Crabby Cancer Tour

It’s almost June, which happens to be my birthday month.  Yes, I’m a cancer which explains why I suffer from the occasional bouts of crabbiness.  We crabs can be quite crusty on the outside but have a warm, succulent interior goodness.  J

As I kick off my summer book club tour, I’m offering a special promotion to any and all book club members that host me and my novels.  Summer spots are filling up fast, so hurry and schedule your book club for the Crabby Cancer Tour by emailing me at:

AuthorSRClaridge@gmail.com

In the subject line type:  Crabby Cancer Tour

In the email please tell me:

1.      How many people are in your book club?

2.      Where you are located.  (i.e. City/State)

3.      Available dates

4.      Which books you are interested in reading

5.      What sets your book club apart from every other book club?  (i.e., Previous answers I’ve received have been:  “We love wine!”   “We are Radical Women!”)

 Upon receiving your email, I will send you the details of the Crabby CancerTour promotion.

Book signings can be stuffy and boring, which is why I have opted to tour with as many book clubs as my schedule will allow.  After all, there is nothing more rewarding than meeting new faces that quickly become new friends.  ~

Matchless

People are so unique.  I look around and it is amazing to me how every single person is different…uniquely their own entity, with no one else on the planet exactly like them.  Even identical twins are not the same.  Their exterior appearance may be similar but their social, emotional, mental and psychological capabilities are inimitable. Think about it… no one thinks exactly like you.  No one sees the world through your eyes except you.  How wondrous it makes life when we realize our matchlessness.  

Sidebar:  I love the word “wondrous”… it’s like wonderful and fabulous all rolled into one.  J

Every person possesses a make-up or design that goes far beyond basic genetics.  Sure, their DNA makes them unique, but on top of that is life experience, the ups and downs of every day, the scars, the joys, the wounds, the lessons, the feeling of living that each of us experiences in our own way.  It’s the roller coaster of life, and though we are all strapped into the same ride, our expectations, anticipations and overall view of the ride gives us individual distinction.

Some people are energized by crowds, while others are overwhelmed.  Some people feel at-home in front of an audience, while others stutter and tremble with fear.  Some people are comfortable walking around naked, while others would die of humiliation if anyone saw them unclothed.  Some people are witty, while others struggle to get the punch-line out.  The point is we all have little quirks that make us who we are, and we shouldn’t feel ashamed of being different or not being “main-stream.”  For, what is main-stream anyway?  What determines normal? 

A better question is:  Why do so many people want to be “normal?” 

If normal means dressing, talking and acting like everyone else...then I’ll pass.  If main-stream means conforming to underlying rules and regulations which stifle uniqueness…I’ll pass.  To me, normal is boring and life is too short to be bored.  Life is too precious to piss it away with all of the things you think you “should” be doing and none of the things in which you desire to engage.  If you spend your whole life trying to stifle who you are so that you can fit in and become someone you think others think you’re supposed be...you’re wasting time and you’re hurting yourself. 

 

No one else can be you better than you.  If you’re so busy trying to be someone else, who will be you?   Instead of looking at others and comparing yourself to the qualities they have and you believe you lack, tweak your perspective and compare your differences and how the fact that you are different makes both of you special.  It is our differences that enable us to create a magical existence.  It is our differences that enable us to see beauty in so many forms.  It is our differences that make us matchless.

Embrace your matchlessness and enjoy the you that you were made to be. ~ 

 

 

Summer Writing Contest

Vanilla Heart Publishing is offering a 2013 summer contest and the winner gets their book published.   If you're a writer who has been seeking a publisher, this is a wonderful opportunity to submit your work. 

Visit the website today for submission guidelines.  Just click on the picture below.

 

 

Or, you can copy and paste the following link into your browser:

http://www.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com/2013_Summer_Contest.html

 

Good luck!  :)

God Can Take It

I often think about what my children will remember about me long after I am gone.  Not so much what they will recall about me personally, but what life lessons I will have been able to impart.  One of my main goals as a mom is to teach them that it’s okay on occasion to be angry with God.   Just as we sometimes get angry with people that we love, it doesn’t mean we stop loving them; and God is no different.  I never want my children to be afraid of God, as if He is sitting up there, watching their every move, just waiting for them to make a mistake so He can outpour His wrath.  That is such a misconception.  I want my kids to know that God is a Father, and like most fathers, He wants the very best for His children.  He wants them to love Him and trust Him and talk to Him.  He wants them to know that He’ll never leave them, nor forsake them… He’ll never turn His back when they’ve made a poor choice.  I want my kids to know that God forgives them each and every time they blow it; and not only forgives them, but helps them dust themselves off and scramble back to their feet when they fall down. 

