Year: 2014

I Welcome Guest Author, “Agathe von Kampen” To My Writers Blog Today!

Catherine Lyon Author/Writer Featured Guest , , , , , , , ,

Hello Readers, Friends, And New Visitors,

 

Today I have the honor and privilege of introducing you to a good friend of mine, who happens to be a fellow author and the best ‘Story Teller’ I know, Author Agathe von Kampen- (Turrell). S he is a delightful woman who has been through so much than any one woman should have to endure in one lifetime!  She inspires me as a writer and author truly.

We first met through our publisher, as we both are from ‘The Kodel Empire Publishing family’  http://kodelempire.com/ in So. Oregon where she resides. I was given a copy of her current book, “The Chocolate Bar” and when I began to read it, and I seriously could not put it down.
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I was so taken aback about what Agathe had gone through in her life, that I quickly learned she was one wise and a strong woman. I’m so inspired by her true story her life she was brave enough to share with the world, and I know she will also inspire all who read her book.

Here is a little more about Agathe and her wonderful book “The Chocolate Bar”…
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The Chocolate Bar
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Book Information:

The Chocolate Bar ~ by Agathe Von Kampen

“With no point of reference for a life of “normalcy,” seeking acceptance and security in a country not accommodating to immigrants, the author relied only on survival instincts, leading to her years of co-dependency, self-doubt, and utter despondency. She finds herself seeking refuge in controlling religious factions and abusive relationships.
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This life struggle reminds her constantly of her experiences in WWII where she spent her first six years on the front lines in Russia and as a refugee in Hitler’s Germany. Her lullabies were the sounds of gunfire and exploding bombs. Her arrival at Ellis Island was promised to be the beginning of freedom,  instead, it was only the continuation of abuse and control-intimate and personal relationships of psychological warfare.
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This is a compelling account of life as it was back “then” and how this child of war endured as she did, blossoming into a young woman, in a new land called America. A life’s journey, as told by the author with such honesty, innocence, joy, humor, lessons and revealing horrors and sins,  is it any wonder how this broken soul did in fact, survive.”
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book_cover
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

“After the first ten years of my life as a refugee on the front lines, I had survived unspeakable horrors and was looking forward to immigrating to America when I was a teenager. Having heard stories about life in the United States from the American G.I’.s occupying Germany, giving me hope that I could achieve the American dream too.

But, with good intentions my mother married me off to the first American man who showed an interest in me. With unexpected, horrible results, at sixteen I found myself married to a diagnosed sociopath. After living in emotional hell for thirteen years I found myself having to support two small children without the benefit of an education or any job skills.

This led to a lot of poor choices since I had never learned to choose for myself – only to follow orders.
Through a lifetime of errors I corrected one mistake at a time until now, at age seventy-eight I am finely living the dream I’d always hoped for!

I am married to a very kind and loving man who treats me with the respect I deserve – as any human being has a right to. I live life in beautiful So. Oregon, in a lovely home, nice community, and have the pleasure of my children being respectable, contributing citizens of society.
It has been a long journey but worth it.
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I hope you will read my book, take the journey of my words with me, and see how much one ‘Human Being’ can endure…”

As you can see, Agathe has lived an interesting life.  Like I said earlier, she is a very strong woman and has been through a lot. She now continues her life story, and what she is up to these days all on her blog: http://readthechocolatebar.wordpress.com
and it’s worth the visit. She has just began to start blogging again with a new post, but in her earlier blog posts she shares more of her thoughts and feelings of all she has endured in life.  She also enjoys sharing excerpts of her book as well. Some other places you may connect with her is on her ‘New Facebook Author Fan page’! http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAgatheVonKampen/
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Your can purchase a copy of her book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble: http://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Bar-Agathe-von-kampen/dp/1624850146/  or  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-chocolate-bar-agathe-von-kampen/1116294467?ean=978
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SHE will also be The Guest Author on award-winning author and historian, “The C.L. Gammon Program on Blog Talk Radio!
So come tune in and hear Agathe share her story here  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/clgammon/

Agathe von Kampen talks about her book The Chocolate Bar’

The CL Gammon Program

The CL Gammon Program  ~Just click this link and tune in on Sat June 14th 7am PT 10am ET!

Saturday June 14th  at 7:00 am PT Reminder

Call in to speak with the host

(347) 989-8948

I hope you all will tune!

I want to say Thank You to my good friend, Author, Agathe von Kampen ( Turrell ) for letting me share her, her book, and all the happenings going on for her now! Please visit her sites listed above, and when you do? Let her know *Author, Catherine Lyon* sent you!

GOD BLESS FRIENDS!
Author, Catherine Townsend-Lyon

What Happened To “We Leave No Man Or Woman Behind”? Is He A Hero or Deserter? Some Say Both!

Catherine Lyon Author/Writer News Around The Web , , , , , ,

Welcome Visitors & Readers,

 

Who and what are ‘Americans’ to believe about our last soldier in captivity being released?
I think I’d like to know your feedback, feelings, and thoughts on this blog post & story. We have finally have our last military personal freed. He gets a “Hero’s Welcome,” but should it really be one? Many are saying he “just walked away from his post & platoon.”

