Happy Chinese New Year!

This is the first day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar and we're celebrating the year of the Fire Monkey. I'm attaching a couple of links for those of you interested in reading how your animal sign will fare in 2016.  If you don't know your sign, there are specific dates assigned to each animal on the second link. I know this is far from an exact science, but in my experience, I've found Eastern horoscopes to be more accurate than Western. Go figure. Anyway, who can pass up a chance to look into their future?  Pretend you're walking into an exotic fortune teller's secret cave and get a sneak peek at what's in store for you this year.

http://www.narryecaldwell.com/year-of-the-fire-monkey-february-8-2016/

http://www.sunsigns.org/chinese-horoscope-2016/

Remembering...

Yesterday was my mother's birthday. She would have been 92 years old had she lived. I don't normally commemorate her special day, but for some reason I decided it was a good day to watch The Theory of Everything, the moving story of Stephen Hawking starring Eddie Redmayne. As everyone knows, Mr. Hawking suffers from ALS, the same disease that killed my mother, and thousands of others who shall remain nameless for this post.  I was alone in the house and figured if I was going to break down and make a fool of myself at least no one would see me. Surprisingly, I didn't cry, although the tears were poised to fall. What I did feel was a terrible longing to have my mother by my side for even one hour to tell her all the amazing things she's missed since she passed.

Losing a parent is horrible, but she was more than a mother; she was my best friend. No one has ever been able to replace her in that role although my only sister has come damned close.  Our mother would have been thrilled to know that the two girls she raised on her own have not only survived, we've done her proud. I've become a published novelist and my sister has risen to a prominent position in women's health care.

I read on FB that it's Grandparent's day today. Another reason to talk about my mom. She would have made a spectacular grandmother to the four sons I've been privileged to raise and the two wonderful kids who would have been her great-grandchildren. I'm so sorry they'll never know what they missed. It would have been her fondest wish to cook Sunday lunch for all of us, and share the latest gossip in her wonderful, flamboyant way. She was a drama queen long before it became fashionable.

So the point to this rambling post is to remind everyone to kiss the parent, hug the grandma and grandpa, love the ones who are alive, and never forget to mention how much they mean to you. Life is too bloody short and do overs only happen in novels.  Happy birthday, Ma, and happy Grandparent's Day to the ones who are lucky enough to be in this special group.

P.S. Just so you know, I'm not that stoic after all. This post made me tear up more than yesterday's movie.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  Most of my friends and readers know I'm a big fan of the Chinese Zodiac.  Fire Horse was partly inspired by my interest in Chinese astrology.  2015 is the year of the goat. Here's a preview of what you can expect if you were born under this sign. The other animals in the zodiac are on the side bar if you'd like information on your own sign.  Here's wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and productive 2015. 

http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/goat.asp

Holiday Greetings!

Christmas is ten days away (for those who celebrate X-mas eve) and I wanted to take a minute to send all my readers, editors, bloggers, reviewers, and fellow authors the warmest wishes for the holiday season and an early greeting for the coming New Year.  

2014 was a little different for me in that I only had two novels release when my goal has always been three or four each year. Cutting Out was a challenge, but the positive feedback I've received from the fans of the Cutting Cords series has been worth the effort, and I'm so happy to end this series on such a positive note. 

In upcoming news, I have two novels contracted for 2015 so far. The first is the fourth book in the Horizons Series called Chyna Doll with a scheduled February release date, and the second novel is due to release sometime in May.  I'm keeping the title of the new one under wraps for now and will give it the proper unveiling when I have cover art and a blurb to share.  

Lastly, the French translation of Horizons (Nouvel Horizons) is on the Coming Soon page and is available at a 25% discount, as are many other books in the vast DSP library.  Here's the easy link for those who are interested: 
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/upcoming_products.php 

As always, if you have any questions about my upcoming work, or anything else you might want to know about my writing, feel free to leave a comment. 

Merry Christmas everyone! 



       

Welcome 2014!

 

Happy New Year to all my friends and readers.  2014 is the year of the Horse in Chinese astrology.  My last two novels were centered around a man who was born in the year of the Fire Horse so I thought it would be fun to share some information on this sign. 

