Writers, are you still writing?

The writing business is such where only a few make it and many do not. Those are the statistics and they can be quite depressing.

When I started writing, I began with nothing but my laptop and an idea. I do not have siblings or parents and because I've never been in touch with an extended family, the prospect of having families turning into fans and reviewers was void. Regardless, I published my first novel and crossed my fingers, hoping that someone might read it. That was almost six years ago and I am still writing.

Of course when one puts a book out, they want to be not only read, but also to be able to make a reasonable living out of it. However, such a possibility becomes available to only a handful of authors. So are they lucky? Would the others be correctly classified as the majority unfortunates?
How do you label yourself?

I consider myself successful. Perhaps, my definition of success is slightly different from what others might perceive it. Starting from basically nothing, I am grateful for the response and appreciation I have received over these past few years. You see, success is very subjective. It all depends on your goals in the industry. Do you want to be a bestseller? Do you want to earn $20 to $30k a month? Or do you want to be simply read?

I wanted to follow my passion of writing. That was my objective in writing. I was basically hopeless at everything else. I was usually depressed slogging through jobs I hated and doing my best living up to standards set by others. I soon realized, I had lived half my life doing everything else but doing what I wanted to do. When opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it with both hands and set off to fulfilling my dream. Telling stories.

What are your goals? Have you experienced instances of not wanting to write? What were your reasons? Remember to always revert back to the basics. What got you started on the writing path in the first place.

We live in a fortunate age and time when everybody is giving an equal platform to publish their books. Gone are the days where we had to depend on publishers and literary agents to approve of our work. Some of the best books in literature happen to come from self-publishers such as The Martian by Andy Weir and Still Alice by Lisa Genova. Yours could be the next. Just don't quit. Because if you don't put your thoughts, your ideas and your book out there, no one else will.

Not everyone is going to like your books. Not everyone is going to appreciate your unique concept. Some may win with a single try, while others would have to work harder at it . But so long as you're trying, you're still in the game.

But there's one other primary lesson life has taught me in this rat race of becoming the best. Chase your passions and success will chase after you.

An Assassin and His Blind Love Interest

Why, you may ask, would I write about a central female character who is blind? As one reviewer shelved, "DNF. Goodluck with this one".

I am fascinated with assassins and they always seemed to sport a strong, beautiful woman on their arm. Women who always happened to look perfect in comparison to the fantastic flaws of the hero. Check out a good assassin oriented movie like well, Assassin, starring Sylvester Stallone. Or Bourne Identity? Or Hitman?

But the weird me began thinking, what if... what if his love interest was blind? What would his challenges be, taking into account the chaotic world he's lived in? How would he protect the woman he loved then?

A Jar of Dreams and A Jar of Hearts documents the life of Eric Tanner who does just that. Faced with the consequences of the decisions he has made all his life, he only begins to realize that the price for those decisions may well probably be blind Anne Mullen, the woman he has hopelessly fallen in love with.

Was I able to successfully impart the angst, heartache, the tensions and the conflicts Eric Tanner was faced with? I hope so. As another reviewer puts it:

I loved how the love story part of this was so well-developed. It felt so real.

Medavis66, Goodreads                    

It was a proud, teary moment for me as I scannd through reviews pouring similar sentiments for the books because these two books were probably two of the hardest I had ever written. There were times I had doubted myself for ever pulling it off and there were certainly times I wanted to shelf them away for good. 

Having a blind character navigate her way through each page was a challenge. I certainly saw her in my mind but how do I show my readers exactly what I was seeing? And what of Eric Tanner's flaws? He is a murderer. He may have a conscience but he still was a murderer. Did he deserve Anne?

I took to the movies and binged on romances with blind leading characters such as At First Sight (1999), Blind (Netherlands), Fanaa (India) and Always (Korean).

Always (Korean) Trailer with English Subtitles

And I did not regret it because I was ecstatic when I found out that there were readers who enjoyed them just as much. I understand that the concept may not be suited to everyone out there, but the books served as an important lesson to me as a writer.

