Book Review | Blue Star Visions

Jun 16

How Dune brought Sci-Fi into Recognition

By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review, Writing | No Comments

Recently, a friend read my novel Call of the Wind and said she didn’t know why it was called a space opera. I explained what the term meant and told her Star Wars, Star Trek, and Dune were space operas. I thought some of you might also be wondering what the term means.

Here is what I found online. A Space Opera takes place in spacefaring civilization set in another time and often in another galaxy. It has epic characters, a big universe, empires, and political conflict. It has space battles, a love story, princesses, strong handsome heroes and beautiful, feisty heroines, and powerful villains. Technology is secondary to the story compared to hard science fiction. Adventure is secondary to war compared to military science fiction.

The term space opera started out with negative connotations like soap opera, but as the genre became more popular the term lost its derogatory meaning. One of the books that helped space operas become accepted was Dune. A new version of the movie Dune was released recently, and I happily watched it on my plane flight to St. John in January.

The movie inspired me to reread Frank Herbert’s novel Dune. The book brought science fiction into recognition as an important genre in the same way as J. R. R. Tolkien’s Hobbit brought fantasy into recognition. Dune came out in 1965 and by 1970 it had sold 10 million copies. It has been made into two movies and a TV series.

At the end of the novel, Frank’s son Brian Herbert wrote an Afterword. In it, he says that as a child the characters in Dune competed with him for his father’s affections. Frank Herbert spent more time with Paul Atreides (the fifteen-year-old main character) than he did with his son Brian. It took 9 years for Frank to research and write the book, including four years of research.

Frank Herber didn’t have an easy time getting it published. His agent submitted it to twenty different publishers. It was finally picked up by Chilton Books, known for their auto repair books. It was rejected partly because it is 215,000 words—most books at the time were a quarter to a third that length. It’s also a complex novel with many new words. Initial sales were slow but it won the Nebula and Hugo awards for best novel of the year and sales started rising.

Frank Herbert continued the series with five more books. Brian Herbert finished the sixth book in the series after his father died.

So science fiction writers have a lot to thank Frank Herbert for in bringing sci-fi out of the ghetto of literature.

Click here for a link to the trailer of the movie Dune

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Oct 26

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The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review | No Comments

The Travelling Cat Chonicles

It was heart opening, uplifting and a little sad. When I finished I even went back and reread parts of it so I could appreciate it better in the context of the whole book.

I just finished reading The Travelling Cat Chronicles and found the ending quite moving. All the pieces of the stories and characters came together and I understood in a deeper way what the story was about.

The author, Hiro Arikawa, is Japanese and I read the English translation. The story begins in Tokyo and continues (as the title suggests) with the main characters (Satoru and his cat, Nana) traveling through Japan. In the course of the story the reader learns about the Japanese people and their culture.

The novel is told from the viewpoint of Nana, Satoru, three friends and his aunt. The story premise is simple: Satoru can’t keep Nana anymore so he visits three friends, attempting to find a new home for his beloved cat. The mystery that draws the reader forward is why Satoru can’t keep Nana.

On Nana and Satoru’s journey, we learn about Satoru’s three friends and his youthful adventures. We also learn that Satoru is a good person and loyal friend.

The book is written in simple language in the Japanese tradition of folkloric tales with illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Although it has special appeal to cat lovers and others who love animals, the message is much deeper. It’s about love, friendship, courage, heartache, self-sacrifice and the challenges of life and death.

I found the book a little slow at first—pleasant, but not a page-turner. I could easily set it down. Later I was sorry I read it in pieces. It was such a beautiful book I realized I’d missed some of the treasures, which is why I went back and reread parts.

I don’t want to say more and spoil it for you, except to say read the book as you would poetry or a fable. Savor each character’s story and reflect upon them as you read. How does it relate to your own life experience, friendships and experiences with animals?

