Abuse, Addiction, Author Promotion, Authors, Books

Meet Guest Author, Patrick A. Roland…

April 30, 2017 Tina Frisco 9 Comments

Patrick A. Roland had been the victim of pranks, slurs, beatings, and deadly games all of his life. His self-esteem was nonexistent, and he increasingly yearned to die. At the age of 40, he nearly realized this desire, but providence intervened. Visit The Story Reading Ape‘s blog and read about Patrick’s excruciating journey through darkness and emergence into light…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

My name is Patrick A. Roland. I am a bi-polar, alcoholic, drug addict widow who is sober happy and healthy.

I use these powerful, stigma-filled words and identify myself in the brave and powerful way I do because I am taking my life back. If I own who I am, I can no longer be undone and broken by others in the way that I have been all my life before I boldly and loudly proclaimed my truth. I am no longer a victim of my past. I am now a survivor, dancing swiftly and joyfully into a future filled with possibility.

I’m doing what I do to save myself and others like me from the pain and hurt caused by name calling and abuse. I am beautifully broken and perfectly imperfect and I don’t care if you know it. I am not afraid of who I am, and it…

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Photography

Blumen Baden~

April 29, 2017 Tina Frisco 19 Comments

Cindy Knoke is traveling and sharing all the lovely photos she’s taking along the way. She’s currently in Baden-Baden, and these gorgeous flowers are on the Lichtenthaler Alle along the River Oos.

Baden-Baden is a spa town in southwestern Germany’s Black Forest, near the border with France. Its thermal baths led to fame as a fashionable 19th-century resort. Alongside the Oos River, park-lined Lichtentaler Allee is the town’s central promenade.

ENJOY!

Cindy Knoke

Baden-Baden’s spring bloom is just beginning.

The tulips on the Lichtenthaler Alle,

a strolling avenue and park,

that follows the River Oos,

are beginning their splendid spring bloom.

The park,

created in the 19th century,

is a wonderland of exotic plants and flowers.

Cheers to you from Baden-Baden’s glorious alle~

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Author Resources, Editing

EDITING 101: 35 – Using the five senses…

April 28, 2017 Tina Frisco 12 Comments

In Part 35 of her Editing 101 series on The Story Reading Ape, Susan Uttendorfsky discusses using the five senses in our writing. I especially enjoyed her examples for the sense of smell, e.g., A gym bag in September that hasn’t been emptied since June. Visit Chris’ blog to read the rest of this superb article and link to the previous 34 in this series…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

Originally posted as the Dun Writin’—Now Whut? series on this blog, EDITING 101 is a weekly refresher series for some of you and brand new for others.

Courtesy ofAdirondack Editing

Using the five senses

I love it when an author decides to use the senses in writing their descriptions. It’s so rarely done, it seems, that it keeps the story fresh and exciting for me. Let’s talk about some ways to incorporate each of them into your descriptions—without going overboard, of course! Nobody wants a blow-by-blow listing of everything your main character smelled in a day, especially if he’s a homicide detective in the morgue!

When using any of the senses in writing description, you want to remember “Show, don’t tell” to get the most effectiveness out of it.

Taste

Your first cup of coffee in the morning—does anything taste better? Or, on the other hand, it can be your biggest…

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Author Promotion, Authors, Books, Music

Tell Me a Story Returns

April 26, 2017 Tina Frisco 24 Comments

Annette Rochelle Aben kindly invited me to be interviewed on her blog talk radio show, Tell Me a Story. Annette is such a delight to talk with. Her extensive experience in the media industry is obvious in the way she presents herself and puts her guests at ease. We talked about my books and music, and she invited me to share one of my songs. I’m posting the lyrics below, as I’ve found it frustrating when listening to a song I really enjoy but cannot understand the words being sung.

Thank you, Annette, for all the support you give to so many. Your Angel Messages and Attitude of Gratitude are but a few ways by which you share your bright light with the world. It was an honor to be on your show.

Please visit Annette’s lovely blog and leave your comments there ❤

Weaver of light

Maybe it’s a matter of time, maybe it’s a matter of place
Matter it’s a matter of heart
For the ones left behind, insufficient of mind
Who are eased by your grace

Maybe it’s a matter of chance, maybe it’s a matter of plan
Maybe it’s a matter of love
For the ones who can’t speak, who sit silent and weep
And reach out for your hand

Rest your heart a while
Rest your heart a while
Dreamer and knight
Weaver of light
Cast your smile
And rest your heart a while

Maybe it’s a matter of will, maybe it’s a matter of yield
Maybe it’s a matter of hope
For the ones we intern, disremember and spurn
Who inspire your ideal

Maybe it’s a matter of worth, maybe it’s a matter of flair
Maybe it’s a matter of joy
Knowing all that you give, in the way that you live
Is a consummate prayer

Maybe it’s a matter of pure, maybe it’s a matter of rare
Maybe it’s a matter of peace
To receive who we are, every virtue and scar
And acknowledge we dare

Rest your heart a while . . .

