Your Poet Is Thomas Kemp Presents "Stormy Weather" Powerful Words During National Poetry Month

Stormy Weather

In those days my hopes were black and twisted

And only my night time dreams

traveled on a traditional course.

But, deep in my soul, 

knowing I could not make babies anymore

And give you the children you wanted badly,

You had to go out the door of my reveries.

You were taken away to be a mother

More than you were chosen to be my wife.

Love is simple and always true

you were to be a mother,

With all the details 

that goes with it,

I was not in that design.

Children can go on forever

 and me as a husband would have just been an indulgence.

The years have distributed to you two fine sons.

But, I have never forgotten you.

Thomas Kemp/poet

Fascinating Fantasy Tale Set in Malaya 1893 Provides Mesmerizing Glimpse Into Afterworld!

                  redhotbrides.com

"That night I had a curious dream. I wandered through the Lim mansion though all was still and silent. It was bright, but there was no sun, merely the whiteness that comes from a fog at midday. And like a fog, parts of the house seemed to vanish as I passed, so that the way behind was shrouded in a thin white film. Just as I had that very day, I passed through artfully planted courtyards, dim corridors, and echoing reception rooms, although this time there was no distant murmur of voices nor servants moving about. Presently, I became aware that I was not alone. Someone was following me, watching from behind a door or peering through the balustrades of the upper level. I began to hurry, turning down one passage after another as they began to resemble each other with a dreadful sameness.

"At last, I came into a courtyard with a lotus pond, very much like the one I had visited that day, although the flowers here had an artificial air, as though they had been stuck into the mud like so many sticks of incense. As I stood wondering what to do, someone sidled up beside me. Turning, I saw a strange young man. He was grandly dressed in old-fashioned formal robes that came down to his ankles. On his feet, curiously short and broad, he wore black court  shoes with pointed toes. His clothing was dyed in lurid hues, but his face was quite undistinguished, being plump with a weak chin and a smattering of acne scars. He gazed at me with a solicitious smile.

"Li Lan!" he said, "How I've longed to see you again!"

"Who are you?" I asked.

"You don't remember me, do you? It was too long ago. But I remember you. How could I forget?"he said with a flourish. "Your beautiful eyebrows, like moths. Your lips, like hibiscus petals."

"As he beamed, I was struck by a lurch of nausea. "I want to go home..."

"Li Lan, my dear. Don't you know who I am? I'm Lim Tian Ching!" he said. "The heir of the Lim family. I've come to court you."

The queasiness continued to build until I felt light-headed. "Aren't you dead?"...

~~~

The Ghost Bride

By Yangsze Choo

This is a ghost story...unlike any you may have read before! It is delightfully detailed in historical richness of stories that have been past down through generations! I had heard of the ghost bride--one who was asked to marry a man who had died, with a rooster sitting in for the groom. But this author has taken it further and created her own place, the Plains of the Dead, that moves readers far beyond former tales and allows us to envision that place "in between..."

"Li Lan, this is my cousin Tian Bai."
"We did not shake hands as I had heard the British
do, but under his gaze, I felt a flicker run through
my veins.
"In addition to cleaning the clocks, I also play a
little music," he said.
"Yan Hong looked at him with amusement. What
are you talking about? Turning to me, she said,
"Li Lan is the daughter of the Pan family.
"I tried to swallow my kuih, but it was sticky and
clung to my throat.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"I'm fine," I said with as much dignity as I could
muster.
"There was a little crease at the corners of his eyes,
exactly like the fold in a freshly laundered sheet.
"I had a hard time finding out who you were," he said.
"You just ran off the other day..."
"I hardly dared to look him in the eye, yet I was drawn
to his gaze like a moth to flame. It wouldn't do to appear
silly and empty-headed. A man who had traveled
across the ocean must surely be bored by small talk.
He gave no sign of it, though, asking me what books
I had read and why I knew about the sea charts..."
[Tian Bai is the man who whom Li Lan was promised]
~~~

I was enthralled as soon as I saw the cover and read the first sentence on the back cover: "One evening, my father asked me whether I would like to become a ghost bride..."