The 2014 Year of Horse

The Introduction of 2014 Year of Horse The Year 2014 is considered as the Year of the Horse as per the Chinese Zodiac Calendar which begins on January 31, 2014, and ends on February 18, 2015. 2014 according to Chinese Astrology Calendar. it is the Year of Wood Horse.  Wood is related to tree or green, so it is also called Year of Green Horse. 2014 is the jiăwŭ (甲午) year.The Chinese zodiac calendar comprises 12 animal signs and horse is the seventh among all of them. In Chinese culture, the Horse is a symbol of nobility, class, speed and perseverance.  People born in the Year of the Horse are smart, fabulous speakers who have a gift for getting through to other people. People bearing the horse sign strive towards seeking freedom and happiness. In general, 2014 would be a better year for those people who were born under The Year of the Horse. The Common Personality of People Born in Horse Year People born in the year of the horse are extremely animated, active and energetic. Horses love to be in a crowd and like entertainment, they have a deft sense of humor, they love to take center stage and delight audiences everywhere. They are trustworthy, friendly and like to be surrounded by their relatives and friends. They usually have a large circle of acquaintances, but they never rely on their friends too much. Sometimes, the horse is a little self-centered, but it doesn't mean that he will not be interested in any problems except his own. However, a horse person is really more cunning than intelligent, that is probably due to the fact that most horse people lack confidence. Sometimes, they are very independent and rarely listen to advice The Common Strengths and Weaknesses of the Year of the Horse Person Strengths The horse people are generally energetic, noble, free spirited and clever. They have ingenious communicating techniques and in their community they always want to be in the limelight, so they have good friends and are well liked by many people. Although they sometimes talk too much, they are cheerful, perceptive, talented, earthy but stubborn. They are able to come up with new ideas and active at work and refuse to be reconciled to failure, although their endeavor cannot last indefinitely. The Horse person is a sociable likeable person most of the time, they can take advantage of this by getting everybody to work together to achieve goals. Weaknesses The Horse person is patient up to a point, but they can be hot tempered. If you pushed too far, the Horse person can lose their temper. They cannot bear too much constraint. They then lash out (just like a horse) at others which can undo the good relationships they have built up with their good social skills. They can also be stubborn just like a horse. They are wasteful since they are not good with matters of finance due to a lack of budgetary efficiency. The Horse person has many followers but they are not always receptive to other points of view. They tend to interfere in many things and frequently fail to finish projects of their own. The Predictions of 12 Zodiac in 2014 Year of Horse For Rat The sun shines again after the bad year. For the rat, the year of the horse is a year of success, which will run at full gallop. For Ox The year of the horse will be a good year for the ox. Will achieve much success and successfully completed their projects. For Tiger The year of the horse will be a year full of successes and failures.In the first six months must take into account the tiger had many failures and few successes. The next six months will be better. But here too the tiger has to suffer some setbacks among the successes. For Rabbit The Rabbit is likely to be overwhelmed by the hoofs of the horse. Sporting elite and warriors win this year, since they can download on the opponent their negative energy. But employees, state officials, workers, artisans may have a tough year ahead of them, because the negative energies are hindering in the workplace. For Dragon The year of the horse is a good to very good year for the dragon. There should be no major problems. The first half of the year is satisfactory and you can be satisfied with the result. Even the second half of the year continues as normal. For Snake The snake is very successful in this Horse year. You must want to look for a failure. For the snake, it is one of the best years. January is a month still quiet, for the snake, but towards the middle of the year comes a success after success. The 2 nd half of the year starts very well. But this year was too good and the envious are stationed around the corner. For Horse Its own year is challenging for the horse. The race obstacles must be well prepared. Otherwise, the horse is unable to overcome too many obstacles. This among other things is the last of the years still acceptable for the horse. Because then followed by 3 bad years. For Goat For the goat the year of the horse is a very good year. The first problems arise only at the end of the year. Beware the winter. For this reason, the goat would have to conclude, during the autumn, all his plans and intentions. Then you should look for a quiet place. For Monkey The year of the horse is a good year up to very good for Monley. The monkey will have much activity and achievements. For Rooster The Rooster will not have much activity. It will be a boring year without much success. It can be considered a year of calm and mean. For Dog Tthe year of the horse will be a year which is more seriously for the dog. During this year, the dog will not be very active, but what starts it will succeed. For Pig The year of the horse is the biggest success and the most perfect. This year will fall manna from heaven. Playing a little 'to the lot would not be bad. About the Baby Born in 2014 Year of Horse The 2014 Horse year baby will likely be an energetic, warm, friendly, intelligent person. He/she will be always happy and talented; he likes to be within the limelight. His positive outlook in life can make him out-standing among all of people. The horse baby will put the fantastic enthusiasm into their work. They will not give up easily, but on the other hand, 2014 horse baby may also become an impatient person who enjoys independence and freedom and perhaps their interests are usually superficial, sometimes, they will be fairly hot-tempered and unreceptive to suggestions from other people. Other Details of 2014 Year of Horse 1. Earthly Branch of Birth Year: Wu(午) 2. Wu Xing (The Five Elements): huo (fire火) 3. Yin Yang: Yang(阳) 4. Auspicious Directions: northeast, southwest and northwest 5. Lucky Colors: green, red, purple 6. Lucky Numbers: 2, 3, 7,4,9 7. Lucky Flowers: calla lily, jasmine, marigold, giant taro 8. Year of Birth: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 9. Compatibility: Best with: Tiger, Goat or Dog; Worst with: Rat, Ox, Rabbit or Horse 2014 Year of the Horse Wedding In general, there are many Chinese couples plan for their wedding more than 1 year ahead in order to have sufficient preparation time. 2014 is a lucky year for wedding, You can see that the Saint Valentine's Day (14-Feb-2014), Chinese New Year (31-Jan-2014), Mid-Autumn Day (08-Sep-2014), Christmas Eve (24-Dec-2014) are among the auspicious dates for wedding/marriage in 2014. The following is the list of auspicious dates for the wedding in year 2014,the good wedding dates marked in red in this calendar which is produced based on the Chinese almanac Tong Shu.   Find out what sign you were born under and click on the year to read about your own personality traits and who is compatible with you.    http://www.holymtn.com/astrology/year.htm

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for almost everyone I know. Unlike Christmas, it's stress-free, and the anxiety of gift-giving, and fighting the mobs at the mall, is eliminated.  This holiday is about food, family, and football (at least in my testosterone-filled clan).  I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my online friends and readers a wonderful and peaceful day.  The cutie in the pumpkin patch is my darling grandson who brightens our lives each day and makes me grateful that I'm alive, healthy, and productive.  In the end, that's all you can ask for.