Painting

Introducing – Random Creations by Emily…

April 25, 2017 Tina Frisco 9 Comments

The artwork of Emily Gmitter is exquisite. Vibrant, mystical, and totally awesome, Emily sees the world in scintillating arrays of majesty. Please visit her FACEBOOK page and indulge your senses. I assure you, it will brighten your day. Thank you to The Story Ready Ape for hosting this outstanding artist 💚

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

My name is Emily. Some of you know me as Zoe’s human (Zoe the Fabulous Feline).

Zoe has posted a couple of stories about my artistic adventures and included photos of the relevant paintings, that were well received; which led me to think about offering my art for sale.

Please visit my Facebook art page Random Creations by Emily to view samples of my work.

Let me know what you’d like to see hanging in your home, and I will create a unique piece of art for you.

Message me through my Facebook art page to tell me your idea and/or attach a photo, and I’ll get back in touch with you for a more detailed discussion.

If you see an existing piece you like on my FB page, message me to check availability and pricing.

Any existing piece can also be reproduced in a different size and/or color scheme…

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Drugs, Health

This antibiotic will ruin you.

April 22, 2017 Tina Frisco 20 Comments

If you have taken fluoroquinolone antibiotics (e.g., Cipro, Levaquin, Avalox), BEWARE. Amy Moser details the devastating side effects she endured, necessitating 20 surgeries. Should you be skeptical of this information, she lists myriad links to fluoroquinolone warnings. And since fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs damage mitochondrial DNA, parents should take special heed…

Mountains and Mustard Seeds

4739 Hi there, we need to talk. My name is Amy Moser. I have almost written this post at least 20 times and got too overwhelmed and abandoned it. Well here goes…

The antibiotics you took or are taking for your sinus infection, UTI, skin infection, laser eye surgery…ect…may have already damaged you.

Cipro, Levaquin, Avalox, nearly every generic ending in “quin”, “oxacin,””ox,”…are all part of a large family of antibiotics called “Fluoroquinolones.” The FDA finally updated their warning on these antibiotics as of July 2016. They site “multiple system damage that may be irreversible. Permanent you guys. Here is the link for the warning if you are a doubting Thomas: https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm500143.htm. Take a gander real quick if you are reading this with an eyebrow raised. Trust me, I wish I had been given the opportunity to soak up this information before it was too late.

In 2010, I took…

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Homeless, Poetry, Poets

DARK RAVEN

April 11, 2017 Tina Frisco 42 Comments

Unless we are enlightened beings, losing a loved one is devastating. My friends of 40+ years lost their younger sister a few days ago to necrotizing pneumonia. The onset was sudden and death came quickly. I am grieving.

I am also remembering those who daily face the danger of losing their lives in the blink of an eye, because they live on the streets. They are called The Homeless. They are the unseen. Judged and neglected, they have as much a right to life, prosperity, and happiness as those of us who meet our basic needs without giving a thought to those who scavenge for their daily bread. And they are brilliant.

On April 6th, my dear friend Sue Dreamwalker published a post about the GallyBloggers. who share thoughts and poems written by the homeless on the streets of the UK. Their excellent works are a testament to the fact that poverty and ignorance do not go hand in hand.

I hope you will visit their site and offer your support to these most deserving poets. I also hope this post will serve as a memorial to my friends’ departed sister ~ loved and cherished ~ who is not departed at all…

Read Sue’s post HERE

Author Promotion, Authors, Books

Choosing Keywords – Guest Post by Jaq D Hawkins…

April 8, 2017 Tina Frisco 11 Comments

Jaq D Hawkins has a fabulous guest post on The Story Reading Ape about choosing keywords. How can we learn which words readers are using to search for books? Jaq has some excellent suggestions. I also found this post by The Wildheart team, where they suggest using Google’s Keyword Planner 😊

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

We’ve all dealt with it. We get our book files ready, check one last time for any typos that might have slipped through, get a cover file ready and write the crucial blurb that will sell or fail to sell our book… once someone actually sees it.

Then we get down to the line for selecting keywords and the fate of the book’s discoverability lies in the careful selection of a few words or terms that we predict people will use to search for a book just like the one we’re about to upload.

