There's a Dragon Watching me by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Dragons #Romance #Fantasy

 

I've been fascinated by stories of dragons since I was a child. In those days most of the stories made the dragons the creatures the heroes killed. I always thought that was less than wonderful though these dragons usually breathed fire and attacked villages, I always thought there might be some who were wonderful.

Much later I discovered the Pern novels by Anne Mc Caffrey and met dragons I could really like. One day when I was attending a Science Fiction conference, probably thirty or more years ago, I found some cloth dragons and I bought several. At that time I had three grandchildren so I bought three small ones and two large ones. They are now part of the collection on a shelf above my computer.

In the very back you can almost see the very small one my grandson made in nursery school. This was some kind of art one did. The old yellow dragon became the inspiration for the yellow dragon in Dragons of Fyre and also the amber dragon in the Amber Chronicles.

Here's better view of the yellow dragon plus the green one my granddaughter gave me for my last birthday.

There is a dragon lamp that doesn't work since I haven;t put the batteries in. The lightis very dim.\

In the very corner of this picture is the dragon clock along with some glass ones and a very small jade dragon.

 I have more but they're for another day since they are ornaments for my Christmas tree. I believe there are about fifteen. So this is just a bit of my study and yoy can't see the cluttered desk.

My Places

https://twitter.com/JanetL717

 https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f

bid=113639528680724

 http://bookswelove.net/

 http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/

 

Buy Mark

https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/

                    

Celebrating a Nonagenarian, by J.C. Kavanagh

The Twisted Climb

Book 1 of the award-winning Twisted Climb series

Celebrating a what? Nonagenarian? 

That's the literary term I just learned and it describes a person in their 90s. My Irish-born and -raised mother recently celebrated this remarkable event and I was most fortunate to be part of her special day. 

Me and me Mather.
She's 90 years young and still loves to make a silly face.

My mom at 27 years young and loving the silly face :)

My mom has taught me that a keen sense of humour will keep you young. She is definitely proof of that! 

I also learned, from dictionary.com, that the following terms apply for the decade of your lifespan.

Quadragenarian: 40 - 49 years of age. From the Lain word quadragenarius, meaning "consisting of 40"

Quinquagenarian: 50 - 59 years of age. In the 1500s, the word was originally used to describe a Commander of 50 soldiers. In the 1800s, the meaning changed and the word referred to a person's age. From the Latin word quinquagenarius, meaning "containing fifty" or "fifty each"

Sexagenarian or Sexegenary: 60-69 years of age. From the Latin word sexagenarius, from sexageni, meaning "sixty each," or "sixty."

Septuagenarian: 70-79 years of age. Also Septuagenary. From the Latin word septuagenarius, from septuageni, meaning "seventy each" and from septuaginta, "seventy"

Octogenarian: 80-89 years of age. 

Nonagenarian: 90-99 years of age.

Centenarian: 100-109 years of age.

Super-Centenarian: 110+ years of age. 

In my Twisted Climb series, the three main characters (Jayden, Connor and Max), are teenagers - also referenced in these terms: adolescents, juvenescence or juveniles, pubescence. The parents of the main characters are quadragenarians, and in the case of Jayden's troubled mother, a new term I just made up: biahtchagenerian. Book 3 of this award-winning series is in the works. Stay tuned... in the meantime, be safe everyone!

J.C. Kavanagh, author of
The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2)
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll and Best YA Book FINALIST at The Word Guild, Canada
AND
The Twisted Climb,
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll

voted 2021 Best Local Author, South Simcoe, Ontario
Novels for teens, young adults and adults young at heart
Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/J.C.Kavanagh
www.amazon.com/author/jckavanagh
Twitter @JCKavanagh1 (Author J.C. Kavanagh)
Instagram @authorjckavanagh
 

How to Deal with Angry People on the Internet

 

 

 

We all have been on the receiving end. However innocuous our posts on Facebook may be, they triggers angry responses. Sometimes, we respond heatedly to other’s comments on social media. There is a name to this type of behavior: Internet Rage. Like its namesake, Road Rage, it is triggered by similar impulses.

The emotional distance between the aggressor and the target is key. Emotional distance allows for exaggerated emotional responses when threatened or slighted. Anonymity allows for dehumanization of the ‘other’ and, thus, moral consequences of such behavior becomes dismissed. Internet Rage brings another element into the equation: physical distance, which permits behavior that would never be considered, by minimizing real-world consequences.

While Internet Rage has been around since the beginning of social media, it seems that it has increased dramatically over the past few years. It is a reflection of the growing intolerance, especially political fanaticism, in real life. After all, social media reflects (and amplifies) current social trends.

 

    1. Don’t feed the Trolls. It is well-known that irate replies to angry comments only encourages more of the same. Best not to reply to such posts. If you want to answer, keep a neutral tone. If this doesn’t work, block or unfriend the offender.

 

    2. Avoid problematic topics.  Before posting, consider the following: will your contribution to divisive topics enlighten or enrage others. If you think it will provoke angry responses instead of helpful ones, perhaps it’s not worth posting.

 

    3. Report the Crazies. Some posts cross the line from mere anger to vulgarity, hate or personal slander. Such unacceptable behavior should be reported to social media monitors (after blocking the individuals.)

 

    4. Maintain your Integrity. If your friends see a consistent pattern of measured, considerate on-line behavior on your part, they will support you in case of attack. After all, as in real-life, your behavior will attract support (or opposition) from others, as the case may be.

 

    5. Take a Break. It is absolutely reasonable to close Facebook or Twitter for some time. Nothing relaxes a restless or anxious mind more than a long walk, a yoga class or a dinner with friends. It is also useful to ration social media times to healthy amounts.

 

Mohan Ashtakala (www.mohanauthor.com) is the author of "Karma Nation" a fantasy, and "Karma Nation," a literary romance. He is published by Books We Love (www.bookswelove.com)