Anger - By Tiffany Brown

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dr. Brown will be awarding an ebook copy of Anger: How to Control It So It Won't Control You to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Everyone has experienced it at least once in their life. Some have experienced it at least every day.

I have traveled all over the world and have seen it in every place. I have struggled with it as well. It’s a family problem for generations. It can be your greatest motivator or worst enemy.

Anger. Anger is defined by the Webster Dictionary as a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wrath; ire.

I will show you not only how to control your anger from a Christian perspective but also have manage it until it motivates you; not hinders you. Get Ready. Anger is nothing more than manifestation of fear. Once you eliminate fear, the anger will be gone. Become Fearless.

Read an excerpt:

Section 2 - What is Fear and its connection to anger?

Fear is defined as a perceived threat of some type. It can be emotional or physical. When you

feel that you’re in some form of danger. This activates your fight or flight response. Most animals respond to threat by either fighting or fleeing. However, we don't always have the option to fight what threatens us. Instead, we have anger. Words are the civilized way that we get to fight threat.

                                                          

Some of my biggest blowups often involved a fear of being alone. When I have depended on

people to reciprocate support for me on various levels, (new venue, in a relationship, or just life) they have disappointed me. I have never felt more rage in my life. It wasn't the disappointment that I was feeling or the feeling of being used. It was the thought that all my hard work wasn't good enough. I was unworthy, not loved, and alone.

Anger is just a manifestation of fear. For some people, when you are fearful of something, the first response that comes up is usually anger. Anger is a mask of fear.

I have learned that despite it all, I must be able to rely on myself and God. People, situations, and organization will fail you time and time again. When God is with you, nothing is against you.

You can do all in Christ that strengthens us (which is my current Church's motto).

Through my personal evolution of how to handle my anger, I have become fearless. I think before I move, I think instead of becoming angry. I am also slow to anger. I have now begun to think about the motivations behind people's actions. Sometimes, the only answer is indifference. Never fight anger with anger. It causes long reaching effects in ways you cannot even possibly imagine.

Fear is nothing more than an illusion of a possible threat. If you can control your response to your fears, then the anger will melt away.

My review of Anger:  How to Control It So It Won't Control You

Four Stars

Anger, as its title suggest, is a book that identifies an emotion that is common in out society.  It concisely , almost too simplistically, addresses the causes of anger and explores the connection that fear has to anger - that anger is a manifestation of fear.  In making this connection the author validates both fear and anger as acceptable emotions as shown in the bible.  Anger is explored from a uniquely Christian perspective as an emotion that has a place in our lives but one that also must be controlled.  This book provides easy to follow ways to manage anger with prayer, diet and exercise while providing some good takeaways for anyone wanting to get a handle on their anger.

About the Author:

Dr. Tiffany Brown is a native of Atlanta has taken great pride in her education and strives to continue broadening her knowledge. Graduating with a degree in Political Science from the prestigious Spelman College in 2001, a Master's degree in Public Administration from Clark Atlanta in 2004 and also a Doctorate in Public Policy from Walden University in 2009, she earned these achievements through determination and the desire to achieve her goals. She has held positions with the United States Government Accountability Office, Fulton County District Attorney's Office, Georgia Law Center for the Homeless, Georgia Conservation Voters, Supreme Court of Georgia, Equifax, Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Atlanta Bar Association. Upon Graduation from Walden University, she has truly impacted change as an academic and practitioner. She is former 2009 Write-in Atlanta Mayoral Candidate and owner of 3 companies: Tribute Contracting LLC, a minority owned government consulting firm TB LLC; Tiffany Brown Design House; Tiffany Brown Holdings Inc. - Consulting firm that has five divisions: entertainment, vending, radio, food, nonprofit management and book publishing.  She is an author of several books: Daily Reflections of Life: A Book of Affirmations for the Ambitious and Prayers of a Faithful Woman. In 2010, She is honored as a Influencer by BOSS Network. The BOSS Network is a women's empowerment alliance dedicated to highlighting women and creating opportunities for growth through networking beyond events. BOSS was named among the top 100 websites and one of the top 10 career sites for women in 2010 by Forbes.com

Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter

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Fatal Obsession - One Novel, Two Novels, Three Novels - More

Fatal Obsession

Five novels - one boxed set!

Fatal Obsession is a boxed set of five romantic suspense novels just released this week.  These stories are dangerous and they're hot.   And that's not all that's good about them, they're on sale, the whole set for 99 cents at all online bookstores.  How hot is that?

So, yeah I have an inside scoop on it all, a reason to be excited.  My novel, Fatal Intent is included as part of the set.

So here's what's inside Fatal Obsession:

Deadly Shadows by USA Today Bestseller Jaycee Clark
The first book in the gripping and sexy world of the Kincaid Brothers.