Image: Bowe Bergdahl (© IntelCenter via AP)
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl (courtesy of NBC)…
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HERE ARE JUST SOME HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE WEB!…

“Not Everyone’s Hero: Soldiers Question Bowe Bergdahl’s Bravery”

“The 28-year-old sergeant vanished from a military base in Eastern Afghanistan with little more than a compass and a bottle of water. Considerable resources were diverted to try to find the missing man, and several of his fellow soldiers were killed trying to find him.”I was pissed off then and I am even more so now with everything going on,” former Sgt. Matt Vierkant, a member of Bergdahl’s platoon when he went missing, told CNN. “Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him.”

“Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel declined to comment on reports that the sergeant had walked away from his unit. Such matters “will be dealt with later,” Hagel said.”

“Bergdahl Begins ‘Reintegration’ at U.S. Medical Center in Germany”

THE FAMILY of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was overjoyed when President Barack Obama personally called them Saturday and gave them the news they were desperately hoping to hear: Their son, captured by the Taliban in 2009, was still alive. And he was finally coming home.“We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son,” Bergdahl’s parents, Bob and Jani Bergdahl, said in a statement, thanking supporters and those who helped secure his return without a single shot fired.”
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“Bergdahl disappeared when he reportedly walked away from a U.S. military base in eastern Afghanistan in June 2009, carrying only a compass and a bottle of water. He was the only U.S. service member ever to be held captive by enemy forces in Afghanistan.”
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@Martin_Dempsey  OnTwitter

“It is our ethos that we never leave a fallen comrade. Welcome home SGT Bowe Bergdahl.”

9:39 AM – 31 May 2014
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“The cost of years of captivity to Sgt.BoweBergdahl and his family is immeasurable,” added Secretary of State John Kerry.””Kinzinger ‘VeryDisappointed’OverTermsofBergdahl Swap

Rep. AdamKinzinger, R-Ill., talks about America exchanging five Taliban prisoners for Sgt. BoweBergdahl””Not Everyone’s Hero: Soldiers Question Bowe Bergdahl’s Bravery”
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“Bowe Bergdahl’s Hometown Hailey, Idaho, Celebrates Release”
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Image: A sign of support of Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is seen in Hailey, Idaho
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“In a press conference Sunday,Bergdahl’s mother and father,Jani and Bob, thanked the residents of Hailey for standing by their son.””Jani Bergdahl, teary-eyed, spoke directly to her son from the podium: “I think you may be very surprised at the number of people who have gathered you into their hearts, at home in the Valley here, all over Idaho, across the country, and around the world.”

Bob Bergdahl, who grew a long beard in solidarity with Bowe, compared his son’s return to a scuba diver coming up for air after a dive.

“Bowe has been gone so long that it’s going to be very difficult to come back,” said his father. “If he comes up too fast, it could kill him.”

Jani encouraged her son to follow all the instructions given to him by the hospital staff at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where Bergdahl is currently being treated. “Give yourself all the time you need to recover and decompress. There is no hurry. You have your life ahead of you,” his mom said.”

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See, the reason I ask if you feel Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is a ‘Hero or Deserter’ is this. My father spent 24 years in the Air Force, and when he came home from the Vietnam war, he didn’t come home to clapping and cheers or even people telling him, “Thank You” for your service to your country. No, all he got were angry hippies, war protesters yelling and screaming at him that he should never have went over there. My father did his tour of duty at the main base in Vietnam at Da Nang. He said later, when us kids got older that his base was always being bombed and attacked because it was one of the main drop off points by plane to leave troops coming to help fight the war.
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All I can say to that is, those people who did that back in the day should be very ashamed of what they did to those ‘Vietnam Soldiers’ when they came back from the war. The subject that really puts a claw in my arm is the facts of what’s been going on here at our ‘Arizona Veterans Medical Center.’ Our vets having to wait almost a year to get medical and mental health services! WTF? And when my father came home, they didn’t really have anything in place like the military does now. The soldiers coming back from war are evaluated and re-introduced back into active duty or civilian life. Why didn’t my father get that luxury when he came home from Vietnam? And what about the countless missing & Pow’s still left behind in Vietnam? What about them and their families who never got closure, or even a body to bury? What about them? Now I understand I’m not a famous or well-known person, I’m just a nobody out here asking our government for answers to these very important questions.

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Yes, I may not know a lot about our military, but I do know this, my father should have been treated like a hero when he came home from the Vietnam War! He deserved much better than what he came home to, and all the other soldiers of all our wars past. Now if you’re a history or war buff, then I have an excellent book to recommend for you. It is written by a woman who lived on the battlefield literally. Her name is “Agathe von Kampen,”  and her family had to take in and let the German Soldiers bathe, feed, and house them while Hitler ruled with an iron fist! It was expected of her family to do this or they would have been killed. She grew with guns and rifles blazing, and bombs going off all around her. She even had to many times, while at school, dive into bomb shelters when the fighting was right outside. She lived it, seen it with her own eyes, and now wrote her Memoir of all it, and more abuse when she and her finally made it America.
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Her book is titled; “The Chocolate Bar” by: Author, Agathe von Kampen… http://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Bar-Agathe-von-Kampen/dp/1624850146/
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Now that I strayed a little, my thoughts of  ‘Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’ is this, even if he just took a bottle of water, a compass, and just walked away as some of his past platoon soldiers say, he still got caught and held captive for 5 years. Anyone who goes through that experience may not be a hero, but they still deserve a huge ‘Welcome Home’ don’t you think? Regardless of the surrounding how’s of this story, he was set free and he still deserves some kindness, Caring, and Support for what he went through in those 5 years. Don’t you think his family also deserves to have him back? If it comes to finding that he really deserted his platoon, then I’m sure he will be punished properly for it later. But never under-estimate the power of GOD, as him getting captured and help captive was God’s way of giving him his penance? Maybe or maybe not, but it’s how I will see this story for myself.

