In The Goddess Book of Psalms, the reader will find over 200 chapters of praise, petitions and incantations, which can be read as part of daily personal devotions, for guidance or inspiration, and in meditation.
This is a beautifully written and deeply inspirational book.
I can assure you that it will enrich your devotion and love for the Goddess manifold. A true treasure!
Voice of Conscience is a fictional tale of love and revenge playing itself out on three continents.As he grows into manhood, he is successful outwardly, taking on all the trappings of a normal life. Ultimately he must come face to face with the legacy of revenge that has been carefully handed down from father to son.
In the process of writing Voice of Conscience there were many times of intense emotions evoking creative expression, the need to know, the need to feel, the need to express.
A Snail's Tales, A Little Book of Fables to Color 
Trenara never thought she would have to guide a student she loved to become a messiah, but it is the only way this second trial Starguider can salvage her world.…On Character Development
By R.K. Smith
I’m one of those people who needs to understand ‘why’. When I was younger, I occasionally got in trouble with people who interpreted the question ‘Why?’ as a challenge to their authority, like ‘Why should I?’ I eventually learned to phrase my question as ‘It helps me do a better job if I understand why.’
The same applies to writing. I write fiction, have no desire to write a How To Write book, but I need to understand ‘why’ some things work. For example, I need to understand why some characters are tremendously appealing to some people, but not others. Here is my understanding of that.
Most stories involve a simple truth - they involve a character who loses a part of his/her sense of personal identity, and the subsequent tale is about regaining or replacing it. This is what readers relate to, and, when executed well, accounts for broad appeal. Even when a story is ‘action and adventure’, seemingly plot-driven, this is true.
Abraham Maslow identifies five categories of people motivaters. At the bottom level are basic biological needs like food, water, air and reproduction. The second category includes the need for safety, things like shelter, feeling free from threats of disease, animals, and other people. The third classification includes social needs, such as the desire to give and receive affection and the need to feel included. The fourth refers to self esteem needs, the need to define and clarify understanding of personal identity. Finally, there are self-actualization needs, the need to reach one’s potentials.
The bottom two levels provide opportunity for relatively simple, though very powerful, conflict. You can’t get much more down and dirty than having your life threatened or losing your livelihood, the source of food, drink, and shelter. The subsequent classifications are more complex, often the foundation of more complicated, ‘psychological’ character and plot development. How many stories can you think of that include someone struggling to establish relationships, worrying about how courageous or intelligent he/she might be, or striving to excel?
In particular, clarification of identity is a major driver. There are seven aspects to character, and the loss of some aspect of any of the seven can be serious, leading to common terms like ‘identity crisis’ and ‘the need to find oneself’. Identities have four kinds of characteristics, physical (appearance), mental (how one thinks), social (how one interacts with other people) and emotional (temperament or personality). The other three aspects are values/beliefs, roles, and talents/abilities.
For good character development, a writer would be able to detail all of these about the character, whether or not clear examples actually show up in the written story. Knowing them allows the writer to let the character talk and behave ‘in character’.
It also explains why books appeal so differently. In real life, people constantly have to redefine and re-establish different aspects of their identity as their characteristics, beliefs, and roles change as a natural part of the evolution of life. Finding fictional characters who deal with the challenges in their lives in ways the reader can understand and learn from is not simply escapist entertainment. It doesn’t matter if the protagonist is dealing with an evil arch-enemy to the human race, as long as he/she does it with brains, perseverance, and bravery, characteristics Joe and Jill Public want to have to deal with the more mundane matters in their own lives. A plot might be wildly entertaining, but readers must feel some connection to the main character(s), and even though the outward details of his/her existence might be totally different from the readers’, some kind of affinity must exist.
So, even if writers have wonderful ideas for plots, they must intimately know the main characters. They must understand them so thoroughly that when they write dialogue or describe how characters behave in certain situations, it is consistent with the kind of people they are. Writers must recognize how those characters have lost some aspect of identity and how the evolution of the plot lets them re-establish it or develop new characteristics to become part of their understanding of self.
Of course this is a very linear way of looking at an imaginative process. But writing fiction is a combination of both creative and analytical thinking. The logical conceptualizing involved in planning (not that creative thinking is illogical) produces a framework in which the artistic juices thrive. There are uncreative planners and unstructured creators. Good writers can do both. Good writing demonstrates both.
