Getting Back to the Basics

I believe this writer is on to something. Of course he is! Readers are intelligent and discerning. They know when you're not writing from your heart and head.

Hope From the Ocean – A Peek Into the Lives of the Flynns

Hope From the Ocean is missing some love from me. I go on and on about FIREFLIES but HOPE FROM THE OCEAN deserves a hug as well.

P.S. Bartlett's avatar

oisin_niamh

I wanted to share an excerpt from Chapter 3 of “Hope From the Ocean.”

This is but a sneak peek into the lives of the family Flynn and what makes them so special to me and to so many readers already.

Enjoy:

By Christmas night, they were all stuffed fatter than the goose and huddled together for one of Loch’s tales. He was going to stick to the stories of the Bible but chose to veer from the course and snap them from their food-induced sleepiness with the story of Tír na nÓg.

“I love this story, Dillon,” Aideen whispered, sliding closer to him on the rug.

Dan watched from his usual place and reflected on the confrontation with Loch that morning. He wondered if perhaps he could be wrong about his eldest son and hoped whatever animosity Loch held towards Patrick would work itself out over time. Either way, he’d keep…

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101 Things I Will Teach my Daughter

With one grown daughter and three small granddaughters, I like to think I have said and am still saying all of these. Thank you Allie Rios for leading me here.

sierrav's avatarDay dreaming in ink

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  1. The most beautiful thing you can do is smile.
  2. Embrace whatever genre of music you enjoy listening to. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s “not music.”
  3. But just know there will never be a better song than “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins.
  4. It’s ok to think another woman is beautiful.
  5. Don’t be catty to other women. You’ll need them when we all overthrow the world together.
  6. Don’t let any man convince you that he is powerful enough to change you.
  7. Even if he bought you dinner, you owe him nothing. 
  8. The amount of pride you feel when you look good in your bikini for 20 minutes is far less than the happiness Taco Bell can bring you. I promise.
  9. Develop a lust to see the world around you.
  10. It’s ok if you don’t want to play princess or put on makeup.
  11. But it’s ok if you do, too.

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REVIEW: Fireflies by PS Bartlett

resourcenetwork's avatarSTARGAZER LITERARY PRIZES BLOG

fireflies-coverFireflies is a beautifully written thought-provoking story that stirs your emotions and warms your heart.

Ennis is a very special little boy, with an equally special gift, a gift in which his family finds difficult to comprehend. A wounded bird that flies away, a badly cut hand suddenly healed, and a vanishing venomous snake bite are just a few of the phenomenons that occur when Ennis is around.

Set in the late 1800’s, Sarah and Owen Whelan are loving parents who live in a small town with their seven children, the youngest of whom is Ennis. Owen Whelan, is the town doctor and highly respected by everyone, so when Ennis repeatedly exhibits a remarkable ability that is not easily explained Owen decides to prohibit the family from speaking about it. As miracles continue to happen, Owen ultimately seeks advice from their pastor. Can the family ever come to terms with…

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Don’t Lose Your Own Battle

My Positive Outlooks's avatarMy Positive Outlooks

The first place we lose the battle is in our own thinking. If you think it’s permanent then it’s permanent. If you think you’ve reached your limits then you have. If you think you’ll never get well then you won’t. You have to change your thinking. You need to see everything that’s holding you back, every obstacle, every limitation only as temporary. — Unknown

temporary

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The Invisible Dream

beccabesser's avatarLife With Words

You might be wondering what The Invisible Dream is… It has to do with that skill you have or use that no one can, or likes, to see. Why? Mostly because it doesn’t have any real value in everyday life or fit into life neatly. The Invisible Dream is your desire to cultivate, grow, and build that skill to actually mean and do something for your life. Other people won’t acknowledge it until they can see it with their eyes and touch it with their hands – something that makes your gift “real” to them.

For musicians, it may be their first record deal or gig.

For artists, it might be that first gallery showing or the first big commissioned piece.

For writers, it might be their first publication or book deal.

Until that moment when you actually have something tangible to show for all your effort, people don’t see what…

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