On Amazon, usually the seller that results in the largest percentage of sales, we get a limit of seven words or terms. How do we choose the keywords that will bring our book to the attention of our target audience?

I’ve read countless articles on choosing keywords from blogs and author groups, all giving advice on…

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Author Promotion, Authors, Book Reviews

#Book Review – #Better Blogging with Photography by Terri Webster Schrandt

April 6, 2017 Tina Frisco 30 Comments

Although I don’t own a smart phone or digital camera (yet!), I’m very interested in photography for many reasons, not the least of which is to generate my own photos for use on my blog. I’m so impressed by Terri Webster Schrandt‘s book, Better Blogging with Photography, that a digital camera has just moved to the top of my Absolutely Have to Purchase bucket list! Read on and learn why…

Purchase Better Blogging with Photography HERE

*************

My 5-Star Review

A Gem of a Little Guidebook

If you’re considering using photos on your blog to generate readership/sales, or simply to make your website more attractive and appealing, reading this book will ignite your enthusiasm and give you the tools needed to begin.

Terri Webster Schrandt has condensed her knowledge of photography and blogging into a terrific little resource guide. Better Blogging with Photography outlines how to upload print copies of photos, take and curate photos using a mobile phone or digital camera, and acquire photos from contacts or garner them from the Internet. Included are websites that offer free images, and the author wisely cautions to always check the rights and restrictions for each image. She also describes how to edit your photos and suggests downloadable software that’s either free or at minimal cost. An added perk is the chapter on links and resources.

Schrandt has managed to encapsulate the basics of her subject matter into a 50-page comprehensive guidebook. Whether you’re new to blogging or well-seasoned, Better Blogging with Photography will set you on the right track to enhancing the appearance of your website and increasing your readership. I highly recommend this book.

Terri Webster Schrandt’s Links: Website/Blog Amazon Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google+

Author Promotion, Authors, Book Reviews

#Book Review – #Meno-What? by D.G. Kaye

April 6, 2017 Tina Frisco 71 Comments

As I read D.G. Kaye‘s memoir, Meno-What? my mind flooded with images of the hilariously popular Carol Burnett Show. I saw Carol Burnett and Vickie Lawrence spoofing all the physical and emotional changes a woman can expect upon reaching menopause. Candor, humor, and helpful hints abound. I found this book incredibly valuable.

Purchase Meno-What? HERE

*************

My 5-Star Review

Navigating Menopause with Poise and Humor

I wish I’d had this book when I was going through menopause! It would have validated all I was feeling and given me some inventive ways of coping with the inevitable changes looming on the threshold of female maturity.

In her memoir, Meno-What? D.G. Kaye speaks frankly about the hormonal changes that launch a war against our physical, emotional, and behavioral stability. She humorously refers to them as the “meno dragons,” a term that will be appreciated by any woman who has reached this stage in life.

Kaye outlines, chapter by chapter, the various changes that challenge our bodies as well as our sanity and self-image. With candor and humor, she tells us how each change affected her body, threatened her vanity, and braced her determination to face each one with an eye toward melioration.

She coins some pretty hilarious terms in describing these changes. “Circumference expansion” and “meno muffin” refer to our broadening midsections. “Fatback” and “muffin tops” describe the love handles bestowed to our bra lines. “Bottoms down” laments the loss of firmness in our posteriors. “Fred Flintstone feet” bemoans the abhorrent increase in shoe size. And “the Sahara effect” aptly portrays those dreaded, uncomfortable hot flashes.

Avowing “That isn’t going to happen to me” did not preclude menopausal changes for the author, but it did firm her resolve to deal with them naturally and creatively. When all is said and done, Kaye states, “. . . we should always just be grateful that we are still on the right side of the green.”

Being an R.N., I knew quite well what lay ahead in my life. What I didn’t know was how menopause would affect me personally. Chock-full of helpful hints, this book serves as both an eye-opener and a lifesaver. It is compact, easily read within an hour or two, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.

TINA FRISCO

Meet Guest Author, Patrick A. Roland…

Blumen Baden~

Cindy Knoke is traveling and sharing all the lovely photos she’s taking along the way. She’s currently in Baden-Baden, and these gorgeous flowers are on the Lichtenthaler Alle along the River Oos.

Baden-Baden is a spa town in southwestern Germany’s Black Forest, near the border with France. Its thermal baths led to fame as a fashionable 19th-century resort. Alongside the Oos River, park-lined Lichtentaler Allee is the town’s central promenade.

ENJOY!