Haunted by the past, writer Jesslyn Black never again wants to experience the soul-shredding pain of losing someone she loves--but a murder in the small Colorado town she's been hiding in forces her to come out of her shell and face her greatest fear.  Running from his own loss, Aidan Kinncaid has travelled to the town strictly on business but soon finds himself embroiled in the hunt for a killer--before he can track down the one woman who might be able to mend his heart.  Together Aidan and Jesslyn must fight for second chances at love before a killer destroys both their lives.

Trace Elements by Kate Donovan
Special Agent Annika Trace is the hottest thing in law enforcement - at least on TV.  But things change for Annika-a.k.a. actress Nikki Gower--when she is called on by the real FBI to help gain the trust of one of her fans: a four-year-old kidnapping victim.  Special agent  Josh Saxon, however, isn't happy:  he doesn't need some Hollywood star interfering in his case.  Yet as Josh and Nikki spar over the best way to get the job done, Josh discovers firsthand just how Nikki makes the airwaves sizzle.

Lethal Obsession by Kate Douglas
As an undercover agent, Kat Malone has always had enemies.  Now one of them is back and viciously stalking her, and Kat--alone, and pregnant, and in over her head--is in desperate need of help.  After a lifetime of cleaning up his brother Riley's messes, Seamus O'Rourke is left with one last mess:  protecting Kat, his brother's former lover.  Tensions mount and passions flare as Kat struggles to save her child, and Seamus must find the strength and determination to protect the woman he's grown to love.

Point of No Return by Rita Henuber
While investigating a string of recent kidnappings, no-nonsense Marine Major Honey Thornton's first suspect is none other than her sometime lover, former CIA agent Jack O'Brien.  But Jack has his own problems:  after his brother and sister-in-law are mysteriously killed and their daughter becomes a kidnapping target, he finds himself unwilling to trust anyone--even Honey.   With suspicions flaring on all sides, political turmoil stirring, and desire burning between them, Jack and Honey must decide whether they can truly trust each other as they fight to bring down the madmen responsible.

Fatal Intent by Ryshia Kennie
An expedition into the Borneo rain forest is a dream trek for entomologist Garrett Cole, until a brutal murder turns the trip into a nightmare.  Lost and panicked, Garrett has no choice but to put her trust and the fate of her team in the hands of the mysterious and rugged Aidan to guide them to safety.  With a killer still on the loose and undeniable passion flaring, can she trust the one man who claims to be their rescuer?  Or are Aidan's good intentions just another of the jungle's illusions?

Check it out at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and other online stores.  You can't be entertained much more economically than that!

And coming up - International Author Day!  Yes, you heard right.  It's official, there'll be giveaways - and it's coming up in the next week, check back for links to the blog hop to celebrate it all.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Time for U

T is for time

U is for underestimate

Never underestimate time for it is probably out and about over-estimating you.  Like today when I am blogging T and U because I had so much time yesterday...not!  I thought I did.  I thought I had time to do it all, to catch up on my edits, to get a brochure for the upcoming craft sale ready, to walk the dog, pay the bills, answer e-mails, clean the house and the list rolled on. 

We all know the list.  The tasks that scroll threw our mind when the alarm rings in the morning.  And then like water dripping out of a tap, that distinct blip, blip, blip... and the day is gone. 

Yesterday I threw a few extra things into the rotation, a book finished and reviewed, a coffee with a friend I'd neglected, and the list goes on.  But there was even more I didn't get done.  Like that book, excuse me books, two of them - still working on it.  The book prizes that need to go out have moved to today - tomorrow at the outside and there again is a list, of what still needs to be done.

Time just got away!

So when I had the opportunity to review a new book about just that - maybe being happy with where you are and not rushing to be somewhere else or even be something else - I thought, yes I'm interested.    Now, I'm not sure if this is exactly what the author is going to tackle but it appeared to be on those lines and caught my interest.  Yes, it's more on my to do list but sometimes it's nice to do something a little different and give back.  Plus, as I said, the book might be helpful.  I'll update all of that on Goodreads.

Meantime I will continue to time wrangle and today in honour of saving time, I am blogging T and U. 

Til tomorrow.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
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Ryshia on Goodreads

Could it be all Hogwash?

In the world of h's there are so many choices of words known and unknown, of muscial groups and literary forces but instead I chose a word that may be on its way out.

It's a word I remember my dad using occasionally.  Of course he was also fond of the phrase "whoa dobbin."  A phrase I suspect exited a generation or two ago.

So the word I chose is, drum roll please...

hogwash

When was the last time you heard anyone use that word?  I suspect we all know what it means but lets dig a little and see if the assumptions are correct or, if not, where this little gem came from.