Some people are optimists and some people are pessimists, but Dr. Offig is a "gruesome-ist!" Visit him in his cluttered and curious office and he will surely tell you one of the wonderfully creepy stories he is famous for-the kind that makes your eyes bug out, your skin shiver and crawl and your tummy wiggle like a very large bowl of incredibly nervous Jell-O®. And once in a while they might-just might I say-even make you laugh out loud. But be forewarned, most dearest, charming, intelligent and, might I add, particularly shrewd reader-these stories can also become very, very, very (yes, THAT very) addictive. Once you finish with one of Dr. Offig's stories, you will most certainly want to read another, then another, and then another still. And sometimes that makes it hard to go to sleep with the lights out...-Paul Gifford proves that he can not only write wickedly delicious horror tales for an adult audience,but entertain the young with just as successful a hand!-
- Lawrence Dagstine, Author
Fresh Blood
-This is truly Young Adult Horror at its best; it-s creepy, funny, haunting and captivating.
You won-t be able to put it down.-
- Deanna A. Crews,
VP Marketing, Promotions & Event Planning, CFS Inc.
-PS Gifford-s work puts me in mind of Roald Dahl on a spooky outing. Highly enjoyable.-
- DJ Burnham, Author
Test Drive
"Brilliant, witty, spooky & spilling over with Giff ord-s best work yet.
This is a collection that will keep you coming back for more!
-Kimberly Raiser , Author
Stranded: Stories from the Edge of Infinity
Buy Dr. Offig's Lessons From the Dark Side
Jo has the darkest of secrets in her past, which drives her to seek out the most traumatic of hotspots in the world as a war correspondent so she never has the time to confront what she did.
A fellow reporter, Craig, accompanies her into war-torn Sergavia to recover rolls of film from a dead colleague and along the way Jo finds love and a reason to go back to the beginning so she can move forward.
Branko’s eyes, unseeing, gazed up to the heaven I hoped he had gone to. What freakin’ heaven, for God’s sake? Who was I fooling? Out of the black sky, a wave of hopelessness thundered over me.
For an instant a cavity opened and closed, but I had seen inside, and that image of empty loneliness scratched at my sanity.
I fell forward onto my knees by his side and touched an unblemished cheek. It was cold. This was the face Ana loved. I felt her sorrow, and tears threatened. I brushed his hair into place and rubbed at the dirt on that cheek. I had seen more death than most people see in a century of life, but this was Branko. He had a name. I had talked to him. I had liked him.
I heaved my pack onto my back, snatched up the rifle, checked the magazine and put the safety on. There was nothing I could do for Branko, but I could help save his family—if I could get to them before they reached the pass.
~Annie Warmke, Founder and Advisor, The League of Extraordinary Girl Scientists (LEGS), Founder and Past President, Women’s Peacepower Foundation (& Earthship Builder/Owner, Blue Rock Station, Ohio)
"The first thing that struck me about No Shadows Left Behind was that it was written almost exclusively in the present tense. With the exception of memories and flashbacks, this present tense brought all the thoughts and actions to an immediate forefront. Because of the consistency maintained in this, however, it soon fades into the story line, making for a seamless and effortless reading. A beautiful technique!
The story was difficult for me to read; but then, it was meant to be that way. As the story unfolded, I found myself anxious for the moment when Christy's secret would be discovered. How would that be accomplished? Will she finally break down and tell someone?... When it finally is revealed, I was taken aback by how it was done... In my opinion, this couldn't have been presented in a better way!
...While the entire story moved me greatly, I was not able to cry until the very last page. At that point, I broke down and wept for the extraordinary characters that have become very real to me."
~Lidia Tremblay
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"The story is both informative and inspirational. The characters are very real and their struggles can be felt through the pages. For victims of abuse it encourages seeking help without ever being pushy or blind to the attached emotional struggles. For non-victims it offers insight into an ugly reality of our world and how others can gently help and support those caught in abuse and its aftermath. A book much needed and long overdue!"
~Elke Rose, homeschooling mother & book evaluator
To order No Shadows Left Behind, please visit Harris Innovations at: http://www.harrisinnovationspublishing.com/index.html
Christmas from well-known Orillia author
Star of Hope
A newlywed couple’s first Christmas is marred
That Special Tree
Two young boys, captivated by a story read by
Christmas trees ever for their families.
The Gift of Time
A young girl’s recollection of how she and her
The Elves’ Christmas Tree
A sequel to “That Special Tree”, set a year later
tree; but this time it takes Santa’s Elves and
save the day.
Oh Christmas Tree!
Two young couples arrive home with their freshly cut Christmas trees and find a sign forbidding
Last Minute Tree
New parents celebrate the birth of their son and their first Christmas as a family under a very
special tree.