Her simple question then blew me away! "Who asked."

Now, really, would you be able to calmly listen to this proposal? First, of course, you must realize that marriages were arranged at that time, so it would have been normal for her father to propose a liaison...

But to a dead man?

What had happened was that the heir on the family had died, and the Lim Family wanted to honor him...now that's the story used...but what was actually happening, was that the son was haunting his parents, as well as already sneaking into the dreams of Li Lan, wanting to ensure she was given to him as his bride.

Li Lan was from a poor family, but the fathers had been friends. Now, though, since his own wife had died, Li Lan's father had withdrawn from the world, spending much time in an opium-induced world...and bills building up. The Lim family had been loaning money, as Li Lan was promised to another in the family. Now, though, he was the heir. The family wanted to make a better, more advantageous match...

Lim Tian Ching kept coming into Li Lan's dreams until one visit was so bad that she became ill. Her dreams became weird, she visited places she'd never been and then, finally, her soul left her body! Fortunately she appeared to be unconscious, so she was cared for and kept nourished... otherwise, she might have died!

Instead, she began a wondrous journey where she was able to see all of the ghosts that appeared each night--hungry ghosts, who had nobody to pray for them and provide them food...

Lim house in GulangYu (Photo credit: Terence: family & friends)

"Since my illness, Amah had taken to sleeping in my room on a think pallet on the floor. I protested at this, as she was old and the wooden planks were hard, but she insisted. In truth, it made me feel much better. Every night Amah securely fastened the wooden shutters, no matter how hot and still the air was...
"I suspected that Amah kept the windows shut for other reasons. When I was a little girl, I had heard many tales of terror not only from Amah but also from her friends. Malaya was full of the ghosts...
"Amah, where do people go where they die?"
..."When someone dies, the spirit leaves the body and after the hundred days of mourning are over, passes through the ten Courts of Hell. The First Court is the arrival gate. There the souls are sorted. The good ones go straight to rebirth, or if they are really saintly they escape the Wheel of Life and go to paradise... if you were moderately good, you might be able to skip some of the Courts of Hell by crossing the gold or silver bridges. But if you committed some sin, you have to pass through the courts. The Second Court has the judges where they read out your good and bad deeds. Depending on that, you might be sent on to different punishments."


As you can probably tell, if you were here right now, I would continue to tell you about all of the strange wonders that you will learn about in the afterworld. But, then, you would never be able to really understand or imagine what is to come in this outstanding novel. Yangsze Choo Debut is truly a literary folk tale that takes us far back before things were changed by politics. In fact, she provides Notes at the back which merges past with the present, including such things as what the character names means! 

But what is soooo exciting is that there is a surprise ending that I simply loved! And how I wish I could talk about it...But I can't...So, if my words tempt you or if you love historical and exotic fiction, this is a must-read! Don't miss this one!


GABixlerReviews

Yangsze Choo is a fourth generation Malaysian of Chinese descent. Due to a childhood spent in various countries such as Germany and Japan, she can eavesdrop (badly) in several languages. After graduating from Harvard University, she worked as a management consultant before writing her first novel. THE GHOST BRIDE, set in colonial Malaya and the elaborate Chinese world of the afterlife, is about a peculiar historic custom called a spirit marriage.Yangsze lives in California with her husband, two children, and a potential rabbit. She loves to eat and read, and often does both at the same time. You can follow her at www.yschoo.com or on Twitter: @yangszechoo.

For Christian romantic fiction...this one's a winner!

Image by justinknabb via Flickr

Consider reading McKenzie, the first in
the Montana Skies Series...

Kaydie:
Montana Skies Series


By Penny Zeller




I received Kaydie via a giveaway on Susan Holloway's Blog--what a delightful surprise!


Although this is historically set, I found the novel more character driven...they are remarkably created, so much so, that you feel you know the individuals personally. All of them could easily be found in today's world, albeit with slightly different stories.   I love characters to whom you immediately respond, either caring for them, or loving to hate them, don't you?


