Month: January 2020

We are the World Blogfest

#WATWB – We are the World Blogfest -One Man’s Journey to Speak With 10,000 Strangers

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Welcome back to the first share for 2020 of the We are the World Blogfest – #WATWB. The community where each last Friday of the month, we share something good going on around the world to deflect from some of the bad news we get plenty of and promote good deeds and random acts of kindness. Today I’m sharing a wonderful idea  this man has  ventured into on a mission to ignite kindness, communication and compassion incorporated into his daily living.

 

I felt drawn to this particular act because I believe the world is so embedded in their technology and digital media world, and it’s not hard to notice in every public space that human relations: making eye contact with a stranger, common courtesy, polite salutations, seem to be eroding with time.

 

~ ~ ~

 

This article was written by REBECCA WOJNO, CONTRIBUTOR to Goodnet.org

Today, social media effortlessly brings people together from all over the world through shared interests. There are more and more ways for people to connect online.

But with our busy lives, with texting is replacing conversations, people are feeling lonely and actually communicating less. That’s why Rob Lawless, a 28-year-old extrovert from Philadelphia who has spent the last four years having an hour-long face-to-face conversation with a stranger a day is so unique.

“The concept of meeting up with someone for absolutely no reason other than just to get to know them is so foreign to people that they think there must be some agenda. In reality, I’m just here to sit with you and talk about anything,” Lawless told News 10.

During a typical day, he’ll speak to around four strangers and since 2015, he’s spoken to more than 2,800 people. . . continue reading

 

 

Source: One Man’s Journey to Speak With 10,000 Strangers – Goodnet

 

Each month a group of writers share a post on acts of goodness going on around the world to deflect off the negative news around the world. This months hosts are:

D. Biswas – https://www.damyantiwrites.com/

L. Hartz – https://authorlizbethhartz.com/blog

S. Garg – http://shilpaagarg.com/

M. Giese – https://maryjmelange.wordpress.com

S. Stein – https://ssteinwriting.wordpress.com/

 

If you’d like to participate, visit the #WATWB Facebook page and add your story share.

 

 

 

Book review feature

New Reviews Are In – Twenty Years: After “I Do”, Words We Carry

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It never gets old for me. There is just something about a beautiful review that encourages me to keep writing, reminding that my words do matter. Today I’m sharing 3 new reviews I came across on Amazon for 2 of my books – Words We Carry and Twenty Years: After “I Do”.

 

Twenty Years on Aging

Visit this book on Amazon

 

 

Avid Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars A heart-warming memoir that made me smile a lot

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2020

Format: Kindle Edition

 

blog challenge

#FlashFiction Challenge from CarrotRanch #Photoprompt

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For this week’s Flash Fiction challenge at Charli Mills’ CarrotRanch – In 99 words write a story about this image:

 

 

 

 

January 23, 2019, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a park bench. Use this gif to choose a timeframe and write the story behind that particular scene. Use the time as your title. Go where the prompt leads!

 

 

Secrets and Moments

If I could tell you I would. It’s my job here to offer a place to rest your weary selves. All knowing, listening and watching as countless people land here to share a moment.

Broken hearts rested here in refuge with their grief, new beginnings created as some knelt on bended knee declaring their love and proposing to another who has rested upon me.

Shady characters too have used my inconspicuous location for an incognito drop-off. While others come just to relax and take in a beautiful day.

These secrets traded between visitors remain ingrained within my wooden confessional.

 

Visit the ranch to read other entries.

©DGKaye

Book reviews by D.G. Kaye

Sunday Book Review – The Ultimate #Vegan Mug Cake – Zoe Hazan

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The Sunday Book Review – something a little different – The Ultimate Vegan Mug Cake. I have toppling over my Kindle, so many books. Occasionally, when I’m still reading a longer book not yet finished or reviewed, I’ll dig out a shorter book to read in between so I can have a book to review. I picked up this little book when I saw it on free offer from one of the book sites I subscribe to. I’ve been collecting these instant ‘mug’ recipes along my travels for quick eats or a quick dessert so I was happy to find this little gem with a plethora of delicious, healthy and quick desserts.

 

 

Blurb:

Grab A Mug And Try A Warm, Gooey & Irresistible Vegan Treat That You Can Enjoy In Just Minutes!

Fancy something sweet, but don’t want to bake a whole cake or a batch of cookies? Tired of scouring Pinterest for something quick and easy to satisfy your sweet tooth?

Here lies the beauty of mug cakes as you can have a mug of deliciousness in less than 5 minutes! This book is perfect for vegans, vegetarians and indeed everyone else who fancies a sweet treat.

The ingredients are simple and easy to source, as a matter of fact, you probably already have the basic ingredients in your pantry. The difficulty will probably be to decide which recipe to prepare!

★New & Updated for 2020!

  • All recipes are 100% vegan
  • NO butter, eggs or milk – and NO compromising on taste, texture or flavour
  • Fail proof recipes that take no longer than 5 minutes to make
  • Simple recipes using simple ingredients – in fact you are likely to have what you need in your cupboards right now!

All you need to get started is a mug, a microwave, a few basic ingredients and a few minutes…and VOILA! A delicious vegan mug cake is ready for you to devour!
With so many exciting recipes to try you will be using this cookbook all year.

Try Some Of These Outrageously Delicious Mug Cakes Today!

  • Cookie Dough
  • Chocolate Chip Espresso
  • Red Velvet
  • Pancakes in a Mug
  • Gingerbread Cake with Cranberry Compote
  • Sticky Date Pudding
  • Gooey S’mores Cake
  • Cinnamon Roll
  • Chocolate Brownie
  • And Many More Delicious Mug Cakes!

Download Your Copy Now! Grab your favorite mug and try one of these easy and delicious cakes today!

 

My 5 Star Review:

A wonderful little book filled with delicious and healthy quick ‘mug’ recipes. The book begins with an informative introduction to the process of baking these cakes complete with best types of mugs to use, the variety of dairy substitute milks that can be used, the various types of flours you can use, choices of natural sweeteners, how tos for measuring and the nutritional benefits of these main ingredients.

So easy to make and delicious and nutritious. Convenient for the sweet craving you want to satisfy ‘now’ and not have to wait to bake a cake. A wide selection of cake recipes to tempt the palate and ready in 3 minutes! You can’t beat that!

 

Copyright
© D.G. Kaye and DGKayewriter.com, 2014 – 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to D.G. Kaye

 

 

Colleen's Weekly Poetry Challenge

Colleen’s 2019 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 161 #PhotoPrompt – Word Craft ~ Prose and Poetry

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Colleen Chesebro’s Weekly Poetry Challenge. Third week of the month is a photo prompt with our choice of poetry style. I’ve chosen to write a #Tanka – syllabic poetry – 5/7/5/7/7

 

 

It’s the third week of the month! Time for a #PhotoPrompt

 

What does this photo say to you? How does it make you feel… concentrate on emotions, or tell a syllabic poetry story.

 

This month’s photo prompt has been provided by Willow Willers.

 

 

Omen

 

All has been revealed.

Unfolded hands exposing

Finger tips unfurled,

Documented prediction

Etched in permanent blueprint.

©DGKaye2020

 

Source: Colleen’s 2019 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 161 #PhotoPrompt – Word Craft ~ Prose and Poetry

Tips for Writers

Writer’s Tips January Edition – Writer Beware, KDP, Twitter, Passive Income

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Welcome back to the first edition of my compiled Writers Tips for 2020. This edition is chock-full of informative articles for bloggers and authors on what we can expect from the publishing industry for 2020 and avenues to explore to add side income with our writing skills into our writerly lives.

 

Schemes, scams and issues encountered by writers, where to avoid putting your cash into. Writer Beware is an excellent site for checking out the latest caveats in the business.

Source: Writer Beware®: The Blog: Writer Beware: 2019 in Review

 

The Bookdesigner has a helpful article for authors to help with downloading manuscripts to KDP with their new format setup.

Fun with Formats: mobi/Kindle

 

Sacha Black is rocking everything Indie now and sharing with us other avenues of passive income.

Author Earnings – How Do You Write Full-Time?

 

Nicholas Rossis has some helpful tips from guest writers on his blog sharing how to make Twitter beneficial as a marketing tool for Twitter.

https://nicholasrossis.me/2020/01/11/twitter-for-authors-the-ultimate-guide/

 

My friend – author, publisher, marketer, Doris Heilmann of 111 Publishing shares a fantastic list of success videos for self-employed Indies.

Start-Ups and Self-Employed: Video for Success

 

Stevie Turner shares a post on how she finds Bookfunnel helping for pushing up her books on Amazon.

https://steviet3.wordpress.com/2020/01/16/a-successful-book-promotion-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-22142

 

Written Word Media with an informative rundown on the Top Ten Publishing Trends for 2020

The Top Ten Publishing Industry Trends Every Author Needs to Know in 2020

 

I hope you find these articles as helpful as I have. 

 

 

D.G. Kaye on Relationships

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – D. G. Kaye Explores the Realms of Relationships | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

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As many of you know, I’ve been writing a monthly travel column at Sally Cronin’s Blog Magazine for the past two years. We’re changing things up this year in my column there and have moved into a new column – The Realms of Relationships, a topic on which I enjoy sharing my experiences in life and incorporating them into bite-sized lessons. I hope you’ll enjoy it! Today I’m reblogging the introduction post over at Sally’s Smorgasbord.

 

Happy New Year Readers! And welcome to my newest Blog Magazine Column at the Smorgasbord. This year I’m going to be writing here about relationships – The Realms of Relationships. When Sally suggested I might like to write on this topic I was elated as all my books are about things I experienced in life, and I’m delighted to share my insights here with you all. Now don’t worry, you won’t be finding any psycho-babble here, just plain English from a lifetime of experience.

I’ve been a storyteller since I was a young child – never a fibber – not that kind of storytelling. Whenever I’d heard or ‘overheard’ something when I was young, knowing I wasn’t supposed to be privy to, of course I had to tell someone what I’d heard. I hadn’t yet learned that by not telling all, it was easier to earn trust. By the time I was 10 years old, I was solid. Anyone could tell me anything and my lips were and still are sealed. I pride myself on not being a tattler or a rat and learned to keep my observations to myself.

I was an observer of people, and I didn’t have to look much further than my own family’s behavior to learn what makes people tick. What makes some people angry and some always singing? What kinds of things have I experienced to learn the warning signs of trouble? These are just some of the topics I’ll get into, sharing from my own experience, some of the emotions, and how we react to the different relationships we have with people.

Then I’ll add an experience of my own on the topic to validate my findings. And of course, I look forward to discussion in comments.

 

So, let’s begin. Today’s topic we’ll start with communication. In order to make and maintain healthy relationships and keep them flourishing, not fizzling, respectful communication is essential. It isn’t just our words, but our body language we emote through our gestures, just as our silences do, the vibe we give off. . . please continue reading at the Smorgasbord

 

Source: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – D. G. Kaye Explores the Realms of Relationships | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

 

Copyright
© D.G. Kaye and DGKayewriter.com, 2014 – 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to D.G. Kaye

 

blog challenge

January 16: Flash Fiction Challenge « Carrot Ranch – Protest

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This week’s 99 Word Flash Fiction Prompt is ‘Protest’, at Charli Mills’ CarrotRanch.

 

 

January 16, 2019, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a protest story. It can be about a protest, or you can investigate the word and expand the idea. Who is protesting, where, and why? Go where the prompt leads!

 

In Protest of the Planet

 

What remains of the trees, struggle to stand tall, casting thin shadows across the water with reflection in their retaliation. Birds make swift exit when the weather turns ominous. Where do humans flee when there’s no longer a safe place to exist?

What remains is nature’s leftovers from man’s thoughtless lashings. Angels band together, looking down from above in God’s sanctuary as God’s planet drowns and burns in salty tears. When will the natives wake? Action is needed now. Let us stand up in defense of the planet against the wrongs of man and start to repair with change.

 

Source: January 16: Flash Fiction Challenge « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

 

Copyright
© D.G. Kaye and DGKayewriter.com, 2014 – 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to D.G. Kaye