Never give up on a dream. If I worked hard at it enough, everything was possible!

 

Why I chose to make my Mulan modern?

I have been asked by a few people why I chose to use modern language in an otherwise historical setting of Mulan.

The reasons were simple in my mind. Or at least I thought so.

Mulan was never meant to be a history text book. It is a romance catered to the larger audience of romance readers of which many I believed would not have wanted to wade through the dictionary to find the meaning of an archaic term or to return twice or thrice to a sentence only to decipher its meaning. I wrote it in a simpler and modern format for the very same reasons Disney had its Mulan characters speaking in modern English- it is meant to be an easy, entertaining read for a wider audience.

Disney's Mulan

My purpose of writing Mulan stemmed from the need to see this legendary warrior be given a romance which I missed in most re-tellings. I wasn't quite satisfied with the romance Disney gave me and I can't blame them when their primary audience were children. And the Chinese version was just too darned serious, focusing on her growth as a soldier rather than on the romance.

The Chinese movie version of Mulan

As a writer, there were times also where I was conflicted with the many forks I was faced with while writing Mulan. Do I make the characters homophobic as they would have been in Ancient China or socially tolerant of homosexuality?

I decided to opt for the modern road because my primary objective was again Mulan's romance and not on the social norms of Ancient China. I believed that delving in the social taboos would have opened a whole new can of issues and resolutions which would have in turn swayed away from the romance.

On the whole, my journey while writing Mulan had been quite an adventure. And to know that there also have been readers out there who have been searching for a romance for Mulan has been exciting.

If this is your kind of Mulan which you don't mind reading and reviewing, then please feel free to drop in to request for a free review copy.

https://www.clarissacartharn.com/book-reviewers

My new gender bender romance, MULAN

So I wrote a book called 'MULAN'.

No, Mulan doesn't belong to Disney.  The earliest record of this legendary warrior was found in an old Chinese poem called 'The Ballad of Mulan'. Her historic existence however is questionable. 

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I first read of Hua Mulan in 1982. I was about six or seven years old at the time, but her story left such an indelible impression, I have been enamored by her ever since. 

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Of course, when the Disney version came out, I was one of those who rushed to the cinemas. I even gobbled through the much rather somber Chinese version, starring Zhao Wei. 

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Finally, I found the courage to write my own rendition, suiting it for the romance fanatics like me. I hope it is one you will enjoy. 

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So if you're up for a free copy to read and review, just fill in your details by following the link below!

https://www.clarissacartharn.com/book-reviewers

Should Romeo & Juliet Be Taught in Schools?

My 14 year DS came whining to me earlier this year about having started his first ever Shakespearean literature in school. And thus there started a continual battle between trying to convince him of the literary contributions the great Bard had made and why his works should be studied, and then agreeing with DS about why Romeo & Juliet should not be taught in schools. Yep, it was the star-crossed lovers he had a particular despise for.

Source: http://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/movie/movie_poster/romeo

-and-juliet-1968/large_t52FqTfIttKQjdPxd6LxJ6UpVkv.jpg

Having once been in my son's shoes, twenty and more years ago, I can understand why he finds it difficult trying to appreciate Shakespeare. We have long moved on from the Early Modern English the plays were written in, and so it does take a lot more effort in trying to understand it. Usually when one picks up literature, they see it as a means of entertainment. A 14 year old can hardly call Shakespeare entertainment when he has to continue resorting to the dictionary to understand the language. A paraphrased translation helped a little, but any Shakespearean fanatic will tell you it is just not enough. So of course, I encouraged him to read both. I mean what good is Shakespeare when you can't say "To bait fish withal". "I'll use it as fish bait" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

However, I had to agree with DS, albeit reluctantly, that R&J should perhaps not be taught in schools. He could not find the relevance to his world no matter how much he tried. Schools often pick R&J as an introductory text to Shakespeare's works, believing that it would be the one students would most relate to. After all, Romeo and Juliet are about their age and madly in love, and that's something they can identify with, right?