Kaydie was a very proper Bostonian, born into a wealthy, connected family. Somehow two out of three of the daughters found their way out of the social structure...all the way to living in Montana!


Kaydie had stood up to her parents and had married Darius Kraemer, a man who completely changed after he had access to her inheritance and had squandered it. Thereafter, he became abusive, even to the point of near starvation. Interestingly, her sister McKenzie loved her enough to make her own way to Montana to find her... How? She became a mail-order bride!


Now, after Darius had died, Kaydie was living with McKenzie and her new husband and an adopted son and expecting a child. At the same time, their parents were back in Boston, creating a false story about Darius, his death, and planning to bring Kaydie back home to be properly married and now fulfill the duties of being a member of the Worthington family! 


"...the Worthington family has one of the most upstanding reputations in the State of Massachusetts, despire your unseemly elopement with Darius and McKenzie's reckless marriage to a rancher. We have already told the other families in our social circle that you married Darius, but we altered the details in order to protect your reputation. We did this from the moment you made the egregious error of choosing him as a husband. What else could we say? Our disappointment in you, as you know full well, was profound. Had our peers been privy to the frustrations you placed on your family by your foolhardy choice of a husband, the damage to our family's good name would have been immeasurable..." (p.36)


Isn't it wonderful how children can rebel and become somebody better, because, after all, there are many ways to abuse children...


Kaydie had been physically and emotionally damaged, however, by her first husband and she now vowed she could not ever think of marrying again. At the same time, she knew what would happen if she returned home.


But then she met Jonah, a ranch hand who lived there with the family.


Readers will enjoy the struggle Kaydie faces in overcoming her past. Especially because Jonah brought a similar background into the relationship. But both had something important that had happened in their lives--they had met Jesus Christ and made Him a part of the decision-making for the future. Soon they acknowledged their growing friendship and when it was time for Kaydie to have her baby, it was Jonah she wanted to stay with her:


"Jonah felt helpless. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked. "Anything I can bring you?"
"Can you..."
"Yes?"
"Can you...pray with me?"
Jonah gulped. She wanted him to pray out loud again? He still wasn't comfortable doing it, but if it would help to put Kaydie at ease, he figured he could give it another try..."


Many Christian books include internal dialogue and prayer, but I enjoyed the intimacy of the Christian relationships in Kaydie where often a character would ask another, or offer to pray for the other. Zeller's ability to seamlessly intertwine her faith into her characters' lives is exceptionally well done, so much so that you feel as if the faith belongs to that character alone...


For Christian romantic fiction...this one's a winner!

...'This is the most perfect summer day." Kaydie sighed.
"The summers in Montana are something to treasure," Jonah agreed.
"I reckon they are far shorter than the summers I was accustomed to in Mississippi,
but it makes one appreciate them all the more."
"I love how the Montana sky is so blue, and with not even a cloud in it,"
Kaydie said. "I just imagine the Lord dipping His brush in the bluest of blue
paints and using broad strokes to create the perfect sky..."
http://www.flickr.com/photos/griffhome/70322428/sizes/m/in/photostream/

GABixlerReviews

Review: Mommy Best:13 Inspirational Lessons

Image via Wikipedia

Mothers' Love

Mommy Best:
13 Inspiration Lessons



Derek and Dylan's Mom Never Learned In School!

By Donna Scrima-Black





As I began to work on this review, the thought came to mind that the title of the book was just a bit much...but it is so reflective of the author, don't you think?! No, you may not know her or ever meet her, but you do know one thing...this woman is happy and excited about being a mother!

On the other hand, I've often said that God knew what He was doing in not having me become a mother...

And there you have it...each woman, especially in these days of dual-career marriages (a phrase that started back in the 80's I believe) has a decision that only she can make...do I attend college and have a career, do I get married and become a mother, or do I do both. Many in the 80's believed that it was quite possible to have a successful career as well as taking care of home and children. And Donna Scrima-Black was one of those women--at first...