Life isn’t fair…but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good.  Bad things can and do happen to very good people and it is natural, in those circumstances, to question why God allowed it to occur.  I’ve had my share of broken moments, where I have been screaming at the Lord, like an angry child… His angry child.  Through it all, He’s never stopped loving me and I’ve never stopped loving Him.  I trust Him because I believe in Him and He’s only ever shown Himself faithful and loving, even in my darkest hours.  I can’t explain why terrible things happen, but I know that when they happen, I am never alone.

It’s okay to be angry with God, He can take it.  It’s okay to question what is written in the Bible and what others say about Him.  In fact, it’s good to question.  Questioning is a form of seeking and seeking will bring understanding of the truth.  I want my children to never render themselves spoon-fed without researching and studying the Word of God for themselves.  I want them to know that God’s love is not conditional…that they can do nothing to earn it and nothing to lose it.  He is eternal and so is His love for us.

Life is a mystery and everything can change in the blink of an eye; but it isn’t a mystery to God and He doesn’t blink or miss a thing so there is no reason to live in fear.  I want my kids to realize that God is bigger than everything and He’s a good one to have on their side.  We will endure hardship but He causes all things to work together for good for those that love Him (Romans 8:28)… that’s a promise to which I cling and I hope my children will as well.  ~

An Abyss of Indifference

Love comes in many shapes, sizes and colors but it never comes in the form of hate.

 

Hate comes in many shapes, sizes and colors as well, and it never stems from a heart filled with love. 

The opposite of hate is love, but the opposite of love is not hate; it's indifference. 

Love is the most powerful tool in the world.

Hate is the most destructive weapon.

They say there is a fine line between the two, but it isn't a line at all; it's an abyss of indifference and it will leave the soul completely void.  ~ 

Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up

No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.  The best cure for depression is action.  It doesn’t matter so much what you do as long as you do something.  Go outside.  Go anywhere.  Play with a pet if you have one.  Hold them, squeeze them, give them some love and you’d be amazed how much it uplifts your soul.   Interact with people.  Smile at strangers, for when you see their face light up by your silent greeting, it will ignite something inside of you and you’ll begin to feel better too.  Compliment another person and see how good it makes you feel to make them feel good. 

Life gets clouded with all of the big things…careers, money, family, stress…but it’s the little things that matter most.  The little things are truly what can make or break you in a moment.

Life is a gift that we get to unwrap every day.  As we open our eyes each morning, a new day awaits us and we can make it anything we want it to be.  We don't have to let depression conquer us.  We don't have to allow sadness or loneliness to steal our joy.  We can fight it.  I'm not saying it's easy, but it's a battle worth the energy to fight.  So, don’t wait to make life special… today is special.  Wear that favorite outfit.  Burn those candles you’ve been saving.  Eat from the good china.  Pull out the sexiest lingerie you own.  Open the expensive bottle of wine.  Don’t lie around hoping for a special occasion…create that special time now.  We live once.  Make it wonderful! ~

No Sex For You

Have you heard about Mayor Hashimoto justifying military sex slaves?  If not, read the Associated Press article from Tokyo:   HERE

Word of warning, this blog will be a bit blunt.  Apparently, Mayor Hashimoto said that, “The Japanese military's forced prostitution of Asian women before and during World War II was necessary to ‘maintain discipline’ in the ranks and provide rest for soldiers who risked their lives in battle.”  He went on to say, "For soldiers who risked their lives in circumstances where bullets are flying around like rain and wind, if you want them to get some rest, a comfort women system was necessary. That's clear to anyone."

I’m sorry, Mr. Hashimoto, but it’s not clear to me.

Historians say up to 200,000 women, mainly from the Korean Peninsula and China, were forced to provide sex for Japanese soldiers in military brothels.

Those of you who know me or read my blog regularly know that I am pro-sex. I think sex is a wonderful thing and should be enjoyed, shared and indulged in by consenting adults in a loving relationship.  Suffice to say, I think the world would be a happier place if everyone got laid more regularly.  However, sex should never be forced or coerced.  Period.  There are no ifs, ands, or buts to that statement.  There are no extenuating circumstances in which that rule can or should be broken.  I don’t care if it is wartime and the men have blue balls.  The men can relieve themselves, which is what should have been happening in the trenches instead of enslaving women to do it for them.

And please don’t tell me that providing women to the soldiers cut down on rape and assault.  To that, I say bullshit.  A better plan would have been to make daily masturbation mandatory for every male soldier.  Mandatory masturbation would have certainly allowed the soldiers to obtain the rest that they required.

Shame on you, Mr. Hashimoto, for justifying the poor decisions of your previous leaders. You chauvinistic  asshole!  You've given the word "dickhead" a new meaning in my book and that's saying a lot.  Slavery cannot be justified in any sense of the word, not sexually or otherwise.  If you truly believe what you have publically spoken, then I pity you... for you have pissed off an entire planetary population of women.  You bettter institute the mandatory masturbation plan for yourself, because I doubt you'll be getting any action from any female ever again. 

Hashimoto:  No Sex For You  ~