Let me know what you think of the book after you read it. I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts and insights into its deeper meaning.
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Jan 28

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Book review: Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by F. Batmanghelidj
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review | No Comments

Your Bodies Many Cries for Water

Years ago I heard about Your Body’s Many Cries for Water. At the time I thought, “What’s to learn, other than it’s important to drink lots of water?” So I didn’t buy the book.

Years later my husband listened to a two-hour talk on YouTube by Dr. Batmanghelidj and told me more about the doctor’s background and medical research.

He was born in Iran and educated in Scotland and England. He was working in Iran when the Iranian Revolution broke out in 1979 and placed in the Evin Prison as a political prisoner for over two and a half years. While he was incarcerated, many people were ill and the only thing he had to treat them with was water and salt. So he used these to treat many painful ailments.

For example, he successfully used water to treat 3,000 people who had stress-induced peptic ulcer disease. The prison turned out to be an ideal “stress laboratory” to do research on water and salt to prevent and relieve many painful degenerative diseases.

After his release, he escaped Iran and came to the United States where he continued to research the effect of chronic dehydration on the human body. This led to an understanding of how the human body works, and to the realization that dehydration causes pain and many degenerative diseases, such as asthma, arthritis, adult-onset diabetes, lupus and multiple sclerosis. His message to the world was, “You are not sick, you are thirsty. Don’t treat thirst with medication.”

Water has many life-giving properties. “It is the solvent—the water content—that regulates all functions of the body.” (p. 11)

In the talk, Dr. Batmanghelidj also discussed the importance of adding sea salt to the water we drink. After hearing more about Dr. Batmanghelidj’s research, I purchased the book as a Christmas gift for my husband, wrapped it up and put it under the tree.

One difficulty I sometimes have is waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep. The two weeks before Christmas it was especially bad. I was waking up at 4:00 or 5:00 a.m., feeling wide-awake and unable to get back to sleep. I tried various remedies to help me sleep longer and none seemed to work.

On Christmas, Jim opened his present, Your Body’s Many Cries for Water. Soon afterward I started reading the book. In it Dr. Batmanghelidj explained that modern medicine treats diseases with drugs rather than understanding the damaging effect of dehydration. Many drugs can cause more dehydration and harmful side effects. He also explained how important it was to add sea salt to the water we drink.

Since my problem was with sleep, I looked in the index to see if he addressed sleep problems. Batmanghelidj says, “Salt is vital for sleep regulation.” (p. 157)

He recommended half a teaspoon of sea salt for every ten glasses of water, or a quarter teaspoon per quart of water. The recommended amount of water to drink half your body weight in ounces.

For instance, a 200-pound person would drink 3.13 quarts of water or 10 to 12 glasses of water a day. A 100-pound person would need to drink 4 twelve-ounce glasses of water per day. As an indication of whether a person is getting enough water, he says, “A well-hydrated person produces colorless urine…” (p. 135)

So I started drinking two quarts of water a day with a quarter teaspoon of salt in each quart. I also drank plain water and herbal tea.

On the first two nights, I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep. On the third night, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. to go the bathroom. But the difference this time was I was still tired and easily fell back to sleep afterward. I didn’t feel the rush of adrenaline that usually kept me awake. I was pleased and cautiously hopeful.

In the weeks since then, I’ve faithfully drank two quarts of water with sea salt and am getting a good night’s rest. Once in a while I wake up a little earlier than I’d like, but I’m not concerned about missing an hour of sleep once in a while. I attribute being able to get a better night’s sleep to having the right amount of water with unrefined sea salt in it.

Not putting salt in my water was the missing ingredient for me.

Why is salt so important? Here are a few things Batmanghelidj mentioned: it regulates the water content in the body; it’s a strong natural antihistamine; it’s an anti-stress element for the body; it’s vital for the kidneys to clear excess acidity and pass acidity into the urine; and it’s essential to treat emotional disorders, such as depression. (p. 154)

A word of caution: this blog post is not intended to replace medical advice from your doctor. I’m just sharing my understanding of Dr. Batmanghelidj’s research and my own personal experience.