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary it means:
foolish or meaningless talk; nonsense, balderdash (another good word rarely heard), swill, slop

So where did hogwash come from?
I turn to my bookshelves and yes, wait for it, paper books!
In the gem of a dictionary a friend located in the back of a British antique shop dated 1795 - there is no reference.
A wartime dictionary also - no reference

So now I'm intrigued, where did this seemingly outdated word come from if it isn't even making the pages of yesteryear?

I move to online references:
Wikipedia, as dicey as some of the information may be - returns nothing.  I search further.

Ahha! - English Ancestory claims that hogwash became a word around the 15th century and combined the word hog along with wash or the waste from a kitchen.  Meaning anything that was bad or worthless.

So, is this true?

Turns out that Online Etymology concurs with this history and expands the meaning to have once meant bad liquor which another site implied, as well as inferior writing again confirmed in a further search.

So what became a simple post, an easy one off in my blogging the alphabet, became instead a mission as hogwash became not just an outdated word but an intriguing one that seemed to have no history.  Now the mystery is cleared up and the next time I write a page that I must later delete I will know not to feel too bad as it was all probably hogwash anyway.  After all, every writer has to have a little leeway to spin just a bit of hogwash.  And...

Okay, done with the hogwash and on with my day.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

F is for From the Dust

From the Dust is my only historic romance and pretty much my favourite book to research.  The people who actually lived through the dirty thirties are an amazing crew.  But I divert from the point, the point is this book and it's story.  It's a love story set on the prairies during the Great Depression.

“He died with liquor on his breath and poison in his soul. Doc MacPherson claimed that between the alcohol and the arsenic there were enough chemicals in his body to keep him pickled to the second coming.

It was a terrible way to die. Eva wouldn’t wish that on anyone, even him. She shivered. The last twelve hours had been awful. She pulled a bobby pin from her hair, rearranged a stray piece and secured it again. She hadn’t reacted well. She knew that. She regretted snapping at the child. She regretted a lot of things. None of them could be undone. Like Mr. Edwards, the time was gone, over. The damage had been done.”

And so begins the saga of Eva Edwards, a new widow and stepmother. Three steps ahead of one disaster or another, she struggles to survive on a Saskatchewan farm. It is 1935 and dust storms and poverty are rampant. But it is Tate Prescott Brown who becomes the biggest obstacle as he arrives from Ontario with wealth and status and a claim to her farm. It is a poignant battle against each other and the elements as two independent individuals face off and discover that in a battle of survival, love wins every time.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Rules Are Made to Be Broken...

 

Rules are made to be broken...

Or are they?

Today I headed to the local rehabilitation hospital to deliver a couple of books for their donation book cart.  It's a quaint little setup that consists of a few carts against a wall in their spacious hallway.  It's basically self-serve with a note to put in a donation if you take a book and a few instructions about leaving books.

Today there was what appeared to be additional instruction, so I hung on to my donation books while I read the rules.  The usual suspects, no beaten or soiled books, large donations needed alternate arrangements and last but not least, deposit the books in the bottom basket where I assumed they'd be sorted out and arranged neatly on the carts later.  So, as instructed, I placed my two books in the bottom basket.

And that's when I realized I was no longer alone.

"I've been watching you."

Great, I think.  Why?

"Organizing the books is my job," the tall, middle-aged woman said.  "And no one puts the books anywhere but there."  She pointed to the second cart where books were organized in a row, spines neatly lined up and level with the next.  "No one reads the sign.  So I watched you standing there to see what you would do.  If you really read the sign."

I look to where she's pointing and glance at the sign.

"You're one of the few that put them where they're supposed to be."

Shall we have a collective sigh of relief?

 

So a few minutes of chit chat later, I left feeling like I'd just gotten a huge pat on the back for being a rules girl.  But was I?

I never thought of being much of one before.  I mean I'll follow rules enough not to cause a ruckus.  If the meeting starts at 9, I'll be there in plenty of time.  The obvious moments when rules matter aside, I don't like following the crowd or the unwritten rules of the crowd.  Of course, sometimes I must out of necessity.  But if the majority are taking the escalator and doing the usual standing in place, I'll be the one walking the escalator, passing the non-walkers or taking the stairs.  I know, small example and there's probably a zillion that are the opposite like living a house, driving a car - having a dog.  But was I following some sort of unwritten rule or just exploring similar interests?

Rules Girl?