Glass Angels
For fifty years a man has given his beloved wife a unique angel ornament at Christmas.
What will
become of that tradition as he faces his first Christmas without her?
Louis Reinhart has five days to live before he is injected with the lethal cocktail. Louis Reinhart has been given permission to tell the world his side of the story.
The story which was not allowed to be told in court.
The Fort Pierce Sentinel has agreed to send a reporter to interview Reinhart. However, Reinhart has been very specific as to which reporter he will agree to talk to.
Her name is Mandy McQuaid. She is a rookie reporter. This is her first job and she is stuck in the obit section of the paper. Even though the Editor is not happy about Reinhart’s request, he sends Mandy to conduct the interview.
Reinhart has his own agenda. He believes he was justified in his quest for retribution and he wants to share it with the world. Not only does he want to share it with the world, but it is very important that he share it with Mandy.
In her Adult Education Program, Joan teaches people about enriching their lives, not just ordinary school subjects.
However, she herself struggles with loneliness, not being able to forget the past.
But three former students who learned from her have built full, satisfying lives.
When a near-tragedy reunites them all, her lessons come full circle.
Whether stumbling on a naked couple using gym mats after school hours, or helping the poor mother of an expectant toddler surmount the commercialism of Christmas, she handles things with humour and compassion.
Then she learns about courage and strength from those who have overcome disabilities, abuse, and broken dreams.
Visit R.K. Smith's site and Buy Full Circle What Goes Around
Life is Like Making Chocolate Chip Cookies uses stories and metaphors to inspire and inform readers on how to deal with life situations.
The insights shared come from personal experiences, as well as from others.
Life is Like.... addresses mind, body, and spirit.
Insightful views on meditation and dealing with self, others, and relationships help people caught up in disappoints, negativity, anger, and fear.
Help is here now!
Don of Time is an introspective loner desperately searching for Ms. Right in this the decade of abstinence. His inept quest for a relationship hurtles him face forward into the tumultuous world of Candy Stripper, a beautiful, vivacious, woman whose sole purpose in life is to be the center of attention.
Their on-again, off-again relationship takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride full of highs, lows, twists, turns, but most of all, humor. Everything you could ever expect from a relationship and more...
'Ever since the Don Of Time first set foot in a singles bar to relish members of the opposite sex, the opposite sex had constantly garnered his condiments without pause or concern for his egotistical well-being.'
So begins Chapter One, 'Better Use A Condiment' of the novel, Whackers, the humorous but often heartfelt saga of the Don Of Time and his journey into the unknown abyss of relationships.
The novel focuses on two main characters, Don and Candy Stripper. Both take very different approaches to meeting members of the opposite sex. Don is very introspective and apprehensive when it comes to women.
He tries to relate to women on an emotional level but finds relating to women emotionally is like swimming the 100 Meter Butterfly in a swimming pool filled with solidified Jell-O. Sure it's easy to make an impression but try and get anywhere.
Candy, on the other hand, dives into relationships head first with no forethought at all in assuming the pike position. Men are immediately attracted to her good looks and the outrageous fun that ensues as a result of her insatiable desire to constantly be the center of attention.
Their on-again, off-again, relationship becomes the main theme and the conflict of the novel.
Candy and Don's relationship typifies a relationship in the Nineties. Nobody really knows what they want, how to get it, or how to keep it, once they have it. The reader will find much to laugh about and much to relate to in the novel.
A captivating story narrated by eighteen-year-old Mattie Cordell, with striking grace, honesty, and wisdom. She offers a provocative look at why misery loves company and reminds us of our human capacity for epiphany, forgiveness, and redemption.
Everyone says that misery loves company. Eighteen-year-old Mattie happens to agree. Life was a lot less complicated at age eleven, when she was just a Daddy's girl and bookworm endowed with love and attention. But an unexpected twist of fate changed everything.
Her father Richard loses his job. Desperate and uncertain about the future, he draws on the company of his friends and relatives in the sanctity of his home. Misery makes her grand entrance on the heels of his favorite nephew, who arrives hauling a dark secret. But he isn't the only one; Richard is masking a secret of his own.
With their home being a revolving door, Mattie’s world unravels with each new arrival. Now estranged from her father, they both embark on separate journeys that leave them enveloped in a sea of betrayal and scandal.
Can Mattie survive the houseguests?
Will the family uncover Richard's secrets?
How much will either endure before reaching their breaking points?
If misery loves company then triumph deserves an audience!