In the book Dr. Batmanghelidj stated that the best choice of salt is unrefined sea salt, which has 80 mineral elements the body needs. Adding sea salt to your water isn’t the same as having more table salt on your food. It works best if the salt is in the water.

Also, don’t substitute soda pop (regular or sugar-free), coffee or tea for water. He has a whole section on the bad effects of caffeine and soda pop on the body. Soft drinks are especially bad for children as their bodies have a hard time with the chemicals in them.

The importance of water to the entire body was explained in detail in the book. I highly recommended reading the book and deciding for yourself if you need to drink more water with a dash of unrefined sea salt in it.
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Mar 10

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Review of The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review | One Comment

Knowing of my interest in the Vikings, my sister gifted me a copy of The Half-Drowned King. My interest in the tale piqued when my husband told me he was related to one character, King Harald, who was the first king to rule all of Norway.

The main character in the book, Ragvald Eysteinsson, pledges his sword to Harald Fairhair after he has a vision while nearly drowning. The vision is of a great wolf with golden fur and blue eyes with sparks flying from its fur. Ragvald understands the wolf is symbolic of the legendary king Harald.

Ragvald’s father died when he was a child. His mother remarried with the understanding that his stepfather Olaf would hold the family land until Ragvald grew up. Instead his stepfather betrays Ragvald and he’s nearly killed by Solvi.

Ragvald wants revenge on his stepfather, in order to reclaim his family land and marry the woman he loves, but hasn’t the means. He signs up to serve King Hakon in hopes of eventually being able to achieve his goals.

Ragvald also wants to find a good husband for his beloved sister, Svanhild. She stays with the family of the woman he wants to marry when he leaves with King Hakon.

When King Hakon joins forces with young King Harald, Ragvald’s fate becomes swept up with the prophesied King of all Norway.

Meanwhile back home, Svanhild runs away rather than marry an old man she’s pledged to by her stepfather. She ends up falling into the hands of Solvi, the man who tried to kill her brother.

Both Ragvald and Svanhild must make many hard decisions as they navigate the violent world of the Vikings.

Grab a copy of The Half-Drowned King and prepare to read an exciting Viking saga set in ninth-century Norway during the birth of the nation.

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Dec 05

0

Star Rider and the Golden Threads
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review | No Comments

Star Rider and the Golden Threads has gotten some great reviews. Here are two of them from Amazon.

Star Rider and the Golden Threads

“The honeymoon’s over. The stakes could not be higher. The newlyweds are poised to confront the very face of evil, intent on conquering their universe. This is Heidi Skarie’s most intriguing work to date. Surprising twists and insightful peeks into the ongoing battle between the human and spiritual natures within each of us.” by D. E. Munson, Author

“I love this book! I read the first of the Star Rider series and was looking forward to the next installment. It kept me up too late reading because I didn’t want to put to down! If you like a book with action, danger, mystical insight and characters you care about, this fantasy series is for you.” by Laura E.

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Sep 13

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Review of Heaven’s Sweet Embrace
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review | No Comments

Heaven’s Sweet Embrace by Sheri Kramer is a beautifully written novel about our journey as we wander through time and space learning through our experiences about wisdom, compassion and love.

In the Prologue the opening lines are:

“In a blink of an eye time can collapse and the curtain between lives blow open before settling back in place… Who are you? Where are you? Imagine your many selves in that moment all aware of you, as you are aware of them.”

The novel interweaves four different stories from different times periods and places. The main one is about Shin Seo in 13^th century Korea who has bought his freedom from the ruling class and is about to enter a new life. After sharing a meal at a tavern with two companions, he goes with them into the forest and finds a cave that is already inhabited by a family of runaway slaves.

