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Showing posts with the label anxiety

Saluting our Soldiers-Wounded Warriors Blog Hop

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Time for your chance to WIN and help a GREAT cause!  My grandpa, Marine Lt. Col. Donald D Fereday died on Independence Day, July 4, 2003, forever haunted by the scenes he encountered while serving in Korea. Many of our men and women who serve become physically and mentally wounded everyday protecting our freedoms.  Ahoy Fellow Fathomers. By now, you know I enjoy creating fictional worlds readers will identify with. Although I hope readers escape with my words, I also entwine helpful storylines that might help make a difference. However, sometimes events and issues in our realm are not always comfortable subjects-I tackle them in some manner anyway. Today's blog is part of a special blog hop to raise money for the Wounded Warriors project. At minimum, the group of writers involved in this opportunity will raise $600 for their organization. If you would like to see how more you can help, please click this link Wounded Warriors . I will donate ...

Letter To My Younger Self - Hello 2013

Ahoy, today in The Locker, I set a tribute to 2013 with an audience to anyone who has ever made a bad decision and had to live with the consequence. (Can I get a heck yea?) Although this fictional letter does not detail any one specific person, I believe it serves as inspiration for so many people. Raising teenagers/twenty-somethings gives me a new experience almost daily that I know they might regret later. But, I can’t tell them anything. Just like no one could tell me anything when I was younger. But, the point of this whole post is to let YOU, awesome reader, know that we all make mistakes, hurtful choices, wrong turns, suffer humiliations, let the ones we love down, sheesh, it’s a laundry list a mile long. But… The beauty is, you can move forward from it. Learn from it. Grow from it. And, yes, even be a better person from it. I hope you all have an amazing 2013! Virtual hugs! To Whom It Concerns: I’m just asking for a chance. This letter of explanation refer...

Keep the Demon "Silent" - Tuesday Tales

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Ahoy Fellow Fathomers! Happy Tuesday and time for another edition of Tuesday Tales. This week I take you back to my young adult paranormal thriller WIP,  Blue Ink- The Skin Stalker.   This book is now 3/4 finished and the excitement is taking me over! For this week's word prompt, we use " silent ", very appropriate for a book about a killer, don't you think? "Colin sat silent. He had no response, except he needed to know about Hannah so he could protect Joelle.   He knew no one believed his innocence and he completely understood why.   “You have to protect Joelle, she is in danger, I don’t know why, I just know she is!”   Colin had to make the lieutenant understand.   “You don’t need to convince me, and we are making sure she is safe, so, no one, not even you, will get to her.”   The lieutenant emphasized the “you”. Colin then remembered his spunky assistant and how she now lie cold. “Where did you find Hannah?” ...

OCD, Thanksgiving, and Love...a Tuesday Tale

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Ahoy Fellow Fathomers! Happy Tuesday and time for another edition of Tuesday Tales. This week I take you  to my new young adult romance WIP,  Eyelashes Freeze in North Dakota-But Not Warm Hearts.   Follow Adelaide's journey as I present the following picture prompt: "Adelaide washed her face, brushed her teeth, and braided her hair, wondering how many other people thought about their movements and actions as much as she did. She read the book, The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Washing , when she was a teenager. The book detailed accounts of people suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, OCD, for short. The featured boy washed himself for hours each day, fearing germs. Other people relentlessly counted or checked things continuously- one woman plucked out each of her eyebrows in an obsession for symmetry of them. Over the years, she rationalized her actions were not as extreme as the examples in that book. However, having a sense of order consumed he...

a Knife?...Searching for Bigfoot Tuesday Tales

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Ahoy Fellow Fathomers! Happy Tuesday and time for another edition of Tuesday Tales. This week I take you a new paranormal WIP,  Finding Love and Bigfoot - a part of my Critter Getter series.   For our journey to the unknown, I present the word prompt "knife".   “There is no way you just said… bigfoot .” Kalista said solemnly, almost under her breath, still inspecting the muddied, bloody smudges all over her car window. “You wouldn’t get a crazier response from me if you had come at me with a knife.”   “Yes, I did, Kalista, and I’m not joking.” Caleb said just as earnestly, admiring the evidence all over the glass. “By the way, I’m not the violent type. The only knife I use is a fillet knife on the catfish.” “I know tracking bigfoot is a big part of your business, and I’m sure tourists pay good money for a spooky thrill, but, seriously, you can be truthful with me. Your secret is safe.” Owen interjected into the conversation, his eyes da...