Eh... not so much according to DS. He pulled out their ages- Romeo was perhaps 16 and older and Juliet was 13 years old. Therefore Romeo became a pedophile. He was in love with Rosaline bfeore falling for Juliet, so did that make it love or lust at first sight? He after all had a sickening penchant for pubescent girls. Capulet dictated Juliet on her love life and DS threw up his hands calling him a despot and a misogynist tyrant who did not believe in female empowerment. Sampson was chauvinistic and had urges to rape, Romeo was a murderer, Juliet was just too young, a three day affair- 6 deaths, the play was sexist and Shakespeare would have been vilified as a plagiarist today for never crediting Bardello for his inspiration... Argh! I almost had me tearing my hair out of my head, answering his questions.

The argument that this is how it was five hundred years ago was only met with how is it relevant now? Why am I studying this? Society has changed for the better. Leave the past in the past. And for godsakes, move on!

I sat for a long while after that, trying to figure out a way to help him appreciate Shakespeare. It was only then I understood I could never really do that. I had no right whatsoever to force Shakespearean literature down his throat. He would only barf it up again. Interestingly, I also remembering groaning at Shakespeare at his age. My love for the ole Bard began in my adulthood. I realized then that my son wasn't acting so out of character after all.

Shakespeare was a business man, first and foremost. He recognized he had a talent for writing and found a lucrative potential in theater. So he did what any person would do. He put quill to paper and made a hell lot of money. His audience was primarily men, drunk men, so it was inevitable that his plays were going to be sexist. It still happens today. Put a group of hammered men together and watch the sexist jokes fly. Well, usually.

So is my son unappreciative of Shakespeare? I suppose not. If I'm not going to have my 14 year old son read Fifty Shades of Grey today, why would I expect a 14 year old to study it in class five hundred years later only because the language has suddenly become archaic? Cringe. I know. Not the best equivalent.

In ten more years though, when he is adult enough to understand the low brow humor of Shakespeare, I am certain he will begin to enjoy Shakespearean literature. That is, when he finally becomes the target audience that Shakespeare had created his plays for.

For now, instead of Romeo & Juliet, give him a Shakespeare he probably might understand. Like Macbeth or Hamlet. I have a suspicion he would probably relate better to those. After all, aren't their themes more rampant in the movies and this digital game age? Ahh... but I guess that is an argument best left for another post.

THE INSPIRATIONS BEHIND THE YEARNING

YES, THE STORIES ARE TRUE

Well, at least the inspirations behind it were.

Writers write for a different purpose and mine was always to bring a change where I could, an awareness where needs be, other than of course the joy of simply putting words to paper and creating new universes.

I didn't plan out to write "The Yearning". It just came about like most of my other books- through real life experiences.

I once read an article about a pregnant woman suffering from brain cancer. This was her first baby and she didn't want to terminate the pregnancy. As expected, it didn't aid her treatment and unfortunately, she passed away a little after the baby was born.

Yet Another Unfortunate Case of a Pregnant
woman with Cancer- Cara Coombs
Image Source: http://fox2now.com/2015/12/08/mother-chooses-to-have-baby-instead-of-cancer-treatment/

I was most certainly affected by the story because I spent a lot of time long after that wondering what had become of her husband and child and the grief her husband had to bear during her illness and after her death. I had even cried a little as the woman spoke about her cancer and coming to terms with the fact that she might never see her daughter grow or share the joys that came from watching her turn into an adult.

I filed the story away somewhere in the corner of my mind, never thinking much of it except to sometimes sympathize and wonder how the baby was doing now. A few weeks after that, I read another article on a woman who discovered her husband was having an affair with a woman only after he was shot down by his lover's husband. She spoke about how she was devastated as the police reported their findings. This was certainly not how she wanted to know about her husband's infidelities. She suffered from psychological trauma as a result since she never really found closure.