So how do you feel about this story? Let me know in my comment section if you’d like to add more about how we should look at this story. It’s what makes us ‘Unique’ from one another as human beings, and I always love a good debate! We all have different views on the same topic. However, I will wish Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl all the best in his recovery. My thoughts and prayers to him and all his family to be blessed that they have him home…

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God Bless All,
Author, Catherine Townsend-Lyon

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Soldiers Of World War II

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I’m Happy & Honored to Welcome My Guest Author And Friend, “Gerald G Griffin” To My Blog!

Catherine Lyon Author/Writer Featured Guest , , , , , , ,


Hello And Welcome Readers And New Friends,

One of the wonderful things about Social Media is you meet some really nice people, and that is where I met my guest author, Gerald G Griffin.
We met on LinkedIn, as we are both in the same group, ‘Author & Book Reviews.” So never underestimate the power of networking through social media sites…

I asked Gerald if I could share a little about him, and his books to all of my friends and readers here! And so it’s my honor to share his most recent book titled; “Of Good And Evil.” He has a few other books available on Amazon as well, but I have heard good things of this book. And of course all the outstanding Amazon reviews don’t lie.

I have gone to GoodReads and added his book to my “Want To Read” bookshelf, and as soon as I get it read? I’ll do a follow-up post to share my own Review. But I have heard the Buzz, and read the reviews on both Amazon and GoodReads, and they are fantastic! But before I share the a little bit about his current book,  just who is Gerald G Griffin?  Well lets find out shall we?

Gerald G. Griffin

Gerald G. Griffin
Author, Gerald G. Griffin

A native of Flint, Michigan, Gerald Griffin wrote his first short book of fiction while in the 9th grade. Ever since then he has felt compelled to write — his style reminiscent of Frederick Forsythe, with a dash of Damon Runyon and Tom Clancy.

He received his Ph.D. in psychology from Michigan State University and set up practice as a consulting psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia — though unable to resist writing part-time as his busy practice permitted.
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Following several years of private practice, his two sons grown and away, Gerald eased into writing full-time — non-fiction, fiction, and ghost writing, first turning out the published non-fiction work, THE SILENT MISERY — WHY MARRIAGES FAIL. This was followed by his three published novels, THE CORRUPTORS, THE DEATH DISCIPLE, and THE LAST COMING, this last novel written in collaboration with Robin Moore. After this came his published non-fiction ghost writing works, TRAPPED IN THE LAWYERS’ DEN WITH BLOODSUCKERS and GBI AGENT.
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A nature lover, he relocated from Atlanta to the lake scenery of Gainesville, Georgia. He lives in a quaint home, high on a hill, surrounded by inspiring forest foliage not far from the waters of Sidney Lake Lanier; the forest floor a protective canopy for the passing deer. In this setting, Gerald wrote the novel OF GOOD AND EVIL, followed by its sequel A TIME OF RECKONING.
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Nancy Cline, a member of MENSA, said in review of Gerald’s writings: “In this age, yes, there is a nobility of spirit and the courage to preserve and to protect that nobility. In the field of fiction we have men of great stature… To that list add the name of Gerald Griffin…”
Gerald is a member of International Thriller Writers (ITW). While in practice in Atlanta he was listed in Marquis Who’s Who in the South and Southwest, Personalities of America and Notable Americans.
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*Here are a couple of GoodReads Reviews, and one place you can find and connect with the Author, Gerald G. Griffin, as he is in the ‘Author Program on GoodReads!  https://www.goodreads.com/authorGeraldGGriffin/

Review ~ GoodReads  Rick F. rated it 5 of 5 stars
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In creating the character of Ron Sheffield, Gerald Griffin has proven himself to be a writer of extraordinary skills. Of Good and Evil is a novel that is so finely written, so well plotted and paced that the reader is immediately drawn into the book from the first page. Mr. Giffin, in able to use mere words to introduce the reader to Ron Sheffield is nothing short of breath-taking it is not often that a writer can make so complex a character, a person with such internal torments and external gifts, resonate so perfectly with a plot nad locations that keep the reader glued to the book from start to finish.
Highest recommendation.
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A JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READRICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER: THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
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GoodReads Review ~ Starr Reina 
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“Of Good and Evil” by Gerald G. Griffin: “Of Good and Evil” by Gerald G. Griffin:A quick pace and an intriguing, action-packed story are what Gerald G. Griffin delivers in this no-nonsense, timely novel.Trained as a Green Beret but born with unique, almost paranormal abilities, Ron Sheffield carries with him guilt for being the lone survivor of his squad during a mission. Which mission puts into his possession documents the government wishes he’d never seen and tries to kill him for.
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He meets Amber Ash while recovering from a severe beating and gunshot wounds, compliments of the Mafia. It is soon discovered Ash has the same special powers as he and together they hunt down evil for the sake of good.But one evil…one major threat against the United States may just be the incident that Sheffield and Ash cannot survive, which means the death of millions of others as well. Will Sheffield be able to stop the terrorists and keep Ash and many other innocent people alive?
An absolute must read! It’s not your typical fight between good and evil and the suspense will grab a hold of you and keep you turning the pages.Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of “Deadly Decisions” for Suspense Magazine…
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*Now as I said, Reviews have been fantastic, so here are a couple of what ‘Amazon Readers’ had to say about Gerald’s book*…