The second story is of Rivka and Hannah, a Jewish mother and daughter who are trying to escape from the Ukraine to join Rivka’s husband in America.

The third and shortest story is about Mongke who is twelve and wants to join the troops in battle, but first has to pass tests to see if he is ready.

The fourth story is about two Korean comfort women, Shin Ae and Jinju, who are freed after the Russians drive off the defeated Japanese in Manchuria at the end of World War 2.

In each story the main characters are at a transition point in their life and their stories are told with such vivid details and poetic language that the reader is drawn into their world. The scenes are often told as the character wakes up and remembers bits of dreams that weave into the other stories being told. Gradually we come to realize the characters are the same set of souls reincarnated in other lives.

Here is an example: “Mongke wakes with a disturbing memory of enemy soldiers in strange uniforms, defeated and strewn about. And then it is gone. The dream is replaced with the excitement of the coming day.” P. 71

The scenes are often peaceful such as walking through the woods, swimming in the lake, eating a simple meal, learning to read, or a mother taking care of her baby. But underneath is tension: fear that the run away slaves will get caught, or the Jewish woman and daughter won’t be able to escape the Ukraine, and or that the two comfort woman will be rejected by their family when they return to Korea.

The book begins and end in the middle of these four stories just as life doesn’t have an abrupt beginning and end. Yet each of the four stories ends on a hopeful note that the characters will be able to make a good life for themselves.

I highly recommend this book for people who like visionary fiction and are interested in reincarnation. Or to those who just want to open their minds to possibilities.
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Mar 11

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One the way Home: Walking the Road to Personal Freedom by Robert Munster.
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review | No Comments

One the way Home: Walking the Road to Personal Freedom by Robert Munster.

In the dedication, Munster states the purpose of the book. “This piece of work is dedicated to all those souls who are trying to find their way through the myriad complexities of this life and become free to choose their own lives’ paths.”

In the forward, he elaborates. “Many wise souls have taught us over the centuries that it is our personal responsibility to find our own way home… it is still up to each and every one of us to discover our own journey homeward.”

Munster worked for thirty-five years as an occupational therapist in medically related settings. In this book he shares some of what he has learned.

The chapters in the book include such topics as Ancestral Chains; Change, the Only Constant; Facing our Fears; Power and Control and The Dance of Relationships.

Each chapter begins with Munster’s ideas on a topic then he tells a story to illustrate his premise. He ends the chapters with a summary of the important points he made.

For example in the chapter Change, the Only Constant Munster says everything changes: the weather, the seasons, our bodies, feelings, friends, our attitudes, and beliefs. Munster poses a question. “How can we remain open to change, yet integrate the results into a life of peace, comfort, and joy?” Munster gives an example of a couple who raises their family and saves for their retirement but then one of them has a severe stroke and their savings is drained. The security they’d saved for is gone.

“So, what do we do? Live in fear of destruction or the possibility that something bad is going to happen or do we create the kind of life we really want to live.” p. 36

Munster suggests that when we seek out opportunities to change and grow life becomes exciting.

Munster also suggests journaling and goal setting to promote awareness and change. At the end of the day you can write down what happened during the day: what you did, felt, thought, learned and know and then set goals for the next day. This is to put you in touch with different aspects of yourself. You can also document your experiences of the past week, then decide what you want to change.

Change gradually becomes normal. Instead of saying “’Why is this happening TO me?’… What would happen if we changed this to ‘Why is this happening FOR me?’” or ‘What is this experience teaching me?’ or ‘Why do I need this experience?’” p. 50. This shifts the way we look at life’s events.

Munster concludes the chapter with these thoughts. “Once we begin to accept the responsibility for our own situations and do something about those things that inhibit our growth, real changes start to unfold. When an individual takes an active role in creating more of what he/she wants out of life, the magic begins.” P. 52.

Another interesting chapter is Facing Our Fears. In this chapter Munster states that everyone is afraid of something whether physical, emotional, or mental. “Fear prevents us from being free.” P. 53.