I've been mislabeled and there's no better place to look then in a book and my reading habits.  My reading is eclectic and I don't tend to read to trends or what I think of as crowd rule.  And as a writer to be organized and efficient it is said that we should write an outline or at the least, a synopsis - and I try but in the end, the best I have ever written is a synopsis that I can guarantee will hold true for the first three chapters - after that all bets are off.  In the end I've had to tweak that synopsis here and there, and then here again.  Some people write better with an outline but forcing yourself to do something in a way that doesn't come naturally I suspect doesn't deliver the best product.  

Follow the rules, is it a good thing or does it just set us up for mediocrity?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
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Expect the Unexpected

My first novel, From The Dust, is a historical romance set in Depression Era Saskatchewan.  As part of my research I interviewed a few people that had lived through the thirties.  Unfortunately, one of those I interviewed, my husband's uncle, recently passed away.   I've re-posted below, the blog post that was the result of that interview.

Here's to you, Uncle Jim.

A Whole Lot of Nothing In Saskatchewan

"No one had any money," the tall, handsome senior tells me. He was a teenager through much of the thirties. The thirties, not the depression, that's how many of the seniors I talk to refer to the depression, only as the thirties.

"What did you do for fun?" I ask.

"Nothing."

"No dances?" I prod.

"I played the fiddle my Dad bought."

"You didn't have any money," I remind him.

"We bought it before the thirties, when we still had some money."

"Did you play at dances?" I ask again.

"Wasn't that good," he says in his cryptic manner. "The neighour taught me. We had musicals at different homes. I played at them sometimes."


"And dances?" So give me credit - I'm persistent!

"Yeah. I played at a few. But usually we had a real orchestra come out."

"Orchestra?" Now I'm puzzled. What about the no money thing?

"Yeah, my cousin played banjo, his wife played fiddle and a friend played saxaphone. They came out every Saturday night."

Nothing is sure becoming an interesting term. There's a whole lot of nothing going on. But I press on.

"From the city?" I ask.

"No, from the farm." He looks puzzled at the question. "They came into town."

"So you danced every weekend?"

"When we didn't have money. Sometimes we had money you know."
He eyes me like everyone should know this fact and continues,"then we went to Disley and bought beer."
"Beer?"

"Yeah. But we got rid of the empties."
"So you returned the empties?" I ask assuming poverty stricken as they were they would want the cash on a bottle return.
"Oh no." He shakes his head. "That would mean we'd have to take the bottles home with us. We threw them away so our mothers wouldn't find out we'd been drinking beer!"

***

After "From the Dust" was published, I received this feedback from Uncle Jim:

 "I read your book," he said with his cane perched across his long legs.  He paused as if for effect.  "I liked it."

I let out a relieved breath.

"Except for one thing."

Silence resonated as I held my breath, almost afraid to think what might have been wrong.  It's a love story there were probably places where a man of his age might have wished I'd glossed over.  Yes, that must have been it.

He repositioned his cane, obviously loving the drama.  Then he looked at me with a smile and said, "Not enough sex."

 Uncle Jim

1917 - 2014

Life is Unexpected - Safe travels
Ryshia
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Santa Fe and Onward

Everything seems to be in slow time.  I suppose when you're on the road life is like that.  On the way further south, we spent a few days in a surprisingly laid back place, Santa Fe.  Low slung adobe buildings catch your attention immediately.  The more modern downtown is hidden from the interstate.  And a year after my first view of Santa Fe, we ventured in and discovered that the heart of Santa Fe is how it was a hundred or so years ago.  Coming from a place where the old has been too often razed, this was refreshing.  Narrow lanes bracketed by laid back adobe houses whose elegant rich comfort are hidden behind wide thick wood doors and arched doorways.

Santa Fe - for artists, it's a mecca.  A mecca for art of all kinds; from sculpture to oil to artists of another kind - cooking.  Not only that but yes, there are writers and writers' conferences. There were also cooking schools and writing schools but most of all there was
art.  Eighty-four galleries in a stretch of about four blocks.

It was there where I had the most expensive lunch of my life but the most entertaining.  Who knew that water could cost eight dollars a bottle.  But what topped everything was a woman who was really the caricature of a place or time or theme.  Scarlett O'Hara, obviously not her or even someone that remotely resembled her, not her looks but her airs.  The resemblance was in her southern drawl that included the mention of numerous "high end encounters" and was peppered with darlings.  The conversation was a window to another world, of business, entitlement and airs.  

But enough of peeks into other people's lives.  It was off to see the galleries.  Bronzes and oils were everywhere, galleries cozied against more galleries.  The amount of talent in that one little area was overwhelming.

And after an exhausting day both to feet and pocketbook it was off for something a little more realistic, wood stove cooked pizza and beer.

And with the road and Santa Fe now behind me, I've been settled in a place that's not quite home for a week or two.  More on that later.

And in the meantime, I'm giving away two copies of my paranomal romance, Ring of Desire and my historic set on the depression era prairie, From the Dust.  Both are contests on Goodreads.