Is It His Finger or Not? Tuesday Tales return to Blue Ink

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Ahoy Fellow Fathomers! Happy Tuesday and time for another edition of Tuesday Tales. This week I take you back to my current paranormal WIP, Blue Ink-The Skin Stalker. For our journey to the unknown, I present the word prompt "finger". “They arrived at the police station before Colin drew any conclusions of his own.   Colin followed the officers inside and they seated him at a table in a small windowless room. The Skin Stalker watched everything unfold with a glint in his wicked catlike eye.   He knew the bag had no finger prints because he had none to leave.   Before he left the bag, he briefly thought of lifting one of Colin’s prints to place on it just to screw with him.   However, it was just as much fun to mess with the authorities as they feebly bumbled around trying to catch the “bad guy.”   Chaos kept The Skin Stalker churning with amusement. Colin remained in that room for two hours before anyone got back to speak with him. ...

Have You Ever Been White with Fear....Blue Ink-Tuesday Tales

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Ahoy Fellow Fathomers! Happy Tuesday and time for another edition of Tuesday Tales. This week I return to my current demonic, paranormal thriller, Blue Ink: The Skin Stalker for my take on the benign word, " white ". Is our heroine white with fear? Or has she conquered this particular demon....let's see-   " The closer Joelle came to knowing the truth- The Skin Stalker became agitated and impulsive.   He felt her growing knowledge sawing into his abdomen and cutting into his carefully laid plans.   Joelle released her fear gradually- the more she prayed and read her scripture.   Through careful soul-searching, she knew she could defeat whatever came for her.   She felt the pull of grace guiding her through her research and diligence.   This was not her doing, she simply provided the physical vessel Christ chose to move through.   For the first time in days, she smiled sincerely and felt warmth encompass her.   Previously in her...

Don't Go Burning Bridges...Blue Ink - Tuesday Tales

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Ahoy Fellow Fathomers! Happy Tuesday and time for another edition of Tuesday Tales. This week I return to my current demonic, paranormal thriller, Blue Ink: The Skin Stalker for my take on the versatile word, "bridge". Did Colin forever burn his bridge with Joelle?  Let's see, shall we... (view from atop the St Louis Arch of a Mississippi River Bridge) "Colin breathed a huge sigh of relief before replying, “Oh, Joelle, thank goodness you answered the phone.”   Colin’s voice carried an unusual ring of panic that she had never heard before. Joelle’s heart stopped for a moment.   She had not heard his voice in so long- she sat quietly, digesting the words to say.   She appreciated the chair she sat in to keep her knees from buckling.   “Colin?”   Joelle finally managed. “Yes, it’s me,” Colin replied softly. “This really is not a good time,” Joelle flatly stated with profound emphasis.   Colin knew he had some ...

Free or Not To Free....That's a Million Dollar Question

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Ahoy Fellow Fathomers! Today in The Locker we discuss the concept of the price set for books, and how the price may not exactly set a priority status on someone’s reading list.   If you are an author or editor, you understand the plight of too many books, not enough time. It seems I rarely have time to enjoy reading for pleasure, but, found myself determined to make it happen. I needed a few books on the old smart phone library for those moments I could steal for reading. (Most of the time, this is my book of choice:) But, I digress...I'm good at that. Therefore, over the course of the past few months, I downloaded a few choices from Amazon simply because the author temporarily set the price as free for a promotional period, or set it at a .99 publicity price. Of the choices I downloaded, I admit, not many truly captured my interest- but, they were free, so why not? I recently realized that just because the author offered the book for free, it did not move that book up ...