The truth is, it is extremely hard, if not impossible to be Mommy Best and also have a fulfilling, demanding career. "It took time for me to finally learn, despite all my career aspirations and the time I invested in achieving them, taking care of my son, was of Greatest Value to me..." (p. 15)

Of course, one of the major problems in becoming a full-time Mother is the financial stability of family--is it possible for the new mother not to return to her career immediately after birth of her child? For Derek's parents, there was a greater consideration. Derek had received a head surgery during the birthing activity, so this created an even greater burden on the parents' decision.

What is key to this book, although it shares a truly personal inside story of one family's life, Mommy Best has been created in a self-help format. Scrima-Black does not attempt to force her decisions onto other mothers. As all good writers do, she highlights the issue clearly--"there's no right or wrong way if you genuinely care for your child. It's critical to follow your heart in making the decision!" [to go back to work]. (p.16)

After an issue has been highlighted, then Donna shares her own story and thoughts. Main thoughts are spotlighted and then at the end of the chapter, there is space for the reader to jot down notes/reflections on what she has read.

One of the spotlighted items was one that hit home--an important one for women who have been in a top-level career but decide to stay home with the children. "You need to recognize that others...may have a difficult time..." (p. 24) Some women are concerned that it will be a problem to other women. Some women are single and have no comparison of the new relationship a mother now has... When I was in a leadership role, with mothers working under me...frankly I couldn't understand how they could "do it all!" I was performing at my best and expected my employees to do the same--how could they also take care of children and a home?

The other purpose of the book is to help women to consider writing/journaling their own "memoirs" as a new mother. This is a wonderful idea for many and the book does an excellent job in assisting women in how to bring thoughts into focus and shared in a logical, coordinated fashion.

Now, let me tell you that this book was first reviewed by Kevin (Dad), Derek (Son 12) and Dylan (Son almost 11). Since they have had direct experience of how Donna Scrima-Black has performed as Mommy Best, I'll let their high recommendations speak for that part. I believe as a self-help book for both life choices and memoir writing, this is an excellent, fun and easy book that will lead readers through the paces and importance of decisions related to becoming and being a mother! Kudos to this family for sharing so openly!

Book Received Via
Facebook Reviewers Roundup


G. A. Bixler

Related articles by Zemanta

• Improve Your Mother-Daughter Relationship (lifescript.com)
• Jamie Lee Curtis on Her New Book, My Mommy Hung the Moon (celebritybabies.people.com)
• A Room of Mom's Own (parenting.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Book Review:The Mommy Files: Secrets Every New Mom Should Know by Jen Klein (seattlepi.com)
• What Would You Tell Your Pre-Mommy Self (bethstedman.com)

Review: Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions - A Must Read for Christians

Image via Wikipedia

Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions:
Engaging the Mystery of Friendship Between Men and Women

By Dan Brennan

Faith Dance Publishing
ISBN: 9780982580707
184 Pages





I have made the outlandish suggestion that there is more to oneness in male-female relationships and sexuality than just sex or marriage. (p. 145)

What if cross-sex communion with a full range of nongenital passion is realistically possible and accessible in the new creation without violating the marriage bed? (p. 110)

Does the "true nature" of close male-female intimacy inherently lead to sex? (p. 54)

"In so many ways our culture trains us to be unfit for friendship." ---Paul Wadell (p. 33)

"You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet."--Jesus Christ (p,119)






I don't usually use so many direct quotes from a book. but I believe you need to get the jist of what is covered by Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions by Dan Brennan! Now that's what I'm talking about Willis!"

Yesterday I reviewed what might be called a sex manual; today I review what might be called a sexuality manual...In some ways, the spirituality aspect of these books are the same.

Brennan mentions the study of young children needing touch and intimacy in order to grow. What happened to that philosophy? According to Brennan, through his well-research book, touch and intimacy were Freudized! Specifically, touching and intimacy were part of erotic love and, therefore, from a Christian standpoint, taboo to singles. Yet Jesus was single, remained unmarried--but had female, and male, friends and confidants!