And last but "not least":

My latest book - Intent to Kill is out!

First there was Fatal Intent, a tale that took romance and suspense to the dark reaches of the Borneo jungle.

Now, Intent to Kill takes love to the heart of Cambodia where in the shadow of Angkor Wat, passion ignites amidst evil that is generations in the making.  

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
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Going Once, Going Twice - Gone!

This weekend my travels took me through the dark and crowded mazes of the garage sale.  I got to stick my nose into the fine art of the garage sale from the proprietor's side of the table.  I held a garage sale for my mother who had a collection of unique and interesting things acquired through years of gathering and neatly storing.  There were things that dated back to my grandparents and even my great grandparents.  It's amazing what a shelf can hold when you dig to the back of those neatly stacked piles.

It was weeks of preparation and doubts that customers would even come through the door.  Worse, we chose of all weekends, the one weekend in May that has had rain consistently over every year I can remember.  Don't ask me why about either the sale or the rain but somethings just are.  Fortunately, the rain greeted us only one day but even that I didn't notice, I was too busy hopping from one customer query to another.

It is on the working floor of the garage sale that you meet the underpinnings of the garage sale circuit; the antique dealers, the unique dealers and the scroungers.  They are the people that scoop up everything they think they might resell or what may be of value.  Value is a two pronged sword and often value only meant interest - two or three dollars worth.  But who knew that a plastic phonograph/radio with a chunk out of its side was worth even that.  After all it was worthless to one dealer but worth a gentleman's argument for another two.  And that iron stove that almost amputated toes, well it went out the door, rust, ancient coal dust and all.  

Add caption

There are people who just collect, there are people who collect and recycle and there are those - well, those that just like to snoop and discover something unique or just plain reuseable.  And you know, I don't mind garage sales, most days, I mean arriving as a customer.  I like snooping through new old stuff.  I don't know what's with that.  But I do know as I sat in my plastic chair poised to process yet another transaction that I couldn't help going through the book table to my left.  And yes I did rescue one, then two and finally three.  But I didn't get that book, the one that one man had me leaping out of my chair for the hundred dollar bill he claimed was between it's pages.  Wrong.  And I didn't bother to tell him that it was too late for April Fools.

But most of all what I got from that garage sale were characters, characters with more stories than I have time to tell in such a short blog post.  It was that moment in time when my life intersected with people I might not normally have met.  Fantastic fun for anyone, invaluable for a writer.

And my find from the sale - besides those books, a portable exerciser for abs.  And if I don't use it - it's too small to hang clothes on!

Any finds in your day?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
Find me on Goodreads, Facebook or Twitter

Eldon Taylor - I Believe

Today is the launch of Eldon Taylor's latest book, I Believe.  It is a book launch that I was again asked to take part in and was happy to oblige as I've found with Eldon's books, they might be non-fiction but they're entertaining as well as thought provoking.  Better yet, Eldon Taylor writes one inspirational book after another.  So first off Eldon's provided some answers to often asked questions and we'll follow it all up with my review.

Q and A with Eldon Taylor

What was the motivation and inspiration behind your latest book, I Believe?

I have spent over thirty years investigating why people self-sabotage or limit themselves, thus experiencing so much less then their highest best!  What I have found is the reason rests solely in their beliefs--not their religious beliefs so much as their life beliefs.  I found this to be true when I was conducting lie detection tests and discovering criminality, and equally true when I worked with elite athletes, business executives, professionals and lay people alike.  The bottom line is this:  What you believe always matters!  It's like a web that fastens itself to belief-anchors, causing disheartening mediocrity in place of the glorious success we all seek.

I Believe spells out the power of belief and how it influences everything from our health and longevity to our success with out relationships and life.  Astounding as it may seem, belief  can (and has) defied our so-called laws of science and it has done so over and over again.  As ordinary and trite as it may seem, belief nevertheless makes all the difference in success in all walks of life.  Knowing how we acquire our beliefs, and which beliefs serve us while others sabotage us, is critical to maximizing our individual potential.  I Believe:  When What You Believe Matters!  was written to empower you with the roadmap to decipher and re-write the programming governing your life.  

 If you don't mind sharing, as the author, how has the belief in positive thinking impacted your life?

Years ago I had the proverbial chip on my shoulder.  I began paying my own way at age 12, paying my parents room and board and buying my own clothes and school books.  I left home at an early age filled with anger directed at my parents.  I could go on, but the point can be summarized this way as well.  You could fairly say that back then, the bumper sticker stating "Life sucks and then you die," accurately reflected my beliefs.  As time went on, both my education and avocation, revealed something truly important:  I could not blame anyone else for the problems with my life and I was the only one who could change it!  I basically learned how to examine all of my beliefs, and how to change those that were not working for me.  As a result, I have been happily married  for over 30 years, am successful in my career and feel that I am on the spiritual path for me.  Also my business is focused on teaching others the techniques I have learned and today it helps people all around the world uncover their highest potential.  The thank you notes I receive daily truly do brighten my life.

