“Feathered Friends” – A Haiku

“Feathered Friends” Digitally Altered Photography by Avalon_Media
Shop for wood prints online at Zazzle

Just for a moment,

my life should be this easy.

Watching feathered friends.

Copyright Claudia H. Blanton 2015

Book Review: Kaijin by Devon Henry

Title: Kaijin
Author: Devon Henry
Genre: Short Fiction
Release Date: July 29th, 2014
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Short story collections are tricky for me to read, because I usually find only a few gems in them, having to shuffle through those which I did not connect with, and then lacking the motivation to go on, and read through the rest. This was not the case with Devon Martin’s self-published work Kaijin. Written mostly in first person present tense (with the exception of one story), this collection stays true to its theme of women who do not take things as they are, but overcome, or destroy those in their way. Empowering, fantastical stories that do not take themselves too seriously, are carefully constructed in this collection and are a worthy read, if you are looking for bite size morsels of entertainment.

I am looking forward to seeing this Author evolve from these shorter stories to full length work, and will keep my eye out for any of her future projects. If you like out of the ordinary short stories, from a women’s perspective, read this book.

Kaijin is available in Amazon in Kindle Format, on Kindle Unlimited and as in  Paperback Format.
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(Disclaimer: I did not receive a complementary copy of this book, but I do know the Author – all opinions expressed are solely mine)

The Office – A Flash Fiction

The Office

Closing the door behind her, she took a deep breath.
The irritation of the last few hours had no place here, in her sanctuary, that was reserved for the pleasure of words, and the creation of stories.
In this room, nothing mattered, but the dance of her fingers on the keyboard, and the voices of her characters. She relaxed, leaving behind all burden, away from this safe, gentle place somewhere between reality and imagination. Sitting at her desk, for the first time today, she smiled, as she re-entered the worlds of her own making.

Copyright Claudia H. Blanton 2014

This post was inspired by the Five Sentence Fiction prompt “Irritation”.

Invincible – A Daily Prompt Post

Today, Daily Prompt asked us this question:

At what age did you realize you were not immortal? How did you react to that discovery?

One of the aspects of being the victim of childhood abuse is, that you never have the luxury of thinking that you are invincible or immortal. You know very early on, that there are people more powerful than you, and they can do just about anything they want to with you. Fear becomes your constant companion, and if you are lucky, like I was, your vivid imagination becomes your best friend.
I am grateful for that, grateful that even life was too terrifying, too filled with potential landmines that could set him off, I developed my own stories, my own little life that no one could take away from me, no one but me knew about. A place where there are people who help one another, whom rescue those trapped by fear, and helped them overcome that which seemed too hard to lift on their own.
Aware of my vulnerability, I found immortality and invincibility in my stories.

Book Review: Manifest Moment to Moment

Title: Manifest Moment to Moment
Author: Tejpal, Carrol Mclaughlin
Publisher: Hay House
Publishing Date: June 5th 2014
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
A transcending, spiritual Self-help book, that leaves the reader with a sense of wonder, they might have lost.
Manifest Moment to Moment is of course on of many books about the subject of Manifestation. The tricky part of this path of manifestation is to find the book that resonates with your inner voice, and therefore unlocks something within you, that allows you finally to hear, what is essentially the same message, in the package just for you.
After having read and listened to many speakers and writers on the subject, that has become my conclusion. While the core message is the same, the wording and delivery is what will bring forth in the individual what is needed to finally “get it”.
For those who are spiritually (but not religiously – meaning not bound by dogma) minded, this book is the resonating factor. With the feel of listening to a highly evolved person of the process, it speaks to those who seek the inner enlightenment, while still wanting to manifest abundance, but not only abundance. While I am an action oriented person, a more inward focused individual will feel the truth in these words, as I have felt some of the same draw, even if not as strong as others might.
Laced with exercises, explanations and practical showing of how these principles bring forth the opening needed to manifest, this book is a pleasant and comforting read.
If you are looking for a kick in the rear, you won’t find it, but if you are interested in genuine, gentle guidance, this book is exactly what you are looking for.