, a dark masterpiece by one…

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How To Tell If Your Writing Has Slipped Out Of Deep POV

Published on by Kathy Lauren MillerLeave a comment

A must read for writers! Keeping the reader engaged is what all writers aim for. The Deep POV is how it is done.

K.M. Allan's avatarK.M. Allan

Ah, deep POV. It’s something I’d never heard of when I started writing and was something I wasn’t even doing a year ago.

Since learning this wonderful writing trick (which you can read about here), I’ve added a new depth to my writing and upgraded to being a serious writer.

As with any new skill learned, writing in deep POV isn’t automatic for me yet and it gets drowned in my natural writing tendencies to clutter my scenes in stage directing, skip the showing for telling, and forget that deep POV exists. That’s the way I write my first few drafts and what I need to edit out in later drafts.

If you find yourself in the same boat, trying to hunt down all the places you’ve slipped out of deep POV, these tips may help you get back into that writing sweet spot.

Check Your Info…

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The Deep Blue Clarity#Writephoto

Published on by Kathy Lauren Miller3 Comments

WE are bound to the land, though our souls long for the deep blue

WE are drawn to it, pulled by memories buried deep in our DNA

WE linger on the sand, our toes curling, grasping for purchase

WE wade into the white froth, each step a homecoming

WE are fearless as we dive into the aqua waves, eyes open

WE  undulate, borne by liquid love, free of gravity at last.

 

 

The Time Slip Castle #WritePhoto

Published on by Kathy Lauren Miller15 Comments

Never before, have I been to this castle

yet I seem to know it

the sounds, the smells,

The voices,  I’ve heard in my dreams

the past pulls at me

I touch a cold, stone wall

time slips, and I find myself there

a ghost among ghosts

I reach out, grasping air

Time folds back, I am here and now

Yet, the memories remain

both sweet and bitter

 

 

 

 

 

Kindlepreneur- Guest Post by Andrew Joyce…

Published on by Kathy Lauren MillerLeave a comment

Andrew Joyce’s post on Amazon Key Words is a must read for all writers. Thank you Chris, and thank you Andrew. Great post.

Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatarChris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

You would think that after ten years in the writing racket I’d know a little more than I do. Well, then you’d be wrong. Every day is a learning experience. That’s why I’m such an avid fan of The Story Reading Ape, or, as he is affectionately known to his peers, Mr. Ape. Not a day goes by that he does not enlighten us with articles on the many ins-and-outs of self-publishing. Sometimes he’ll even throw in a chuckle or two by posting pictures of cats (ya’all know what I’m talkin’ about).

Anyway, I’m here today to tell you about a few things I recently learned that are going to help me sell more books going forward. Some of the things were known to me, but I was too lazy to delve into them (i.e., research them). Others came as a complete surprise. I’ll tell you what they are and…

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Dreams of Rivers and Streams #PhotoWrite

Published on by Kathy Lauren Miller12 Comments

WE were wild as Indians, then

traipsing ancient paths

into the shadowed green

where hollowed out logs

became resplendent canoes

ferrying us down the stream

where tunnels of fallen boughs

arched like bridges above

oh, how we did dream, then

of bows and arrows and painted men

There was magic in those days

I need only to close my eyes

To go back, again.

 

#Throwback Thursday for Our Review of Fractured Lives by Sue Coletta @SueColetta1 #Mystery Thriller

Published on by Kathy Lauren Miller1 Comment

This is a terrific review. I don’t often read thrillers and mysteries, but this review convinced me to this novel.

Jaye Marie & Anita Dawes's avatarJaye Marie and Anita Dawes

Fractured-Lives-with-KW-logo.jpgThree couples, the perfect Maine vacation, and a fateful night that lands one of the women in mortal danger.   Couples are going missing in Sunset Cove at Long Lake, and the authorities seem more concerned with not tarnishing the reputation of their popular tourist destination. Until … while out for a spin on her wave runner, Shawnee Daniels pulls alongside a deserted canoe.    Blood stains the seat.  

 When retired SEAL Brandon “Boomer” Rayne wakes to an empty bed—his bride-to-be Daphne nowhere inside their rented cabin—he enlists the help of the only people he’s met in the state: the couple next door, Shawnee Daniels and Revere, Massachusetts Detective Levaughn Samuels.   Uncertainty bonds the two neighbors, forced together by tragedy.

Their predicament turns even deadlier when the half-nude body of a female washes ashore. No obvious signs of homicide exist. How did she die? Does her death relate to Daphne’s disappearance?   Time’s running out.  

 Can they piece…

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