What is the first and foremost message you want your readers to receive from I Believe?

That they were born with all the gifts they need to fully maximize this life experience.  If things are not going as well as they had once hoped, then it is time to reassess their beliefs and to choose once again.  The fact is, there is a truly remarkable and near unlimited power that resides within all, that is the very essence of our individual uniqueness.  All we need to do is tap into the source of our ability and express the gift that is who we really are.

Are there any final words of wisdom you'd like to share with your readers?


I would leave this thought with everyone.  Most of us believe what we believe without ever truly examining it.  In that sense, we live out counterfeit lives.  As children we pretend to be many things and out make belief often becomes how we walk and talk.  We change our clothes and we change our personality.  Our behavior and our language can be totally different when we are in Levis and boots versus a three-piece suit.

Many of us have learned to be effective chameleons, just so we can feel as though we fit in, but in the process we have neglected the discovery of our selves.  We have learned to avoid rejection and thereby limited what we might try.  We are full of what I have called the "no-don't syndrome"--all those negatives that inform us we might fail, we're no good, we're not old enough, we're stupid or skinny or fat and so on.  This too has become part of our belief network, as we have the various defense mechanisms that protect us from pain and rejection.  We think in sound bytes taken from our culture and race to consume the latest whatever in a never ending need for more.    In the end, it is our self-doubt that prohibits our higher realization of who we are and perhaps why we're here.  The subtitle of I Believe is "When What You Believe Matters," and that about sums  up the answer for creating the person you were meant to be, for what you believe--the tiniest of beliefs, always matters!

 

Eldon Taylor has spent over 25 years researching the power of the mind and developing scientifically proven methods to use this power to enhance the quality of your life.  I Believe is a book that will not only inspire you, but will highlight the kinds of beliefs you hold that may be causing you to fail.  In the process, it will provide you with the opportunity to choose, once again, the beliefs that drive your life.  Eldon is having a wonderful launch party so you really should check it out:   http://www.progressiveawarenesspromotions.com/it/13e/index/J.php

My review of I Believe:
(Four stars)

I Believe begins with a tantalizing forward that alludes to the fact that we don't have to lead an ant-colony like existence, that there can be more.  I Believe is a testament to the power of the human mind and how it can influence out lives.  As usual, Taylor's effortless writing style had me immediately hooked as I read how what you believe can affect everything in your life from your character and your success or lack there of, to potentially - your health.  Remember Maslow's hierarchy?   Are you self-actualized and if not what level are you at?

"The power of belief, the absolutely awesome

incredible power of belief, is the genie in your life.

Let me say that again:  The absolutely awesome and

incredible power of your belief is the genie in your life."

What I didn't expect were some of the religious references and I found that they didn't weave as smoothly as some of the more scientific facts.  However, Taylor skillfully brings forward more proof of the power of belief by weaving science with other stories, many from his own experience, that combine in this non-fiction read to make you forget at times that you're not just reading for sheer enjoyment.

All in all, I Believe was a thought provoking read that I'd recommend for anyone interested in exploring the power of the human mind.

 

So if any of this has you as intrigued as I was, I'd suggest you check out the book launch site.  There's a lot of things going on for this launch and some big name sponsors too.  Check it all out here to take part in what looks to be an exciting book launch - click here to go to "I Believe".

Ryshia

www.ryshiakennie.com

Shorts, T-shirts, Snowbanks and The Book Trailer

It's Cinco de Mayo and we're celebrating....  it's an excuse to pull out the tequila and put out the lawn furniture.  It's time to wave goodbye to what remains of the snowbanks.  Yes, all my warm weather friends - there's still enough snow to make

The last dregs of prairie winter.

a snowman here on our little piece of prairie.  But that aside, the jackets are in the closet and the shorts are out.  In fact one intrepid little neighbour is right now dressed in shorts and burrowing into a snowbank with a sand shovel.

So before I get to all that celebrating, winter's end and the final arrival of spring and, of course, Cinco de Mayo, let's talk book trailers.  I never appreciated the book trailers for my first two books so much as when I set out to make one myself.

Where to start?

