Category Archives: Uncategorized
The Only One in Charge of Your Beliefs is You.
Originally posted on Medium.com
A thousand years ago, people seriously debated whether the Earth was round or flat.
A hundred and fifty years ago, people seriously debated whether slaves were human beings or not.
A hundred years ago, people seriously debated whether women should have the right to vote.
These debates sound silly to most of us now, but at the time, they were vital discussions with two clearly opposed points of view that were held in equal esteem by the parties involved.
What debates are we having today that will seem frivolous to future generations?

I’m old enough to remember when you could find a box of crayons containing a color labeled “flesh.” As a Caucasian child, living in a predominantly Caucasian community, I thought nothing of it. Now, I wonder what a child of a different ethnic background might have felt about that innocent wax stick. Wikipedia tells us the color was renamed “peach” in 1962, yet I used one with the outdated label over ten years later. My parents would have considered it perfectly normal to have a “flesh” color within their box to choose from. What once was normal now seems insensitive and even racist to many of us.
How did that change occur? It didn’t happen suddenly, in spite of a decision by Crayola to alter the name one day in 1962. It came about over time because, one by one, people chose to adjust their beliefs about the color of one’s skin and what it meant to them. Not everyone made an adjustment — as we clearly see in the world today — but enough did to slowly create a new normal that children grew up with. That new normal, however, would never have blossomed without the internal examinations of thousands of individuals and their belief systems.
We each have a responsibility to constantly question our beliefs — whatever they may be. Many choose to ignore that responsibility and surround themselves with voices that only confirm what they already think. Social media too often serves as an insulator to the world, rather than the open forum it was intended to be. We block or ignore people and sites that say things contrary to our held opinions, then favorite and like ones that agree with our comfortable world view. This practice shunts our ability to think critically and quiets the voice inside us that questions our reality — to the point where we will do and say things we would have once considered ridiculous.
Pay attention to your actions and behavior while online. Ask yourself why you liked that post, or blocked that site from your feed. Was the source questionable, even though it confirmed something you believe? Did the content make you uncomfortable because it conflicted with something you hold true?
Willingly blinding yourself to the world only serves to hinder your growth as an individual and our society as a whole.
In the end, you are the only one in charge of what you believe.
SFF Book Bonanza
I’m guest posting over on the SFF Book Bonanza blog! Come have a look and tell me about your favorite genre-mashing stories!
http://sffbookbonanza.com/2017/04/24/genre-blending-mashing-bending/
Guesting at the Emblazoners
I’ve got a short post over at the Emblazoner’s blog today about the question authors dread the most: What’s your book about?
Check it out here: http://emblazoners.com/whats-your-book-about/
And take a moment to peruse the site as well. TONS of awesome Middle Grade and lower Young Adult books there for the tween readers in your life!
All right, back to the grindstone. Books don’t write themselves you know! Though sometimes I wish they did 😉
A SciFi/Fantasy Extravaganza!
Hello, Readers! Welcome to the Fantasy and Science Fiction Super Sale! All books below are priced at $0.99 or FREE. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I haven’t read most of the books on this list. Authors assigned their own movie ratings.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
From $4.99 to $0.99 Movie Rating: R Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy A young shapeshifter must prove himself by passing a test in the wastelands. But before he can return home, he’ll uncover the secrets behind what really happened 300 years ago to bring about the apocalypse. |
From $3.99 to $0.99 Kindle * Nook * Kobo * iTunes Movie Rating: PG13 Genre: Paranormal Evil is stalking a beautiful woman in Hawaii. He is powerful, charming, and deadly. She fled him once after a brutal attack. Can she escape his powerful spells once more? |
![]() |
![]() |
From $5.99 to $0.99 Kindle * Nook * Kobo * iTunes Genre: Fantasy Romance When Lillian finds herself facing off against vampires and other mythological impossibilities, help comes from an unlikely sourceóthe stone gargoyle who has been sleeping in her garden for the last twelve years. |
![]() |
![]() |
From $2.99 to $0.99 Kindle * Nook * Kobo * iTunes Movie Rating: PG13 Genre: Paranormal Romance Sheís neurotic, insecure and doesnít believe in spirits. At least not until moving into a Hollywood bungalow thatís ëinhabitedí by one. Can she survive his dangerous charms long enough to give up the ghost? |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
From $3.99 to FREE Movie Rating: PG13 Genre: Epic Fantasy Sucked into a portal to another world, Allison awakens with powers she canít control and learns sheís fated to fulfill an ancient prophecy where one decision will determine which of two warring kingdoms will fall. |
From $2.99 to $0.99 Kindle * Nook * Kobo * iTunes Genre: FantasyHe’s a powerful Genie, trapped in a magic lamp. She’s an ugly old witch. They’ll fight the dark forces… together. |
From $2.99 to $0.99 Movie Rating: R Genre: Science Fiction/Time Travel and Space Opera What happens when Evaran, a space and time traveling being visting Earth, decides to interfere in the alien abduction of four humans? |
Tony Phony and the Northern Woods
Today I’m part of a special blog event hosted by T. Man, a 10-year-old author and homeschooler. When T. Man was only 8, he partnered with his older brother, M. Man, on a special homeschool writing project that resulted in their first published book, Tony the Phony and Cursed Mansion. This year, T. Man went solo and just finished the second book in the series, Tony the Phony and the Northern Woods. Written in the engaging style of a Choose Your Own Adventure™, each book is available for .99 on Amazon.
But today T. Man has chosen to share his new book with his readers in its entirety in a special interactive virtual event. Seven different bloggers are hosting sections of the story. The fun begins on T. Man’s blog. At the end of each page YOU have to decide how the story will go. Each choice will lead you to a new blog. You have the possibility of landing on any of four endings. Of course, when you finish you can always go back to the beginning and start again. Choose wisely!
Permalink to the start of the story on T. Man’s blog: http://wp.me/p2bspO-7d
Link to Tony the Phony and Cursed Mansion: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JQLMK6G/
Link to Tony the Phony and the Northern Woods: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AL2AFYM
“Let’s go see if we can find help,” said Tony.
So Ed grabbed his backpack while Tony left the plane. Five seconds later, Ed heard Tony scream, “Help! Help!” He ran from the plane to see what was happening and came face to face with a bear who had pinned Tony pinned to the ground. “What are you doing?” asked Ed.
“Trying to breathe,” said Tony. “Chuck something at it.”
Ed picked up a stick and threw it. “I missed! Wait! The bear is chasing the stick.”
“Run!” yelled Tony.
“I’m right behind you.”
Bam! They ran into the airplane door.
“Open it!” said Tony.
“It won’t budge,” screamed Ed. “We’re locked out!”
Suddenly a loud roaring sound came from the top of the plane. The bear dropped the stick behind them, skidded to a stop with all four feet, and ran for its life.
“What was that?” Ed squeaked.
Tony pointed with a shaky finger. Ed looked up and there on the roof of the plane was a fat zombie. He looked wrinkly and warty and cranky.
Click here to run away. Click here to stand and fight.