It was then I found prospects in a possible story. Here was a widow with a tragic past and there was a widower with another tragedy in his life. These were not stories I plucked out from twenty or thirty years ago. These were recent incidents that actually happened in the past five years. I felt these would be experiences readers would relate to in this day and age. But for some reason I hesitated, believing that there was still a backbone it lacked.


And that is when I discovered the plight of the ranches in Arizona, particularly Cochise County where farmers were struggling with smugglers trespassing through their properties. There have been many reports of ranch owners being hassled, robbed and even murdered by traffickers. And yes, there were rape trees reported as well. Whether the rapes were actualized is unclear, but there definitely were trees littered with female undergarments for the sole purpose of intimidation and invoking fear into anyone who saw it.

A Rape Tree
Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5-q3vQZ38o

And here I found my purpose to write this story. I can only hope that this problem will be resolved as soon as it possibly can. I can only pray that all those who are affected by it are safe and protected.

RED COLLAR'S SCARLET CINDERELLA

Warning: Contains Spoilers to Red Collar

Source: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:
Cinderella-cinderella.jpg

Cinderella has been one of my all time favorite childhood fairy tales. Perhaps, it was the dream of being swept off the feet by a prince or the possibility of a poor damsel finally achieving her victory that attracted me to the tale. Sometimes, I do think it was the secret wish of having a fairy godmother just like Cinderella's. Whichever is the case, Cinderella continues to woo many small girls because of its charm and magic.

Kate Ripley of Red Collar  is a Cinderella of a very tainted sort. She is not just poor but she is also riddled with the burdens of her poverty stricken family. So when she loses her job because she won't succumb to the advances of her horny boss and is at her last straws on finding another, she finally agrees to become a sexual escort.

And thus begins her adventure with the mysterious CEO, Clayton Reid.

1. Why did Kate become an escort when she refused the sexual advances of her boss? This doesn't make sense!

Source: www.quotehd.com/quotes/catherine-deneuve-catherine-
deneuve-prostitution-happens-to-you-because-of-troubles

When Kate is made redundant, she thought it was only a matter of time before she would find another employment. She would never have guessed that she was going to drag her resume on for the long haul. She probably would have persevered in her job hunt. However with the sudden responsibility she had to take on as the sole breadwinner for her family caused her to panic. In addition, her mother's dire need for medication pushed her into the escort business. 

This is not an original premise. In fact, one has to only scour the internet to find women who have been forced into prostitution because of their desperate financial needs.

According to http://freethoughtblogs.com/taslima/2012/04/11/prostitution/ "women are in legal prostitution for the same reason they are in illegal prostitution, a lack of alternative survival options. Most women in prostitution did not make a choice to enter prostitution from among a range of other options. They did not decide they want to be prostitutes instead of doctors, engineers, lawyers, pilots. Instead their 'options' were more in the realm of how to get enough money to feed themselves and their children... Most women end up there only because other options are not available."

It further quotes researchers on saying that "When prostituted women are asked, consistently around 90% say they want out of prostitution immediately, but the decision is out of their hands and in the hands of their pimps, their husbands, their addictions, their children's bellies...If they are because they cannot leave, then prostitution is not a freely made choice."

And that is exactly what Kate plans when she accepts Clayton's offer of mistress and secretary. She is buying time during which she honestly believes she can find another respectable employment. As a result, she sacrifices her dignity for the sake of her family.

2. Clayton's offer to hire Kate as his mistress makes him a jerk.

You know, it probably does. But keep in mind, Clayton never did expect to fall in love with Kate. 

Like Clayton, there are numerous incidences of employers having office affairs. What makes Clayton different is that he doesn't want to be tangled in the emotions that could arise from such a liaison. He likes his relations cleanly cut and diced.