I have a Mac so the first thing I learned was that the Powerpoint version for Mac is a possible option, but it requires an additional program for us Mac users to load to youtube.  The second thing I learned

Fatal Intent - in the heart of the jungle.

is that imovie, Apple's movie making program, doesn't come with a half hour learning curve.  I
suspect that imovie works better if you were familiar with it before you jumped in to do a book trailer.  Yes, I tried Powerpoint, didn't locate the program to upload and fiddled with imovie as well - why focus on one thing if you can do two or more at once is my motto.  Neither was providing me with a quick and painless trailer - one that I could live with and someone might actually want to watch without grinding their teeth.  And then I tripped on an online program that provides a free option.

So off I went, after all what did I have to lose?  It took a bit of work but Fatal Intent has a book trailer.  With a bit of creativity you can come up with something workable.  It's a base to try something a little more complicated next time and then the next... and before you know it the book trailer will evolve to a full size movie...okay, not.

So here it is, my first step into creating  a book trailer click on through to see the finished product:  Fatal Intent

What else is in the works?  Well, Monday is the final day of Fatal Intent's epic tour and to cap off the tour, my last stop is at Black Velvet Seductions tomorrow, Monday, May 6.  If nothing else you've got to stop by to see the header picture on the blog, it's adorable!  Seriously, although it is adorable, I'm looking forward to the day, kind of sad that the tour is over but excited that someone is going to win the grand prize - a signed copy of From the Dust and a DVD copy of that vintage movie, East of Borneo.  So come on by, chat with me and be entered for prizes.

There's more than that happening.  I reviewed Eldon Taylor's recent book, "I Believe" and I loved it.  I'll be posting all about that here on May 7 as Eldon begins the launch of another inspirational book.

So, yeah it's going to be a busy week.  But in the meantime, sit back and enjoy Fatal Intent's trailer.  To celebrate - hey it's Cinco de Mayo, how timely.  Margarita anyone?


Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Boots by George

What's a dog to do when he can't get to the fire hydrant?

So I said no more posts about the weather, no more whining about the weather, just no more weather,
period.  Of course, that was a while ago, and now with still no end in sight, well, we're cranky lot up here in the frozen north this April.  I'm not even getting jazzed about starting a new story or fiddling with a book trailer or... 

But there is something I'm excited about.

Boots!

Yes, boots!  Waterproof boots! 

I really wanted something to replace my Sorrels.  After sixteen seasons, they finally collapsed.  I suppose I can't complain.  But what I did want was a pair of Sorrels to replace them.  I began and ended my search near the end of January.  Apparently, in Saskatchewan in late winter you can buy the latest summer gear but no winter gear.

Saskatchewan averages over five months of winter-like weather and that's not counting the weeks of chilly slush.  Wouldn't it be wise to stock winter apparel year round - possibly be specialists in outfitting for winter?   It would make more sense than the frustrating boot search that was followed just three weeks ago by a city-wide search for a snow shovel.  With two recorded roofs collapsing in the city, snow was more serious business than usual this winter.  Most stores had no snow shovels.  What they did have was lawn furniture.

Mid-April, get out the toboggan.

Lawn furniture?

Three weeks ago, we had no need of a new chaise lounge unless to maybe lounge on the recently shoveled deck, with a "too cold" beer in hand and  view the "no exaggeration' seven foot snow bank juxtaposed against its six foot counterpart all framed quite nicely by hoar frost.

A glimmer of a sidewalk.

Fast forward three weeks - there's still no rush on the lawn furniture.

So back to my George's.  They're Walmart specials, $19.99 on sale and you know what, the other day I proved they were waterproof.  They aren't fancy but they keep my feet warm and dry.


Sometimes the simplest solution is the best whether with footwear or with a story.  Like the current story, it just needed a few edits and I wasn't too happy with one of the later chapters.  I stalled for a while thinking I'd have to rewrite and then, eureka, an idea came to me.  It was a simple as tweaking a few paragraphs because really all I needed was already written, just covered in - well things that shouldn't be there.  Kind of like my Walmart boots.  They were a last resort, too simple, too economical to possibly beat out a pair of Sorrels.  And yeah, they won't make the cut at -25 celsius, but for now, they're just the fix.

And this Monday, April 15 I'm over at BK Walker Books with Fatal Intent. Stop by and leave a comment.  I'd love the company.  And as usual, follow the tour and any comment enters you for the grand prize at the end of the tour and a prize on the day.  See details on my website.


Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

I'm Drowning - And I Won't Put My Feet Down!

2013 started with a bang, the wrong kind of bang.  You know those years when if it could go wrong it did, when worst case scenario became the common denominator?  The first few months of 2013 knocked me on my butt and sent me skidding across the floor.  It was kind of like when my niece was small she wanted to paddle around in our pool but as soon as she got in the water she clung to my neck and refused to let go.  I kept assuring her that the water wasn't over her head, she only needed to put her feet down.  Took a while but she finally put her feet down and after that it was an afternoon love affair with the pool.  Now I know how she felt.  For a while the floor looked safe, after all, once you've landed you can't fall again.

