Sunday, March 29, 2020

When Mother Nature Held Her Breath...

As much as I hate being cooped up in the house, there have been some silver linings. My body is getting the rest that it has been craving for quite some time. I am exercising more. And I am finally writing again. Yesterday, I created this poem about our current situation, and I wanted to share it with you.


When Mother Nature Held Her Breath


She looked upon the citizens of the world
As a tear escaped from her eye.
She had tried desperately to communicate with them,
But they had long forgotten how to listen.
She tried subtly at first,
Sending fierce winter storms to keep them stuck in their homes.
It didn’t work.
They continued to abuse her.
She strengthened her hurricane force winds
To send another warning.
The islanders and the coastal dwellers
Grieved at the devastation,
But the rest of the world ignored them.
As Earth’s temperature continued to rise,
She became angrier.
She screamed at them through her tornadoes,
Leaving a path of destruction in her wake.
Still, those unaffected went on with their lives.
She raged through her fires,
Destroying parts of herself,
Crying for the innocent lives lost,
Hoping and praying that their deaths would not be in vain.
The people continued to neglect her.
The icebergs kept melting,
Breaking away and taking pieces of her heart with them.
But the people didn’t care.
Time was running out.
She had tried to reach out to them,
To warn them,
But she had no more time to waste.
She released the warning that would get their attention,
The virus that would affect them in the only way that mattered to them
And held her breath.
People became sick,
Then began dying.
Fear spread faster and further than the virus at first,
But the virus caught up
And left no one unaffected.
Humans holed up in their homes,
Fearful of becoming the next victim,
And the earth sighed.
The streets became silent,
The beaches basked in the emptiness,
The oceans cleared away the grime,
Animals came out to play
Without fear of being slaughtered.
The skies shed their layers of toxins.
And the people…
Rested,
Learned to appreciate their loved ones,
Valued the opportunity to hug one another,
Appreciated life and love and community,
Committed themselves to live a healthier life,
And promised to take better care of the planet.
And Mother Nature smiled.


I hope you enjoyed my poem. So often we focus on the horrible things that are happening while forgetting that tragedies can sometimes have a silver lining. I am not minimizing the lives lost. My heart breaks for each and every person suffering and for their families that suffer with them. And I hope and pray we find a way to stop the virus very soon. 

Still, I believe we can also use this opportunity to recognize where we have been placing our values. Maybe we need this pause to readjust where we spend our time and to what we give our attention. Maybe we can reignite the closeness with our family. Maybe we can make a commitment to eat more healthily to enhance our immune systems and exercise to strengthen our bodies. And maybe, just maybe, we can finally learn to take better care of our planet and all of its residents. 

May you and yours be safe and healthy during these trying times. And may you use this time that we have been given for self-reflection, meditation, and peace. :-)

Sunday, March 22, 2020

What to do during a stay-in...

As a teacher and a mother, I know how difficult staying home can be, so I thought I'd share a few things that I've found that may help you during this time.


Declutter your home:

I decluttered my home during winter break and loved how great it felt. This is something you can get the whole family involved in doing. Click here for just one of the many ways to tackle this challenge. Once you are done, donate the things you are getting rid of to a local charity. I donated my items to the Vietnam Veterans of America, but there are many organizations that will come and pick up your items.


Learn something new during this time:

Ivy League schools are offering certain courses for free during this time. It may be the perfect opportunity to branch out into a new field. Click here for more information. 


Learn a new language:

Open Culture is offering free courses to learn a new language. Think of a country you want to visit once this virus is gone and start learning words and phrases in that language. Click here for more information.


Listen to audiobooks:

If you have non-readers or simply enjoy audio books, Audible is offering free audio books while schools are closed. Click here for more information.


Read a free book:

The New York Public Library system is offering free downloads of their books during this time. Click here for more information.


Support an indie author:

I am a member of the Rave Reviews Book Club. These incredibly amazing authors write books of all genres. There are free books as well as many books for just $0.99. There are micro reads, short stories, stand alone novels, and series. Browse through their catalog and choose a book of your liking. Click here for their catalog.


Of course, you can also read my books. ;-) The One Discovered is always free. If you've already read that one, check out my other novels here.  


Do you know of other great ways to pass the time while we are stuck indoors? If so, leave your ideas in the comments below. Let's come together as a community to help one another stay sane during this time. :-)




Friday, March 13, 2020

Food and Books! How many of you are #FoodFic fans?

Hi, beautiful readers! Today, I am being hosted on this wonderful web site where the readers love books and food! Have you ever paid attention to how food is portrayed in the books you are reading? Please take a look, leave a comment, and share with your friends.

Check out her blog: But What are you Eating?

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Happy Birthday to Me! :-) #RRBC #RWISA #RRBC_Community

Hello, beautiful readers! Today is my birthday, so I've decided to gift you all with two of my novels for free!

The first one is always free. It's The One Discovered. It's the beginning of my series, and you won't regret reading it.



The second book that I'm gifting to you is The One Betrayed. This one will be free from today through Wednesday, March 11th, so take advantage of it now and download it!



If you'd like to check out my Amazon author page for the other books, click here.


Oh, and can you do me a favor? I share my birthday with an incredible author, Karen Ingalls! Can you take a moment to check out her books and promote them? I've read two of them and am currently reading When I Rise. She is truly a gifted writer, so pick up one of her books as well. You won't regret it. :-)

Monday, March 2, 2020

Celebrate Read Across America Day! #DrSeuss #ReadAcrossAmerica

Hello, beautiful readers! Today is Read Across America Day, a day to honor Dr. Seuss! So, find a new book and start a great read today. If you aren't sure where to find an amazing book, here is a list of genres from incredible authors to choose from. My books are listed under Teen & YA. ;-) You can also click on my Reviews tab (above) to see which books I've read and what I thought of them. Happy reading! :-)

https://ravereviewsbookclub.wordpress.com/catalog/

If you are looking for the best of the best indie authors, you can find them here:

https://ravewriters.wordpress.com/meet-the-authors/

If you have small children, pick up a Dr. Seuss book here:

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Seuss/e/B000AP8MY6?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_13&qid=1583148025&sr=8-13