Munster says that many of us have fears that we don’t understand. He suggests that the fears often come from past lives. How we perished in another life may carry over like a fear of spiders or snakes or heights. Fears serve to protect us, but they can also hold us back. At some point “a door of opportunity opens for us. We can choose to walk through and challenge that fear.” As we grow we are able to handle more difficult situations.

Munster eventually realized he was Soul and nothing could kill him as a spiritual being. He also realized nothing can withstand the power of love. “When we do face and conquer, or live with, a fear, we gain another step on our way home. We become freer.” P. 65.

The book ends with “What is Next?” in our search for freedom and trust—we simply need to be ourselves. Gratitude and humility are essential traits as we continue on the path and doors will continue to open to more freedom.

If you are a seeker of truth and want a more meaningful life, you’ll enjoy this short, easy to read book packed with spiritual ideas.
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Mar 11

1

Timeless Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic by Armand Baltazar
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review | No Comments

Timeless Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic by Armand Baltazar is a fun read that is illustrated with over a 150 full-colored paintings. Baltazar is a visual storyteller who has worked for Dreamworld studios, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation.

Earth had a rupture of the time-space continuum and a new world was born where there are enormous robots, dinosaurs, wooly mammoths, and buffalos as well as new land masses.

The story is told in first-person by Diego, a middle school boy who just turned thirteen. His mother is a famous fighter pilot and his father is New Chicago’s top engineer. Diego’s father is kidnapped and Diego and his three friends join mercenaries who’ve been hired to rescue him.

Diego is a delightful character. Full of courage and resourcefulness, but at

times impulsive. The story is a coming of age story and tests Diego and his three friend’s mettle as they realize there are much large stakes than rescuing Diego and his friend’s fathers.

As the story unfolds, Diego discovers he has secret talents, why his father was kidnapped, and the terrible fate that awaits the children of the world, if he fails in his mission.

The book is geared toward a middle school and high school audience, but as an adult, I enjoyed reading this fantasy adventure full of lively, colorful illustrations.

This book is the first in a series and was an ambitious project. Well done Baltazar.

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Oct 14

0

Interview with Mercedes Rochelle about her novel Godwine Kingmaker
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review | No Comments

Mercedes Rochelle has written a fascinating novel about Earl Godwine whose son, Harold Godwineson, became the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. I recently interviewed her about the novel. In the interview, she tells about her interest in real people who lived in the past and the challenges of writing about events that took place a 1000 years ago.

Mercede’s Tapest

Q: You write historical fiction. What about this genre attracts you?

It’s ironic to me that I fell in love with historical fiction without really understanding that it was a genre! All the way through my college days, I gobbled up all the Sir Walter Scott and Alexandre Dumas novels I could get my hands on. Then one day, as I was reading “The White Company” by Arthur Conan Doyle, I realized that I was trusting them to give me a history lesson the easy way (I thought I didn’t like history until I was well into my college years). When I started writing, I decided to carry on the tradition. Then I discovered the concept of genre.

Q: If you were to describe your writing to someone who hasn’t read anything by you before, what would you say?

I aspire to the sub-genre of Historical Fiction that we call Historical Faction. I like to write about real people and real happenings; my style is to put flesh on the bones of the events we read about in history books. What motivated these people? How do we get from point A to point B? History often tells us what happened; I like to write about where, when, how, and why.

Q: What is Godwine Kingmaker about?

Earl Godwine was a self-made man who came to power in the reign of Canute the Great. He became the most powerful earl in England, and more importantly, the father of Harold Godwineson, the last Anglo-Saxon king. Without Godwine there never would have been a Harold II, for they were commoners and came to power strictly on the basis of merit. But Harold was the second son, and Godwine wasted a lot of effort on his eldest son Swegn, whose misdeeds derailed his best efforts and brought shame on the whole family. Godwine loved Canute, but when the Danish king died unexpectedly, his life was never the same. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and eventually his disappointments took their toll, leaving his legacy to Harold.