Image Source: http://izquotes.com/quote/216410

The reader does come to know towards the end of the novel that Clayton had first set his eyes on Kate in Madame Madge's parlor. He was introduced to Madame Madge by Bob Whitton who presumably had been soliciting her services. When Madame Madge offers Clayton her services, he declines. This evidently proves that Clayton is not in the habit of hiring escorts. 

But when he does spot Kate in Madame Madge's massage parlor, he is attracted to her. And when he does inquire about her, he discovers that she used to work as a secretary. This fact affects him, seeing that she is resorting to the business of escorting out of her desperation for finance. Knowing that he is in lack of a good partner during his social meetings and the want to have a secretary who would understand her boundaries without entangling herself emotionally with him, he feels that they would serve each other's needs. His honorable intentions to save her from the abusive business of sex prostitution is however somehow marred in his sudden possessiveness to keep her with him forever.

3. How could Kate fall in love with the very man who contracted her services?

Source: www.16quotes.com/the-more-you-get-to-know-a
-person-the-more-attractive-they-become/

Some readers may claim there isn't one redeemable quality about Clayton that could have caused Kate to have fallen in love with him.

But how do people fall in love? Time.com lists a variety of factors that contribute to why people fall in love in http://time.com/2918758/how-to-make-someone-fall-in-love-with-you/

Regardless of how Kate initially feels about Clayton, his physical attributes and his success attracts her. And these constitutes her first steps to loving Clayton.

Kate has struggled to achieve what she's got in her life. And when she discovers that Clayton has worked equally as hard, she is fascinated by him. And finally when she meets his perfect loving family, this somewhat seals her affection for him as she secretly begins to wish to have a part of that happiness. Something which she had never quite received in her own gloomy childhood.

In addition, Kate associates sex with love, proven by the seriousness of her past relationships. And although she first refuses to believe that she is in love with Clayton, the more she spends time with him, she inevitably can no longer sever her emotions from the sex. On the whole, the time she spends with Clayton still plays a crucial role in why she falls in love with him- and vice versa.

4. Kate and Clayton and their misunderstandings

Yep, there are misunderstandings abound. And here's why.

Image Source: http://www.long-distance-lover.com/10-worst-long-distance-relationship-problems-solved-advice-for-men/

Kate and Clayton come from completely contrasting social backgrounds. Their behavioral principles differ. Their perspective on life is different. What did bind them together were their core values and their passion for each other. But these were not enough to make them trust each other completely from the very onset. Especially when one has contracted the other for his own needs, and the other despises him for having hired her.

But as they slowly came to know one another, both intimately and emotionally, they did begin to contemplate the idea of remaining in the facade of a proper relationship.

5. The big one! What the f*** does Red Collar even mean?

Nothing, if you're searching for a literal meaning.

The Red Lights of Prostitution
Red Light District- Amsterdam
Image Source: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8501/8312834904_aa50352f38_c.jpg

The color red, though has long been associated with sexuality, eroticism and immorality and thus significantly became a color of prostitution. History states that prostitutes in some cities were required to wear red in order to announce their profession, or display a red light indicating it a house of prostitution. And thus arose terms such as 'Red Light District', which is still found today in cities such as Bangkok and Amsterdam.

For Kate, her contract with Clayton Reid was just a job- a scarlet and tainted one. And for this reason, I coined the term 'red collar'.


Kate was fortunate that the first man who contracted her fell in love with her. However, this is only a tale. A fairy tale even. There are real women caught in the circle of sexual abuse and slavery. Hopefully, they will also one day find their prince to free them from their chains of enslavement.

RED COLLAR is available at all Amazon Stores

SOULMATES OF WINTER'S END

Warning: Contains Spoilers

As I was writing my new novel, A Jar of Dreams, a tale of how an assassin falls in love with a blind girl, I realized I was completely absorbed in the story, and writing it almost akin to a reader's eagerness to finish it so I too could know how it would end. Although, I do love this story as much as I do all my other books, I can undeniably admit Winter's End will always be my favorite of all my romances. I suppose the fact that it was my first romance stands for a sentimental reason. But as a true romantic at heart, I love the idea of a soul-mate romance.