Amazon Review ~ April 19, 2014 By: Tarzana Kid…

Well!  If Ron Sheffield don’t get you, his woman Amber Ash will.
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I’m not going to rehash the plot because other have done that bit. However, I found this a well-balanced and constructed thriller with a slight touch of the paranormal. It is written in an easy-to-read style and whilst obviously an American tale, it doesn’t leave the poor English reader thinking “what was all that about, then?” -as some US writers do.

It will appeal to fans of Lee Child, Stephen Leather & possibly David Baldacci. I have no doubt Griffin will further mould the redoubtable Ron Sheffield into a more rounded character undergoing deeper personal challenges other than contract killing and loving the mysteriously sensual Amber Ash. Sheffield has demons from his military passed to conquer and these resurrect at awkward times to plague his conscience and cloud his judgement and cold killing efficiency.
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Mr. Griffin’s experience in the world of psychology will enable him to exploit this facet of Sheffield’s vulnerability in future sequels. Thankfully the reader will be pleased to know that Sheffield’s victims are thorough ‘bad guys. Sheffield’s feet are kept firmly planted by the equally gifted Amber Ash who ensures his physical needs are fulfilled whilst also providing intuitive help in tracking transcendentally his opponents’ moves.
The climax in tackling the bad guys on a crowded Atlanta street is masterfully done.
‘Nuff said – buy it!
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*And here is one more Amazon 5 Star Review*…

Amazon Review ~ “Of Good And Evil” Feb 2014
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“Of Good and Evil” by Gerald G. Griffin is a fascinating suspense thriller with a story that captivates the reader from the very first sentence. It is a story about an ex-Green Beret soldier, Ron Sheffield, who owing to his supernatural and telepathic gifts was the only survivor on a mission in the Middle East. When he realizes that his discharge from the military was due to his possession of Iraqi secret documents, he sought revenge and eventually became a well qualified hit man working for the mob. Multiple plots follow in an almost rhythmic pattern of equation: “action minus evil equals good.” Ron battles government cell, Mafia, secret society and at the end is confronted with the imminent nuclear obliteration of a city by a terrorist cell.

The book is also a captivating story of true love between a man and a woman, Ron Sheffield and Amber Ash, who possesses abilities similar to Ron’s. It’s the kind of romance that women can only dream about – the gravitational pull between two souls who genuinely love each other and so intensely. It gives a refreshing balance between Ron’s justified-in-his-mind killings and Amber’s sweet love – a mesmerizing combination that would keep any woman captivated.

Gerald G. Griffin is an intriguing, galvanizing, even a bewitching writer. The story hypnotically trapped me inside the pages as they turned quickly at the speed of the story line. It is action-filled, full of vivid characters, and intriguing happenstance. The book leads the reader to get involved in the never-ending question of how good and evil are perceived by the society, by various groups and by each individual and how they justify their actions. The author ingeniously plays tricks on the reader’s psyche as it debates the points of reason. Several times the story introduced the concept of violently eliminating the bad as a good deed, and I found myself questioning my own rationalism.
All-in-all, it is a magnetic read!

-Reviewed by Olga Gladky Verro, Editor of Voices From The Past by Orest M. Gladky…
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*Here is where you can click & purchase a copy of  “Of Good And Evil”  for yourself*
http://www.amazon.com/dp/160976014X
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*Now like many writers and authors, we like to share and continue or stories, or share other places you can find our work through our ‘Author Websites & Blogs’ and Gerald has done the same. His beautiful “Author Bio and Website for his book can be visited here;  http://www.authorgeraldgriffin.com  & his Blog as well here,
http://geraldggriffin.blogspot.com — Here is a sample, and a little more about Gerald’s blog and one of my favorite blog posts of his*…
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Gerald G. Griffin

Gerald G. Griffin
Visit the Official Website ~ Author Website
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IRONIC…

Recently, while reading a blog comment on a sheet of paper, a devoted but perplexed friend of mine, Sue, approached me and stated:

“For gosh sakes, when’s your next posting? Don’t you know bloggers are supposed to post every week…or at least once a month.”

I gazed up at her with a vague look. “Really?”

“Yes, really. And you haven’t posted for over four months, leaving me hanging! I so enjoyed your last fascinating and eye-opening post and have been eagerly anticipating your next one. But after four months — NOTHING?!”