Q: At what point in writing the book did you come up with its title?

I came upon the moniker Kingmaker early in my research. I doubt he was called that in his lifetime, but some historians were happy to call him that and I think it stuck. Because he was the Earl of Wessex, his support was critical to Canute’s successors and especially to Edward the Confessor, who was a stranger to England and needed guidance.

Q: Where is it set and how did you decide on the setting?

In eleventh-century England, I had to get used to the idea that there were very few stone buildings; that came later, with the Normans. Hence, not many residences survived. Also, I had to figure out where Godwine lived. Wealthy noblemen owned hundreds of manors all over the country. I’m sure I’ve “missed the boat” locating local references to Godwine, since I don’t live in the UK. As it turned out, finding Bosham (in West Sussex) turned out to be surprisingly easy, because this is the spot Harold departed from on his ill-fated visit to Normandy in 1064, It is actually depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry. Local legend suggests that Canute also built a residence in Bosham, possibly on the foundations of a palace used by Vespasian (future emperor of Rome).

London was a lot tougher for me. Westminster Abbey wasn’t built until Edward the Confessor came along, so that location was still known at Thoney Island (sounds attractive, doesn’t it?). I had to stay inside the old Roman Walls, and discovered that Canute probably used the old palace between St. Paul’s and the Thames, built on the same spot as the later Baynard’s Castle. It might have been easier to place my scenes in a generic building, but finding real references—even if they are gone—adds legitimacy to the story. Of course, it’s not always possible.

Q: Tell us a little about your research.

Finding historical sources for events 1000 years ago is challenging, to say the least. For instance, there are no first-hand accounts of the Battle of Hastings. This is why so many people use the Bayeux Tapestry as a source, stylized though it is; at least the seamstresses were probably around when William invaded. For the rest, we are reliant on chronicles written by monks—many of whom were given second-hand information. And of course, some of them were biased—especially against men who offended their religious sensibilities. So the “source material” we must use—with the exception of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle—was written at best a couple of hundred years later. And the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’s entries are maddeningly brief. We have Norman sources that contradict English sources. In fact, most of our sources contradict each other, depending on their agenda. A good “modern” historian, especially my favorite, Edward A. Freeman (OK, he was a Victorian), will document all the different angles. The novelist (me) gets to pick the version I like best.

Q: Can you give us an example?

My hero, Earl Godwine, had many admirers and just as many detractors. There was a terrible event that nearly destroyed his reputation, and to this day no one agrees on what happened. After Canute died he was succeeded by his eldest son Harold Harefoot. Queen Emma’s sons Edward and Alfred (sons of Aethelred the Unready) were exiles in Normandy, and decided to test the waters, so to speak. Alfred landed in Wessex with a small following, only to be apprehended by Godwine. While still in Godwine’s custody, Alfred was arrested on order of the king, his companions were killed or enslaved, and Alfred was taken to Ely and blinded. He soon died of his wounds and Godwine was blamed for the heinous deed. Some said Godwine did it himself, some said he did it under orders; others said Godwine willingly turned Alfred over to the king’s men and had nothing to do with the murder. Some said Harold’s men forcibly removed Alfred from Godwine’s custody. Edward (later the king) blamed Godwine; that much is certain. As you might expect I selected the last interpretation; I can’t see any motivation for Godwine to do such an explosive deed, which would certainly not enhance his prestige.

Q: Which scene did you find the most challenging to write and why?

It seems to be a maxim that every novel must have some kind of romance, and any romance must start out as some kind of conflict. Actually, Godwine and his wife Gytha seem to have had a good marriage considering how many children they produced. On the other hand, Gytha was a noblewoman and Godwine was a commoner. Why would she be willing to marry under her station? This really bothered me, until I saw the opportunity to explain why things went so wrong with their eldest son Swegn, who was really a black sheep. If Gytha was forced into marriage with Godwine, she could very well resent her first born and reject him. I had a hard time putting this together and I guess I did it too well, judging from the hostile comments toward her in my reviews!