But I got up.  And the first thing I turned to was books.  I've turned into a reading machine but worse, I'm reading books at a time.  Not, that this is abnormal for me - I tend to read three books at once.  But when I sheepishly added book four on my Goodreads list of currently reading and the system really only shows three, well I knew I was heading into the "bad reader" corner.  And then when I made the mistake of going to the library to make copies of the last remnants of what is "owed Caesar' I found myself drawn to the aisles of books where I found not one but two more.  And they were the short-loan books too.

April in Saskatchewan

So I have more to add to the list of four on the go.  That's a little over the top even for me.  So when the librarian also alerted me to the fact that there's a hold on my facebook marketing book, I knew it was all over.  I'd put that book to the side and already double renewed.  Now, I had to either invest in a pair of reading glasses, okay not ready for that, but I needed to get my nose in some books and quickly. 

Hmmm - maybe all this reading is just a way to get out of the winter blahs and into the excitement of spring.  Or maybe, like my mother threatened to do just this afternoon, I should follow her example and just go out and buy a new outfit, preferably something in lime green, brilliant yellow or laughing red.

Seriously, reading is critical to writers and maybe I'm just playing catchup after a few months of drought.

And on other fronts, Monday I'll be over at You Gotta Read Reviews with Fatal Intent.  Stop by leave a comment and if you haven't started already, follow the remainder of the tour or pop by and leave a comment.  There's prizes for comments throughout ending in a grand prize at the end. 

And you, what book has your attention.  Is it fact or is it fiction?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
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Omens and Opportunities

The Ides of March is upon us.  Is that a good or bad thing?  An omen or a window of opportunity, or just another day. 

Today I'm posting over at the Romance Studio.  I picked today because it was the Ides.  Why, you ask or maybe you didn't?  Fortuitous I thought and in what context I thought that I'm not sure.  In my defense it was a few months ago when I made the decision.  But I'm glad I did.  The Romance Studio are always good people to hang out with.  So, hop on over and chat with me for a bit.  With the snow falling like soft rain outside, I'm not straying far from the house today.

It's edging close to the annual spring craft sale that I was introduced to by my intrepid sister-in-law who is the power engine behind craft sale promotion. And somewhere in all this, my dog Rourke became the poster child for craft sales, appearing in ad after ad.  I believe it was his penchant for unwrapping presents that began it all.  He unwraps every one beginning with his own.

Yes, Rourke you didn't quite make Fire House Dog - although they (as apparently there were four dogs playing one role) too were Irish Terriers, but you made the local craft sale circuit.

Every dog has to start somewhere!

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Escape It All

Well, last night we were hit with a winter storm.  Highways were closed after a spate of vehicles hitting the ditch.  This morning I woke to a world whose blanket of snow just settled a few inches deeper.  Winter isn't ready to give up its stranglehold on the prairies just yet.  So, I was kind of anxious to leave the snow world behind to go visiting.  I'm on tour today with Fatal Intent.  So if you're in the mood to escape the weather, or anything else in your life - or maybe you just want to talk books, come on over to Lisa Haselton's blog where I'm spending the day.  Visit, hang out and get entered to win a prize or two. 

In the meantime let's head somewhere warm and without snow, deep in the pages of Fatal Intent. 
 

Somewhere in the Borneo jungle:

Aidan moved vines back, exposing his face.  They only had to look in his direction.

He was so close he could have reached out and touched her.  She was delicate, out of place here in the midst of this wilderness.  Her skin, even beneath the sweat and exertion-stained flush, was fair.  She wasn't built to be here, she was too slight to survive, too weak, too...

She glanced up.  A frown immediately seared her face.

"Who the hell are you?" she snarled.

He bit back a smile.  She should have screamed.  She hadn't.  All tiny limbs and fragile beauty, and yet she attacked first.

He let his gaze rove over the group, refusing to be corralled by her attack.  

One of the men looked panicked, the others seriously stressed.  He shifted his spear to his other hand and waited, taking the warrior advantage of time and observation.  The silent often learned much about the enemy.

"Put that down."  She gestured to his spear.

His fingers loosened for a millisecond before gripping the spear tighter.  Was she out of her mind?  Green, innocent, and totally forest-illiterate, but she was feisty.

Feisty?  She was seething, hot, absolutely pissed--about what, he wasn't sure.  Her anger didn't make much sense.  Nothing about this afternoon made much sense.

Hope you enjoyed that little diversion from the real world.

Now I'm off to dig a path in a snowbank or two.   

And you - any snowbanks standing in your way?

Ryshia

www.ryshiakennie.com