Personally I'm not so sure that it was Freud that did all the damage; I lay the blame right where it should be for Christians--The Church. Here are two personal examples:

I was crying, hurt by what had happened...My pastor followed me outside to hug me, stating that it wasn't really allowed...

I wanted to discuss a personal problem with another pastor; I was told that a woman would have to be present (somebody who did not have vows saying that they would not divulge any of the counseling). I refused...

As a single, I can attest to everything Dan Brennan states about today's church culture--we are isolated, ignored, or if we become close to somebody, viewed as a potential "other woman" that could bring about marital problems. Not even our pastors are allowed to care and show love to singles!

Dan Brennan brings forth example after example of the potential of friendship, of communion within the Christian community. Yet, it is as if readings from the Bible have been so distorted by our sexualized culture that there is no way to reach out to a brother church member to seek guidance, counseling, prayer, yes friendship.

Yet this is what we were called to do? Like the kiss of the innocent children, or the grateful woman who washed Jesus' feet, not every intimate relationship leads to a sexual encounter! Have you been as angry and frustrated as me as a single woman? Have you worked and become close friends with a male co-worker, or even your boss, and have it frowned upon by other coworkers or a spouse?

Now we have sexual harrassment laws that say never touch a co-worker, never show friendship or concern. Why? Because there is always a sexual connotation applied or assumed. Dan Brennan has spoken out. I for one, totally support what He is teaching as God's word! It's a start, Dan--but there is so far to go! Keep writing and start sharing even more. Christians need to hear you!

Of course I consider this a must-read for anyone in the Christian community...Anybody else? I think it is a cultural issue as well...what do you think?

G. A. Bixler

Review: Pressed Pennies Inspiration Romantic Novel!

Pressed Pennies

By Steven Manchester



Luna Bella Press, Inc.
ISBN: 9780984184200
235 Pages

 
 

 

 
 
Steven Manchester's Pressed Pennies gives readers so much more than several wonderful love stories, but I must admit I got caught up into the lives of the two main characters that I just have to start there!

Abby Gerwitz was the child of an alcoholic, abusive father. While her mother was very loving, Abby saw how she was treated by her husband and prayed that somehow her mother wouldn't have to be hurt so much, even knowing that she took the abuse so it wouldn't fall on Abby.

But when her father went to work, Abby belonged to a gang of kids that constantly played and ate together. One of those kids, Richard Giles, had saved her from a "hissing squirrel" and they were now even more inseparable, which angered Abby's father even more!

Richard lived with his father and grandmother and both of these individuals played a very important role in the lives of those children. But then Richard's family had to move because they could no longer pay the mortgage on the house.

Abby and Richard were devastated... Especially Richard, since he had lied and told Abby that his father got a promotion and that was why they were leaving.

But, in fact, all of the children who had lived and played on that street had been affected by childhood. Reading about their lives was fun--but it was not surprising how each of these individuals became as adults!`

While the book focuses on Abby and Richard's lives--both of them are now divorced, having made mistakes in their marriages--a beautiful minor love story features Richard's grandmother and a man she married late in life. Highlighting multiple relationship stories is one of the reasons the book becomes so intriguing. Readers read about the mistakes we all have made; but there is also a message of hope for each couple...

I had already decided long ago that the changes that have evolved in America have affected the American family but must they affect our dreams? I think Steven Manchester in Pressed Pennies has effectively highlighted the darkest worries and fears of today's adults and emphasizes that we do not have to lose our dreams--that allowing ourselves to love others and then making sure we work to maintain that love is the most important thing that we can do in our lives.

Aside from the excellent writing and storyline, I must add a note about the use of poetry to complement this novel! Each of the poems was added to highlight exactly what was happening to the individual, whether it was to express hope, fear, or the magic of love. It was not the least bit intrusive, but rather added a dimension to the feelings expressed far beyond what could be done by any romantic scene, although there are lots of those too!

Only you will know whether Pressed Pennies by Steven Manchester is for you--those of you who have become bitter or deeply hurt by relationships in your life. You decide...from my point of view, the book is well above 5 in a 1-5 rating! It spoke to me personally in many ways--I hope you allow the novel to speak to you as well...