It Puts Me Right Over the Moon...Tuesday Tales

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Tuesday Tales Welcome Fellow Fathomers to this weeks' edition of Tuesday Tales. A group of writers getting together to share their WIP on a common theme. The picture theme for today is MOON... take a look at my contribution from my upcoming YA novel- Leather, Laces, and Camping by the Sea :   "Hi, I’m Helena. I turned twelve this year and will begin junior high in the fall. I’ve lived in the same town and attended the same school system for most of my academic career. I attend a church youth group, play softball, take pre-AP classes, and have a voracious appetite for learning about animals. Someday, I want to own my own zoo. Okay, well, maybe a zoologist or biologist or a large animal vet. My mom, Elaine, moved us to Texas when she got a promotion with her job. I was at the very end of Kindergarten when I transferred schools. I enjoyed the last few weeks of my new school with field trips, games, and movie days and made friends quickly. I’ve always be...

Tuesday Tales-Black Diamond Hearts are the Most Difficult

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Tuesday Tales Welcome Fellow Fathomers to this weeks' edition of Tuesday Tales. A group of writers getting together to share their WIP on a common theme. The theme for today is baseball... take a look at my contribution: "The drought left the pasture as dusty, dirt colored cement.   Huge cracks revealing a depth of at least a couple of feet spread here and there across the barren surface.   However, Matthew Hughes would be successful, no matter the difficulty, as he prepared for his grim mission.   He looked out upon the barren meadow and blinked back a few tears. He normally enjoyed his visits back to the family ranch in Oklahoma. Although, Matthew’s parents raised him in the grandeur of the Rockies-granola hippies who loved the crisp smell of the evergreens and bluebird days on the fluffy slopes of snow.   He enjoyed the best of both worlds as his grandparents and various aunts and uncles lived in Oklahoma from birth on. They maintained the famil...

Dawn of a Dead Day-Tuesday Tales

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Hello Fellow Fathomers! Today's Tuesday Tale involves the word or theme, "dawn". I chose to continue with my usual installments from my current thriller work in progress (WIP) Blue Ink- The Skin Stalker. "...Anticipation filled his bowels with delight, as the reminiscent smell of death triggered giddiness in his black soul.   The day dawn ed perfectly.   A touch of dew kissed the grass and there was no wind.     The Skin Stalker waited for Maggie to appear just as the sun rose.   As she walked toward her vehicle, the crisp air caused her to shiver slightly. She pulled her warm-up jacket closer around her body against the chill of the morning.   She checked her bike and the bottles, satisfied with their security on the SUV. She unlocked the door, got inside, and pulled out of her space. The Skin Stalker followed her from a satisfactory distance as she drove across the quiet highway.   He wondered how long it had been since he had a ...

Bullied But Not Broken - Tuesday Tales

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Ahoy Fellow Fathomers! For todays' Tuesday Tale I bring to you another WIP entitled Leather, Laces, and Camping By The Sea . This dear to my heart YA novella profiles a young girls' struggle with being bullied and ostracized. I'm only about 5% into this work, it's taking some additional time as the subject matter is more difficult than some of the lighthearted fiction I also pen. Our prompt for this week is the following picture of a trunk , and I think I captured it well. Please read on to see if you agree... "I’m the oldest twelve year old you will ever meet. I suppose you could attribute it to the fact I have two older brothers, and my family friends have usually been older than me. However, I also blame it on the fact that I have dealt with issues that thankfully many kids do not ever have to face. I’ve been horrifically bullied and no one has ever actually laid a hand on me. But, the bruises I harbor on my insides linger like physical scars against my ...

Phobias! It's Friday the 13th...muah ha ha EVIL LAUGH

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Hello Fellow Fathomers and welcome to Friday the 13 th in The Locker. Today we celebrate by discussing PHOBIAS. According to the good folks at Wikipedia “phobia” is simply described as follows: “ A phobia (from the Greek : φόβος , Phóbos , meaning "fear" or "morbid fear") is, when used in the context of clinical psychology , a type of anxiety disorder , usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational. In the event the phobia cannot be avoided entirely the sufferer will endure the situation or object with marked distress and significant interference in social or occupational activities. [1] ” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobia Therefore, while many people may throw the word “phobia” around to emphasize their specific fear, however, generally, the diagnosis of “phobia” comes with a heftier price ta...