The Little Things

fox_squirrel_7288_by_mschmidtartwork-daoy1no

Today, and everyday, is truly a day in which to be thankful for all the little things in life that we sometimes take for granted, or are completely  not fully aware of. Yes, we give thanks for family, friends, a roof over our heads, a job, food, shelter, warmth, etc., but we don’t always think about the little things.

Today ~ I challenge everyone reading this to think of ten little things in which you are grateful for having. Two little things that come to mind are a toothbrush and toothpaste. We take those two little items for granted, yet some poor countries, and some in the outback, have absolutely no idea of what those two items are, or how they are to be used. Our homeless go without those two items as well. Now that you have two of ten little things to be grateful for, can you come up with eight more? 

Thank you Father for all things you provide for us, through our own work, that you provided for us. We lift up prayers for those in desperate need of basics and health problems. Amen. 

One of its Legs are Both the Same

cavanaugh

One of its Legs are Both the Same by Mike Cavanagh

I just read this book by Mike Cavanagh and my review follows the author’s blurb found on Amazon.

“Do you know what makes you, you? Mike thought he did, until a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome in his sixties made him rethink who he was, and how he got there. ‘One of its Legs are Both the Same’ is Mike’s memoir of being, as his mum would say, different. An intriguing and rollicking tale of the hippie era of the early 1970s, featuring murderous rats, painfully low door lintels, angry spiders and a rabid duck.”

As a late 1960’s and all of 1970’s child, I found myself reliving some of the funnier parts of my youth.  Cavanagh has woven a tapestry of highly descriptive narration, filled with extremely vivid memories of his youth. In doing so, Cavanagh finally realizes why he was different from his peers, as he was finally diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome in his 60’s. He had always known, and been told numerous times, that he was different from other children, but never knew the cause until he was in his 60’s. I found myself laughing, a lot, as I read, and throwing in the Aussie slang made this memoir more memorable. This memoir is a truly funny, yet frank narrative that will stay with me for some time to come.

 

Services

I specialize in writing and/or blogging in the following areas, but not limited to: Content & Business Writing Social Media & Marketing Copywriting Case Studies & Research Press Release…

Source: Services

A New Chapter…

Awesome lady!

Mar's avatarSouthern Creative Soul

Hello, bloggers!

It’s been a week since I took a step towards my dream and I couldn’t be happier.

Very few people are aware of this, but I am no longer tied down to a full-time job. That’s right, friends, I QUIT MY JOB!!! And it was such a wonderful feeling, such a powerful feeling! Relief… Freedom… Happiness…

freedom

Now, you may think I’m crazy, but I assure you, I am not. For once in my life, I am thinking about myself, my dreams, my passions. It’s time to focus on what I want my career to be, which is writing. The whole package… being an author, a freelancer, a researcher and a reader & reviewer.

My first step in this new chapter was to create a new site, one geared towards my writing and freelancing. Well, that site is now up and running at https://Freelance13Writer.WordPress.com/, and I’m gradually…

View original post 128 more words

Embedding Your Fonts for Paperback Books

jorobinson176's avatarLit World Interviews

There are lots of fabulous fonts around these days for us to use in our paperback books, and I think that making them visually attractive as well as wonderful to read is a great idea. Using a plain font for most of the body text is best, but there is no reason not to create great looking chapter headings, or using old typewriter fonts to make letters or notes stand out in your stories. Some fonts are made by hobbyists and offered online free for use commercially so it’s always necessary to check that they are embedded in your manuscript when you load it up to CreateSpace or any other POD system.

embed-font
CreateSpace says,

“In order to print your book, our printing presses need information about how to properly render the fonts used in your file. Information about fonts is not always included in documents by default, and you may…

View original post 158 more words

Five Ways to Spot the Wrong Proofreader!

Ponder this before publishing…

JuliaProofreader's avatarjuliaproofreader

You’re an author, and you’ve finished editing your book. You now want to find someone to proofread it for you – smart move! If you’re submitting to an agent/publisher, you want to give your manuscript every possible advantage. If you’re self-publishing, the last thing you want is reviews saying ‘good story, but it could do with proper proofreading’.

But how to find the right proofreader? There are so many out there to choose from, and you don’t know which ones are the best. I get so angry when I see hard-working writers being conned (yes, conned) by many of the new companies that have appeared since the boom in self-publishing, who make grandiose claims about their clear-up rate. Some try to lure clients in with low prices, but using their services might be a false economy if you then have to get the job done again by someone who knows…

View original post 475 more words

Jem by Michelle Abbott

jem

Jem by Michelle Abbott

My review follows the authors blurb found on Amazon.

Two injured, stubborn souls meet unexpectedly. Will they save each other from their demons or have they been too damaged for too long to see past the pain?

Growing up, all Jem knew was hatred and the pain from his father’s fists. Taunted by the kids at school, he was alone, until a girl with carrot coloured hair sat next to him.

She smiled.
She listened.
She cared.

She was his angel, and he knew he’d love her forever. But Jem’s father hurts him in a way he never expected by taking him away from her.

Now eighteen, scarred inside and out, Jem trusts no one and has worked hard to ensure he’ll never be helpless again. But then he runs into his angel. The only problem is she doesn’t recognize him. Jem needs her to remember him, to show him that their time together meant to her what it did to him. For once in his life he wants to have mattered to someone, to her.

Devon is attracted to the muscular, tattooed, pierced hottie standing by the pub quiz machine. That is, until he punches a guy clean across the bar for daring to touch him. She’s had her fill of violent men and intends to avoid this one at all costs.

This is a standalone, new adult contemporary romance. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Jem was difficult for me to read and review. Childhood abuse – I’ve been there, teenage abuse – I’ve been there, and abuse from a significant other – again, I’ve been there, so this was truly a hard read for me. The main characters, Jem and Devon, each had a difficult past to say the least. At one point, they were like one until Jem’s father decides they must move so that he can’t be arrested for abuse, as Devon told her parents how Jem was abused.  I think the ages of Jem and Devon should be older than they were for the time they got to know each other. Time passes and we find out that Devon had a child when she was a teenager and that her abusive boyfriend is trying to hunt her down while she hides from him. Devon moves to the very town that Jem resides and she doesn’t recognize him, yet he knows her. During a visit to a pub, Devon witnessed an attractive man with tattoos throw another man across the room simply because he had touched him. Jem knows Devon right away but she only knows him a tattooed fighter. Later on, when Devon’s ex is abusive to her after finding her, Jem saves Devon, and then they end up in each other’s arms. Devon did this willingly just like the cycle of abuse is to this very day. The narrative has a solid base, yet the characters are underdeveloped by far, and I just don’t understand why Devon would date a man like Jem, except for that very thing – the cycle of abuse pattern. This story lacks depth, development, and feeling. Emotions are only skin deep. Hence the three stars.