G. A. Bixler

Review: Some Well Written Books Just Don't Appeal to Everyone...

The Butterflies of Grand Canyon


By Margaret Erhart
A Plume Book
ISBN: 9780452295490
286 Pages

I suppose I was expecting something a little on the line of novels by Nevada Barr, when I selected The Butterflies of Grand Canyon by Margaret Erhart. I was sadly disappointed. Taking readers back into the 1950s was perhaps part of why I found this book lacking in content, yet there was the adultery, the marital problems, that seems to take place at any time and in any location...in fact, the storyline was somewhat predictable.

Jane Merkel is a young woman who marries a much older man. They visit family in Arizona and Jane stays for the summer and becomes attracted to a young man. Of minor interest is that her sister-in-law and her husband both realize it and appear not to think it a problem.

The mystery that is identified is that a skeleton has been found and is being stored in a garage. While the final outcome of that mystery was interesting, there certainly was little investigative activity in which the reader could participate...so you might call it one of those “let’s all meet at the end of the story now that I’ve solved the crime and I’ll tell you how I came to my conclusions...” Sometimes that type of mystery can be fun; this one wasn’t.

The opportunity to learn about the geographic area was insignificant as well, unless you know the official names for all types of butterflies. Lacking that knowledge, since no translation or alternative description was provided, I found myself skipping over the name since I had no desire to stop, mid-paragraph, and do a search on variety of butterfly, again and again.

Nearly all of the characters made a negative impression on me for one reason or another. Did everybody play a part back then? The lesbian professor and supposed amateur sleuth who loved her young assistant in secret, the liaisons that were routinely ignored, the young singles becoming involved with the married. Even solving the mystery involved an affair!

Bottom line, though, for me, was that there was not one single part of the storyline that you could really sink your teeth into and thoroughly enjoy. It was as if you happened to enter a small town and the lives of a number of people and peeked into those lives at that specific time and found, to your chagrin, that it was just as boring as the life you and your neighbors live on a routine basis...albeit the story was well written...

G. A. Bixler

Review: A Second Chance Sometimes Comes!

On The Bluffs
Steven Schindler
The Elevated Press
ISBN: 9780966240818
300 Pages

When you find someone to love, make sure you fight to keep her... Or so seems to be the moral of On the Bluffs by Steven Schindler! Once you read Brian DeLouise's story, I think you will agree!

Portia had been Brian's lover when they had met during a summer at Cape Cod. Even then Brian had been trying to make his way into the entertainment field by working at the summer theatre held there each year. His time with her was precious and genuine, but at the end of the season, Portia had gone overseas.

Brian went back home where Frances quickly seduced him, got pregnant and then lost it, but continued on with him into marriage. During most of the marriage, and especially during the latter years, Frances had cheated on him. Her defense was that he knew she liked to party when he married her, so...

For whatever reasons, Brian had stayed in the marriage, until Frances asked for a divorce...

Interestingly, about that time Brian had become a hero for acting quickly when a mugger had attempted to rob two couples leaving a party...a hero, except in his wife's eyes!

And then there was the fact that he was fired from work!

It was not surprising that Brian started looking backward to happier days... And Cape Cod... And Portia...

With nothing holding him home, given that Frances was already working to ensure she got to keep the house as she scalped (and I do mean scalped...every single hair!) Brian in the divorce he was now anxious to have finalized!

Can you go back? Frankly the first part of the book was tedious for me, totally personal since I, being single, have my own opinions as to what should be allowed in a marriage to make it worth staying. Yes! Brian should have never married the woman!

On the other hand, I loved Portia!

As advertised, this novel is sometimes fun, sometimes sad, but altogether a quite unique love story that deserves attention. You just have to sympathize with Brian and be grateful that he finally took that trip backwards in life!

The thing that bugs me, though, is...Frances winding up with all the loot! Would have preferred this lady maybe met with an accident? Yes, if you love to hate soap-opera femme fatales, then On The Bluffs by Steven Schindler is especially for you!

G. A. Bixler