My vague look dwindled. I sighed. “Easy. Sorry, I’ve been quite busy.”

“So busy as to ignore your blog — your followers,” she reprimanded, frowning. “Some darn blogger you are!”

I returned her frown. “For heavens sake, don’t be so critical. I’ve been too pressed finishing my screenplay for OF GOOD AND EVIL to write a new blog post.”

“No excuses. Unacceptable. A blogger blogs –regardless!”

My frown deepened. “Boy, you give no quarter, do you?”

“Not on this!” Sue was adamant.

“Just out of the blue, what do you expect me to post?”

“Anything! Right now, I’d settle for…for…You mentioned your screenplay. How about something on that?”

My frown eased into a profound expression. “Okay, you want screenplay, you get screenplay. But before beginning, you must understand that for the mind a novel is more internal and meditative, where a movie is more external and visually expressive. I learned that in spades doing the screenplay; really learned the difference between a movie and the book it’s based upon”

Sue’s lovely features suddenly sparkled. “Now you’re talking!” she exclaimed, excited. “What did you learn?…Did you have any help with your screenplay?…”

“Actually, the initial screenplay drafts were written by a movie script pro working with my film representative. Then all corrections and changes in their script — plenty of them, no mean task, I can tell you — were left for me to make, this becoming the final draft.”

“I take it that was a problem,” Sue said, a sympathetic tone.

“At first, yes. A big problem. You see, the screen script they gave me was limited in scope compared to the novel. At one point it even lost me.”

“That lousy?!”she shuddered.

“No, no. The screen script was amazing in its own right — still captivating…moving with graphic lure…sticking to the gist of the storyline. But for me the problem was that the perfect resonance between the characters and the plot in the novel was choppy and abrupt in the screen draft; this, as I discovered, dictated by the constraints of movie reality.”

“Oh, my.”

“Oh, my, indeed! Some major scenes in the book…some minor characters…had to be cut, as well as some essential character threads, nuances and developments, sort of deleting part of the book’s soul. I tried as best I could to restore this soul; restore what I felt was needed for plot cohesion, but I couldn’t completely. I had no choice but to compromise for the movie’s sake else the screen script would be too long. The script I ended up with would be two hours of movie as it was.”

Sue stared at me in alarm. “Will the book’s magnificence be lost in the movie?” she asked, a certain sadness in her tone.

“My film representative certainly doesn’t think so. When I presented the final corrected screen script to her, and after she read it, she replied to me, and I quote:

“Griff, YOU ARE AMAZING! THE SCRIPT LOOKS AND READS as in PERFECT! I AM YELLING THIS OUT OF PURE JOY AND DELIGHT! God only knows what they will do when we actually send it out….Thank you so much for helping us to fix your script. It was a biggie because you are a Giant as in…a really good soul. I am honored to know you and to work with such a sweet, kind and understanding spirit as you. I am blessed.”

Hearing this, Sue seemed transfixed, for a moment becoming strangely still. Then she pursed her lips, then spoke in a quiet voice. “I have a feeling about your script. A spiritual one.”

“Spiritual? I’d settle for good timing and good luck.”

“No, I don’t think you’ll need so much of that with this movie,” she said, more energy now in her voice. “If what your film representative says about your screen script is true, the movie will automatically achieve its own unique magnificence. I just FEEL it!”

“Wow, you’re really into this.”

“You bet I am. Now!” Sue’s dark eyes were flaming with spirit. “Besides what you’ve heard from your script pro and your representative, what have others said about the possibility of your movie?”

“Well, for an inkling, read this.” I handed Sue the sheet of paper I had been reading when she arrived. On it was commentary from Leigh Savage. Standing in for me, Leigh had answered as if she were me to a question directed to myself by a reader on her blog ‘Comments’ section at the bottom of Leigh’s author interview with me on my novel.

Engrossed, her eyes glittering with amazement, Sue began reading Leigh’s commentary:

“Vickie, thank you for your question. This is Gerald’s answer. ‘I feel very close to the military. Many on both sides of my family have served in the U.S. Military, as well as close friends, a couple in Special Forces. In addition, while a psychologist in private practice, I had in psychotherapy several returning military veterans having difficulty adjusting to normal society because of continuing combat trauma.
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I was presented first hand what they unhappily endured, as though I was with them in combat. This background with the military –very close to my heart, in addition to the 9/11 attacks and other factors of national security, are what prompted me to write the story of my novel. This type of storyline in OF GOOD AND EVIL, with some of the same characters, is continued in the novel’s sequel. In spite of my novel OF GOOD AND EVIL receiving powerful reviews and presently being explored for the screen, it is lacking in sales one would expect from such a powerful book. It is ironic and unfortunate that it may take a movie to bring this captivating novel to a broader range of readers and the literary world. Whatever can be done to spread the word of the novel, before a possible movie is made upon it, would be a great contribution to that world.’ ”

When finished reading, Sue immediately gave me a resolute look. “We’ve got to get busy on this. Never mind the blog posting!”

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*So in closing, I have to say to my new friend and fellow author, Gerald….. I have to agree with “Sue”, you need to get to your blog buddy and blog post more often for your readers and book fans!…LOL!
I hope you all enjoyed my guest author today, and here are a few more places you can connect with, Author Gerald G. Griffin. What an honor to be able to share such an established author and writer her on my blog today. I hope you’ll go grab a copy of his book and let me know what YOU thought in my comment section her on my blog. I want to THANK Gerald for letting me have the pleasure of sharing him with all my Supportive and Fabulous readers and friends*
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You Connect With Author, Gerald G. Griffin With The Links Below~~

Links

Find & Follow Gerald G. Griffin on:


HAPPY WEEKEND AND GOD BLESS ALL,
Author, Catherine Townsend-Lyon
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Of Good and Evil
GRAB YOUR COPY FOR A WEEKEND READ!

 

“Share From My Recovery Blog ~“My Honor, Tribute, And A Day Of Mourning For Poet & Author ~Maya Angelou And Her Passing Today”

Catherine Lyon Author/Writer News Around The Web , , , , , , , , ,

Remembering And Honor Dr. Maya Angelou….

“The renowned poet, author and civil rights activist with the unmistakably regal voice died on May 28 at the age of 86.”


(Story Courtesy Of MSNBC ~ Rehema Ellis and Elizabeth Chuck)
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Maya Angelou, the renowned poet, author and civil rights activist with the unmistakably regal voice, has died. The author of the celebrated autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” was 86 years old.

Her death comes less than a week after Angelou announced she would not attend the 2014 MLB Beacon Awards Luncheon, where she was to be honored, citing “health reasons.” Last month, she also canceled an event in Fayetteville, Arkansas, because she was recovering from an “unexpected ailment” that left her hospitalized.
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“The mayor is very saddened to hear the loss of a woman of such renowned phenomenal status as Dr. Angelou. Our prayers are with her family, her staff and all the people she has worked with,” Linda Jackson-Barnes, assistant to Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines, said.

Angelou was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, under the name Marguerite Annie Johnson, and was raised in Stamps, Arkansas, and San Francisco, after her parents sent her off to live with her grandmother in California when she was fresh with a white store clerk in Arkansas, the Associated Press reported.

She grew up to become a singer, dancer, actress, writer and Hollywood’s first female black director.

Angelou had an impressive list of accolades: She was a three-time Grammy winner and was nominated for a Pulitzer, a Tony, and an Emmy for her role in the 1977 groundbreaking television mini-series “Roots.”

But her success didn’t come easily. Angelou’s life struggles were fodder for her work.

Her childhood had been marked by sexual abuse, which she detailed in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” — the first of six autobiographies she wrote.

A few weeks after she finished high school, at 17, she gave birth to her son, Guy. A single mother, she supported her son by working as a waitress and a cook, but music, dance, and poetry were her true passions.

Her first big break came as a singer in the 1950s, when she toured Europe with a production of the opera “Porgy and Bess.” In 1957, she recorded her first album, “Calypso Lady.”
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In 1960, she moved to Cairo, where she edited an English-language weekly newspaper. The following year, she went to Ghana to teach music and drama. It was in Ghana that she met Malcolm X, coming back to the U.S. in 1964 with him to help him build his new coalition, the Organization of African-American Unity.

It was in 1970 that she published “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” a painful tale of growing up in Jim Crow South, which is now on children’s reading lists in schools across the country (along with sometimes being censored for its raw account of rape and teen pregnancy).

“‘I thought that it was a mild book. There’s no profanity,” Angelou once told the AP. “It speaks about surviving, and it really doesn’t make ogres of many people. I was shocked to find there were people who really wanted it banned, and I still believe people who are against the book have never read the book.”

Between Angelou’s fiction, non-fiction, and published verse, she amassed more than 30 bestselling titles.

Angelou was also a trailblazer in film. She wrote the screenplay and composed the score for the 1972 film “Georgia,” and the script, the first-ever by an African-American woman to be filmed, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
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In more recent years, it was her interactions with presidents that made headlines. In 1993, she wowed the world when her reading of her poem “On the Pulse of the Morning” was broadcast live globally from former President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration. She stayed so close with the Clinton’s that in 2008, she supported Hillary Clinton’s candidacy over Barack Obama’s.

She also counted Nelson Mandela and the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., as friends, and served as a mentor to Oprah Winfrey when Winfrey was starting out as a local TV reporter. When she was in her 20s, Angelou met Billie Holiday, who told her: “You’re going to be famous. But it won’t be for singing.”

Angelou read another poem, “Amazing Peace,” for former President George W. Bush at the 2005 Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at the White House.

In North Carolina, Angelou lived in an 18-room house, the AP reported, and taught American Studies at Wake Forest University.

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“What more can I add to this *Beautiful Tribute* To Maya Angelou”…
She inspired me to love what I do as a Writer and Author. She encouraged me with her words in my recovery, and showed by example how to help others from addiction. She was one of the most *Inspirational Souls* I’ve ever know, and she taught many generations of us to be better people with no Color, Race, Creed, or Religious barriers…
There will be no other like, Dr. Maya Angelou”…
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“May You Rest In Peace In The Arms Of Our Father In Heaven”…


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God Bless,
Author, Catherine Townsend-Lyon

A Special Guest Blog Who Remains Anonymous ~ And Who Helps Others Recover From Alcoholism…

Catherine Lyon Author/Writer Featured Guest

Welcome Recovery Friends, Seekers, And New Visitors ~ Happy Memorial Day To All Veterans & Active Military!

 

 

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Hello friends!

I want to introduce you to a special guest who prefers to stay anonymous, but she knows all the in’s and out’s about “Alcoholism”…

For the sake of me not losing track of my good friend, I’ll call him “Paul” for this blog post today. I’ll share with you both of his websites with you as they both have excellent advice, help, resources, and are very educational to help understand more about alcoholism, the disease.

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* The first site I’ll share is their wonderful Recovery Blog here on WordPress called; http://alcoholicsguide.wordpress.com …
I have spent reading many of the blog posts, and even though my main addiction was with addicted compulsive gambling, I did drink a bot too much when I gambled. I also could see how very easily I could have turned into a full-blown alcoholic by switching addictions from gambling to becoming an alcoholic after I entered treatment and recovery from addicted gambling. This blog has some awesome information and insights as well. Here is more about Paul’s blog The ALCOHOLICS GUIDE *
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Welcome

The main aim of this blog is to discuss this condition of alcoholism/addiction in an open inclusive manner that gives alcoholics, families of alcoholics, those who treat and research them a more candid insight into their condition and thus why and how recovery works!

Hopefully understanding how the brain changes, via neuroplasticity, will give hope to many that change does come, recovery does happen and does make positive changes to the brain which alter our emotions, thinking and behaviour for the better.  It alters our stress systems, emotional regulation, alters our neurotransmission. It alters who we are, and how we see the world and act in it. How we relate to our fellow human beings.

This is in addition to emotional catharsis, change in consciousness, recovering our relationships with wives, husbands, children, parents, other family, friends, community, or in terms of  career, social standing, you name it, it all gets better through time. This is recovery for us, the repairing  and recovering of that which has been damaged by our alcoholism, the clearing away the wreckage of the past .

Hopefully this too will help motivate others to keep doing the things that work, because they work, it can be demonstrated, measured even. We seek to supplement what you have already not substitute, to add to, not take way. To illuminate not confuse.

We do Recover!! Yes, we do…and encourage you go to visit their blog!

*Now this next site in which Paul is a big part of, is all the about how alcohol effects our brain.  http://insidethealcoholicbrain.com/  …
Here on their website, you’re going to learn, become aware, and be shown insights and information on just how our brain works when we become an alcoholic. It is so informative, and educates how harmful alcohol really is! Here is a little preview:

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THE PURPOSE OF THEIR WEBSITE…
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About:

As some of the writing done here is by recovering persons we wish to keep our identities private and remain anonymous. Hence we will not provide contact information here but please,  contribute to this blog via the comments utility. We, as a collection of writers, are very interested in your views in contributing to the sum of knowledge regarding the theory and experience of alcoholism, addiction and recovery.

The collective term we will used in various blogs apart form when one is talking from a purely personal experience.  This blog will be quite academic but we also have another, sister blog –  http://alcoholicsguide.wordpress.com/about/

which talks in more layperson, user-friendly language but essentially addressing similar points as here.

We do not propose to have all the answers, so please take what is useful for you and leave the rest.

We are supportive of all therapeutic strategies that help alcoholics and their families recover and do not endorse one over the other. We do not have all the answers but in the last several years have come across new ways to look at the problem and to inform the solution.

Our purpose is to create a forum for discussing how accurately scientific research, covering neuroscience and it’s associated fields of research, describe alcoholics and addicts, especially those in “recovery” in terms of theoretical conception and diagnostic  description.

In simple terms, how well do these theories and diagnostic suggestions match the experiential reality of alcoholics in recovery or long term abstinence. How accurately do they model the reasons for these individuals relapse, for example? How effectively do these models and diagnostic criteria point the way to effective treatment of these chronic conditions? How well do they allow the families and loved ones of these suffering individuals to comprehend their neurobiological disease and why it makes them act the way they do?

Most theories of addiction, from a neuroscientific perspective are based on neurobiological definition, and experimentally driven. They test theoretical paradigms in controlled lab conditions and at times appear to lack ecological validity.

They seldom appear rooted in the daily realities of the individuals they purport to study.

We suggest the best way to disprove one’s elegant theory is to apply it to the everyday reality to addicts and alcoholics in recovery. We suggest that neuroscientists and psychologists, among others, would be better served by engaging at a personal level with those they observe and study.

We believe that the neurobiological theories, mainly ‘conditional ‘ or positive or negative reinforcement models, provide a great insight into how the brain of the addict or alcoholics is ‘hijacked’ in the transition from user to abuser to addict but do little to illustrate how these neurobiological deficits effect and in turn are effected by cognitive-affective regions of the brain. In other words, in our conception of addiction, for example, we are interested in how these neurobiological impairments  both prompt and are mediated by emotional deregulation and processing deficits.

The ‘emotional disease’ or ‘cancer of the emotions’ or ‘parasite that feeds on the emotions’ or this ‘fear-based illness’ that alcoholics and addicts in recovery frequently describe their addictions and alcoholism appears to get little mention  in many theories of addiction. Why?

We forward the theory here that emotional dysregulation, measured often by heart rate variability, lies at the heart of addiction and alcoholism.  Via a series of blogs, which hopefully build on and will be linked to each other, we will set out our theories in the hope that alcoholics and addicts will learn profound insights into their condition.

Speaking personally we can say that research has not only helped improve our recoveries but even helped save them on occasion. We hope that families and loved ones will again insight into the behaviour of their loved ones in recovery and this will help them. We also hope to start a debate with researchers, clinicians, treatment providers, and other’s involved in helping and providing therapy for addicts and alcoholics regarding the nature of this condition and how best to treat it. In this blog we marry the theoretical with the experiential and anecdotal to attempt to show how it is difficulties in processing, controlling and regulating one’s emotions that leads to decision-making difficulties so profound that they set up and drive  the addiction cycle and which also pose the greatest threat to one’s recovery and sobriety.
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I happen to read this post called: “Soap Box,” and found it very important and relevant. Look, addiction is addiction no matter the type, so much of the recovery info I feel can be applied to all types of addictions!
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Soap Box

This blog will discuss the purely academic side, or neuroscientific side of this neurobiological disease –  it sets out a simple premise, irrespective of where recovery is achieved, AA or elsewhere or unaided, which states, in the hundreds of alcoholics we have met, there appears to be an emotional processing  and regulation deficit at the heart of this disorder, a psychiatric disorder according to many leading academics, which results in distress based impulsivity, compulsive behaviours, short-term decision-making, difficulties recognizing, labelling, processing and regulating emotions as well as having an altered reward sensitivity to alcohol so that drinking is different from them as young people than to others.

Many of these changes are present as premorbid vulnerabilties also in children of alcoholics as are a host of other endophenotypes, such as cortical arousal, i.e. more glutamate compared to GABA which affects cognition in various domains. Add to this a low resting heart rate variability in abstinent alcoholics, especially in early recovery and you have a head and heart which are predisposed to distress states and reacting to emotional cues. As the American Society for Addiction Medicine state in their definition, there is an “dysfunctional emotional response”.

There is academic evidence for all this which will be presented over the next 6 months to clearly build our argument on redefining addiction and alcoholism so that those who need treatment find a treatment more tailored to their independent needs. By diagnosing individuals simply as having a vaguely related co-morbidity when they do not may be counter to effective treatment, whatever that treatment is – we have no axe to grind here regarding treatment, whatever works for you, works! We try our best not to be blinkered as we are researchers. Most treatments have good elements.

The point of this is to have our voices heard in terms of defining the problem, to mix the anecdotal with the experimental – When stress has whittled your pre frontal cortex to such a profound extent that you can no longer control or regulate emotions or stress or to use emotions as a guide to decision-making, then one needs the help of others, the ‘external’ prefrontal cortex , if you like, to help you get well. Recovery is partly the strengthening of this brain region, but we need, most of us anyway, help in getting there.  We hope to forward an argument that helps alcoholics and addicts get the same recognition and the same access to legal and medical services as others with similar psychiatric disorders.

The main aim is to discuss this condition in a open, inclusive manner that gives alcoholics, families of alcoholics, those who treat and research them a more candid insight into their condition and thus why and how recovery works!

We also have a sister blog  which explains these concepts in more simple, easy to follow, every day language  http://alcoholicsguide.wordpress.com/

Hopefully understanding how the brain changes, via neuroplasticity, will give hope to many that change does come, recovery does happen and does make positive changes to the brain which alter our emotions, thinking and behaviour for the better.  It alters our stress systems, emotional regulation, alters our neurotransmission. It alters who we are, and how we see the world and act in it. How we relate to our fellow human beings.

This is in addition to emotional catharsis, change in consciousness, recovering our relationships with wives, husbands, children, parents, other family, friends, community, or in terms of  career, social standing, you name it, it all gets better through time. This is recovery for us, the repairing  and recovering of that which has been damaged by our alcoholism, the clearing away the wreckage of the past .  

Hopefully this too will help motivate others to keep doing the things that work, because they work, it can be demonstrated, measured even. We seek to supplement what you have already not substitute, to add to, not take way. To illuminate not confuse. 

We do Recover!!

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 I want to thank my anonymous friend ( Paul ), and all who contribute to both the Website and their Blog I shared with you today! I know exploring both their sites, I have learned a lot more about alcohol addiction and hope you all did as well. It doesn’t matter which approach you take to seek help, enter treatment, and recovery,….. as long as you pick one!

There is so much information on support, treatment, rehab, therapy, and counseling out there, that there is no reason to have to suffer the ‘cycle’ of alcoholism or any other addiction. We need to remember that half the battle of recovery is “Acknowledgement.”  It’s admitting to ourselves that alcohol is affecting area’s of our life. There is also a lot of information and help on through the internet now as well! The internet has really changed the way we get our information about how to recover from all addictions…

 

Even being able to share both, “The Alcoholics Guide”  http://alcoholicsguide.wordpress.com/about/  &
“Inside The Alcoholic Brain” http://insidethealcoholicbrain.com/
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Happy Memorial Day & God Bless!
Catherine Townsend-Lyon ~ Author Of Addicted To Dimes
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984478485