Q: Regardless of genre, what elements do you think make a great novel? Do you consciously ensure all of these are in place?

What I look for in a novel is movement, flow, and imparting details in a way what flows into the narrative. I want a page-turner. I don’t want to spend a lot of time reading background information. There’s a way to spoon-feed attributes or imagery without slowing down the pace, and I try to concentrate on sneaking it in. I like pithy dialogue that makes me think. I also like shorter paragraphs than some authors tend to use; it can be exhausting reading too many long paragraphs in a row. I try to mix long and short sentences, which I think looks better on the page. I have my own personal judgment as to whether I like a novel or not. If I can read it on the treadmill and forget about the time, the book is a winner!

Q: John Irving says you can’t teach writing. You can only recognize what’s good and say ‘keep doing that.’ Do you think that’s true?

Only after you’ve been practicing for a while. I’m a firm believer that the more you read, the better you’ll be able to write. I get my best inspiration about “flow” from reading the old masters. It’s not easy to go back and read stuff I devoured in my formative years, but when I do, I recognize the greatness of these classic authors. Some, like Dickens, seem old-fashioned now, but I recognize the power of his third-person omniscient point of view (which I’m agonizing over during my current work-in-progress). Or Dumas, whose characters leap off the page with their remarkable characterizations. How can you not love d’Artagnan—that artless, clever, flighty, honorable, attractive bundle of contradictions? I think without those old mentors I never would have absorbed the complexities of the historical novel.

Below is a trailer of Godwine kingMaker:

Trailer: https://youtu.be/tbaEcHQP4nA

Merecedes’ Website: http://www.MercedesRochelle.com

Godwine Kingmaker is on sale on Amazon in October for $0.99, so if this interview peaked your interest, grab a copy.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Godwine-Kingmaker-Great-Saxon-Earls-ebook/dp/B00UMARTCU

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Jul 31

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Check out this new release: You Can Never Go Wrong By Being Kind
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review | No Comments

You Can Never Go Wrong By Being Kind: 101 Inspirational Stories of Kindness & Generosity

By Zeal Okogeri

Exceptionally positive and encouraging, this book contains compelling true stories by 67 authors from around the globe, and from all walks of life, who have united to share their personal experiences with the transformative potential of kindness.
Within each story is a gift for you. As you are transported around the world by these extraordinary stories, you’ll be gifted with wisdom, love, compassion, forgiveness, hope, laughter, gratitude, acceptance, and the awareness that life is not possible without kindness. As you read these stories, you will learn how to:

• Be happier and live a fuller and more satisfying life by practicing kindness
• Recognize opportunities for giving and receiving kindness wherever you are
• Transform your life through relentless acts of kindness
• Get unstuck and transcend your creative block through acts of kindness
• Trust more and count your blessings
• Set yourself free through forgiveness
• Develop a kind heart through meditation and spirituality
• Recognize the role of animals in teaching us how to love unconditionally
• Improve your health through spontaneous acts of kindness and compassion
• Multiply your favors through gratitude
• Be kind to yourself
• Cultivate the courage to follow your heart and intuition
• Find more reasons to continue having faith in humanity

Dr. Zeal Okogeri is an inspirational speaker, author, coach, and storyteller. A progeny of generations of African indigenous healers, Zeal leads meditation retreats to Tibet, Nepal, and India. He also travels around the United States and other countries sharing Kindness and Wisdom stories and teaching the Light and Sound Current meditation. Through his writings and lectures, Zeal inspires people to seek the highest and best for themselves. His philosophy is simple, and can be summarized in his celebrated quote: You can never go wrong by being kind.share this: