Justine is currently up north visiting her brother. Because she desires to spend every moment she can with him, she has not submitted an entry for this week ... but will catch up next Saturday.
Here's wishing her a wonderful time!
xxx
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
First FOUR!
All four Lore of Arcana novels are now available in print!
When I see them together like this, I get the
feeling!
Monday, May 25, 2015
Everything Dragon is now tangible!
I am so pleased to share with you that The Dragon Circle, the final book in the Lore of Arcana series, is now available in print as well!
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Justine's Journal #40
52 Weeks 500 Words
This is how it began: Justine (not her real
name) decided to write 500 words (or as near as), anything goes, per week for 52
weeks. She would then submit it for anonymous posting, via me, her friend.
Perhaps a pattern will emerge from her words, but at this stage it’s more an
experiment I have agreed to share in. I’ll attempt to draw conclusions at the
end of this. Stay tuned if this resonates with you.
Week 40
"It’s Monday and I feel fearful today. I am writing those
words now, because I know it will pass (or I’ll force it to pass) and I will
gloss over this feeling, ignore that it happened.
It’s Tuesday and I deliberately opened this document,
knowing what I wrote yesterday, to gaze for a while at these words. Fear did
pass, as suspected, and now I find recording the feeling has left a sour taste
in my mouth. I am such an idiot, for there is nothing wrong with admitting how I
feel.
It’s Wednesday and I have to tell you yesterday I just
closed the document because I did not know what point I was trying to make. Actually
I still don’t, but now this daily sequence format has me wondering. Usually I start
a post midweek and work on it now and again until the final tweak on Saturday when
I email it through for uploading. Sometimes, I admit, I write it on the Saturday
before sending, but those don’t happen so often. And now this. Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday? What am I meant to learn? What prompted me to change the format this
week? Fear has something to do with it, I think. Fear of what?
It’s Thursday and last night I found myself stopping what I was
doing on many occasions to examine my inner self. I wrote the word fear on a
piece of paper and stuck it to my fridge to prompt me. You must understand, the
issues I share in this online journal are the broader concepts that serve to
affect me on a weekly basis. As mentioned before, I have a journal now, an
actual book, and every night I write the day’s real and immediate feelings in
there. The small stupid stuff, the emotions I think are not worthy of telling anyone
about. I don’t reread them to compose a post; in fact I have never turned back
more than two pages to see what I wrote before. At this point, for me, going
back isn’t the best idea. I don’t want to see what was, I prefer to move
forward, so I purge nightly and go on. Now this. This morning I realised what
the fear was about, after a restless night. I fear being alone again.
It’s Friday and I haven’t heard from my partner in two
weeks. There is the fear. He left on a family thing for the east coast,
driving, and I heard, via a text, he arrived safely and then no more. Is this relationship
coming to an end? Have family told him this has no future, to let me go? Has it
now run its course? He doesn’t answer my calls and now I no longer phone him
because I’m thinking this makes me too needy and will chase him even further
away. I could have said this on Monday, but I realise I could not admit to this
fear and then go on and cope with life around me. Tears drip onto my desk at
this moment, for I wonder now how I will cope having shared the words that
signify change.
It’s Saturday and I will soon email this. I toyed with the
idea of deleting this document and writing something else, but now I think my
feelings may help someone else and I choose to let it stand.
At two this morning loud knocking woke me and I found my man
standing at my door. He lost his phone! He could not remember my number, for
the only place he recorded it was in his phone! He has been through hell trying
to let me know all is well!
See how we jump to the worst conclusions first? We judge too
quickly when we should allow time to tell us the truth. All is well and now
there is no more fear."
Friday, May 22, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Super!
This is how I feel right now, and why? Because I am writing so fast, so much, I am breathless! A super feeling :)
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Justine's Journal #39
52 Weeks 500 Words
This is how it began: Justine (not her real
name) decided to write 500 words (or as near as), anything goes, per week for 52
weeks. She would then submit it for anonymous posting, via me, her friend.
Perhaps a pattern will emerge from her words, but at this stage it’s more an
experiment I have agreed to share in. I’ll attempt to draw conclusions at the
end of this. Stay tuned if this resonates with you.
Week 39
"We have been discussing creating a book from these journal
entries. At the moment, between Elaina and myself, we’re thinking of putting
all the posts together and then adding commentary below each entry, along with
relevant tags (anger, insight, joy, frustration and such) to explain state of
mind at the time. Each week will receive a chapter heading to explain the
concept delved into.
What do you think? You do realise, any comments you make
here will land up in the proposed book, as will this journal entry – the latter
feels sort of odd to me, discussing a book in a book.
We do realise we are two friends about an experiment. In no
way are we experts at emotional untangling, or psyche doctors, but we thought
others may learn from us as we bumble around. While both of us are serious
about this, we do not pretend to have answers that fit for all.
The notion is in fact daunting, because much went into the
soul searching and it has been hard to share, and yet this isn't my name and no
one will ever know (besides my closest friends) who the subject of Justine’s
Journal is. Elaina at one stage suggested we do a reveal at the end of the
book, but, sorry, I am not comfortable with that at all. I prefer my anonymity,
but I am also quite happy (now) for others to take my ramblings and possibly
find something in them that may help.
Now I find myself laughing. When I pop this entry off to
Elaina for upload, she will wonder if I’m doing the right thing in revealing
our intentions. (Got you, right, E?) We are, after all, merely discussing the
likelihood; it isn't yet an absolute decision. I’m thinking, though, if anyone
does comment at this point, it will serve as added impetus.
It’s amazing how colder weather creates new ways of
thinking. Yes, finally we are heading into winter here. Rain is still scarce,
but no doubt it will come soon now. The days are much shorter and nights are
decidedly chilly, although our days are warm still. We still have to duck the
sun and water gardens and fill bird containers until the rains do arrive, but
nights are now spent in greater introspection as they arrive earlier and seem unending.
I think this is why Elaina and I started talking about a book. We have more
time to think now, for when the sun is hot and out, who wants to sit behind a
computer?
Have a good weekend, everyone, and a lovely week, until we
chat again.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Opening new doors with Tirgearr Publishing
Hello, everyone! You may know after one of my previous publishers closed doors, three of my books were accepted by Tirgearr Publishing. I am pleased to announce the edits and cover tweaks are now all complete and my books are again online! New doors have now opened, and here's to a grand adventure :)
The Tinsal Deck, Latticework and A Tear in the Clouds are now available for pre-order and will be officially released on 5 June. In the next few days all links here and on other sites will be updated - meanwhile, pop on over and have a look!
xxx
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Justine's Journal #38
52 Weeks 500 Words
This is how it began: Justine (not her real
name) decided to write 500 words (or as near as), anything goes, per week for 52
weeks. She would then submit it for anonymous posting, via me, her friend.
Perhaps a pattern will emerge from her words, but at this stage it’s more an
experiment I have agreed to share in. I’ll attempt to draw conclusions at the
end of this. Stay tuned if this resonates with you.
Week 38
"Remember the post about the premonition I had about my
brother? Remember the dream about Lotto numbers? Today, as I sit to write this,
I’m wondering about these events anew. I've been reading some new work Elaina
sent me (and if you know her work, you know premonition, dreams and visions
form a part of it) and something she wrote has put me to thinking. It was about
the concept understanding, the feeling something rather than the knowing,
although the two go together, of course.
Feeling something rather than knowing. Now isn't that just a
humdinger. We tend to think we need to know something first before accepting the
feelings that go with it. And when we do sense (feel) something, we think we
must research the thing to know the thing before trusting what we sensed. Like
me with my brother. I said I would investigate this premonition phenomenon and
then post about it. Because, let’s face it, I didn't trust my ability to simply
sense something was wrong. I have to know how it’s possible.
Well, let me just say here my investigations have led me to
the point where I understand it’s feeling something rather than knowing, and to
trust my inner voice, to allow for the likelihood instincts sometimes kick us
into gear. This isn't an entry about premonition and I may now never do so,
because there is no logical answer. It’s a feeling. It’s not a knowing. And,
knowing it’s not a knowing, the knowing and the feeling go together, if you
understand my meaning J
The reason I ponder the two events mentioned, besides having
read the prompt in Elaina’s work, is due to another small event that happened
to me this past week. A small thing, but my stomach sort of hollowed out and
got me to thinking. (Maybe not so small a thing, then)
I was driving in the suburbs around me and took a turn I rarely
use (on my way to a dentist) and as I started pulling at the steering wheel I saw
in my mind’s eye a little hairy dog run across the road. Instinct made me slow
down quite a bit and, as I turned the corner, there was a dog running across
the road indeed. Had I not slowed, chances are I would have hit him/her. The
dog wasn't hairy and it was bigger, but a dog was running across the road where
I saw it would.
Right, so my stomach caved in; this was quite a thing. DéjÃ
vu? Premonition? Instinct? Vision? The universe telling me to slow down when
taking a corner? Heaven knows, but I tell you now categorically, from here on
out I intend to listen to my feelings, however they end up being presented to
me, whether sight, sound or a shiver over skin.
I learn something new daily. How absolutely magical."
Friday, May 8, 2015
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Thursday, May 7, 2015
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
On Typing
When I started this writing journey, it was via long hand and scraps of paper. Next up was a manual typewriter, something like this one. I did not know how to type, never took the subject at school, but I tell you, this baby forced me to learn FAST! :)
Monday, May 4, 2015
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Justine's Journal #37
52 Weeks 500 Words
This is how it began: Justine (not her real
name) decided to write 500 words (or as near as), anything goes, per week for 52
weeks. She would then submit it for anonymous posting, via me, her friend.
Perhaps a pattern will emerge from her words, but at this stage it’s more an
experiment I have agreed to share in. I’ll attempt to draw conclusions at the
end of this. Stay tuned if this resonates with you.
Week 37
"Have you looked at your old photographs recently? The photos
from the days of your film camera, those spools you saved up for and then
developed when you could afford it? How much easier the digital age is when it
comes to photos! Although, let us admit, having tangible pictures in an album
or a box somewhere has far more value than a host of files on a computer. Those
of you who have never been in that place, have been taking photos with a
digital camera from the start of your recording instincts, cannot understand
this. It isn't wrong; your journey is merely different.
I did it a while ago. I hauled out boxes of photos and spent
hours going through them. Yes, if you remember, this was an attempt to create
order from chaos, to put everything into a niche for ease of future reference.
Most of them are now ‘sorted’ but it isn't yet finished. This, though, isn't
the focus of my post.
I smiled over images of times gone by, laughed, cried a bit
too, and the strangest thing is how viewing a photo is able to take you right
back to the moment. I could smell the surroundings as my fingers caressed the
shiny substance, and I could hear the noises at the time, I could feel the
emotions of the one taking the picture. It was so real, it did cause smiles,
laughter and tears, because I was again there. This is the beauty of an old
photograph. Memory is the strangest thing. We never really forget anything, but
the layers of life do tend to obscure them after a while. With concerted effort
we may drag a pertinent memory from our recesses, but it is an effort in most
cases. Something like hypnosis may bring it out faster, but as I've never been
hypnotised, I can’t comment.
A photo is memory. The visual can nudge us into a time
passed and we are again, for a few moments, right there. It is magic, in my
opinion, the magic of our souls, because we never do forget. Sometimes we just
need a bit of a nudge. A digital image, of course, is also a photo and a
memory, and yet I find it doesn't quite achieve the same result. It isn’t tangible.
Maybe I’m wrong, but it’s as if the thing in your hands creates sensations that
travel along your nerves to your memory banks. Perhaps I’m being fanciful!
I love my old photos whether organised or now, and in a year
or so I’ll go back to remember. It is not the past I seek, though, for we
should not live in the past. It’s the ability to remember. We are after all
formed of all those moments. I had some really good moments, and I don’t want
to ever forget them.
Go on, haul out your stash and see what happens for you." J
Friday, May 1, 2015
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