Each person might probably have their own definition for a soulmate. But the one that does intrigue me is the old, cheesy romantic definition- a soulmate is someone who is the perfect match for you, pre-destined by fate, one who completes you. Perhaps, this is too idealistic to the point of almost mythical. But it does make me think, do soulmates exist?

You might read the entire book of Winter's End, but never once have I used the word. But there are references, inclinations to the idea that Emma Winston and Chris Cameron were destined by fate to be together.

It is evident from the beginning of the book that there is a superstition underlying the basis of the story. But it is not until the end the reader discovers that Ethel Kinnaird, Chris' grandmother, sets her sights on Emma because of a prediction her close friend and clairvoyant, Rosanna once revealed to her. Rosanna foretells that her young troubled grandson would find his peace in the arms of a red-head. Is Ethel superstitious? Probably so, because she does begin to keep an eye on any flaming haired maiden in her vicinity. She finally settles for young widow Emma because she knows the young woman's temperament would suit her grandson very well.


Her drive to see her grandson marry Emma was in part because of superstition as well as the idea that she, being older and wiser, was more capable of finding a suitable partner for Chris. And therefore, she could have acted as match-maker in this arranged marriage. But that's for another post.






Emma is an abandoned child, left to fend on her own while her mother romps with every other man in town. Her difficulties lead her to set up high principles for herself as a means of protecting herself from getting hurt again. Regardless, her principles fail her and she is hurt time and time again by the men who enter her life. She compromises her fate with her cheating husband, Robert, believing he is the best she would ever get. He treats her right, he pays for the bills, provides for the family and when time calls, he tries to be a good father. She realizes much later, thanks to Ethel Kinnaird, the man she truly loved, Richard, never really revealed his feelings for her because he never really prioritized her. Her trauma of abandonment and neglect from her childhood revisits her and she lets Richard go in order to marry Chris. She begins to believe that if there is one thing she could get right is to at least give her children the grandmother they love. She sacrifices her chances of love for her children and her friend, Ethel.

Chris, who is orphaned as a baby and brought up by Ethel, loves his grandmother dearly. Having been grown up in a close-knit family and rural town, he highly respects, cherishes and values his grandmother. However, his love life is at a loss because of the deep hurt his once close friend and girl-friend cause him because of their affair. He silently vows to never fall in love again, indulging in a string of affairs. When Chris meets Emma, he believes her to be opportunistic, after all Ethel's insistence on him marrying her is absurd by all standards. He thinks Emma may have convinced Ethel into such an idea until he discovers that Emma is just as averse to the idea as he is. Her reluctance to form a relationship even if a pretenseful one, intrigues him. She is not the typical gold-digger. As his curiosity leads him to grow closer to her, he forms a unique and loving relationship with her children. In due time, he comes to realize that Emma does complete him.

Image Source: http://www.selfhelpexplained.com/how-attract-your-soul-mate-subliminal-messages-work

So had it not been for Ethel Kinnaird, would Emma and Chris still have met? Were they indeed soulmates?

Dr Carmen Harra in http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-carmen-harra/elements-of-a-soulmate_b_3595992.html discusses ten elements of a soulmate. One element she raises is the idea that they get each other. When Emma weeps for her lost love, Richard, Chris draws her into his arms feeling for her. Despite his earlier rage on discovering that she had gone to visit Richard behind him, he melts the moment he sees her weep. Emma is also drawn to Chris in spite of her efforts in putting up a wall between them. She immediately jumps to his defence when Ethel's relative, Deanna Boyd tries to incite sparks of jealousy against Chris.

The allusion that Chris and Emma were meant to be together is there, but there is also the idea that sometimes you just need that third person to bring them together when all else fails.

Winter's End is free at Amazon

Claimed- A Peek into a Doomed Future?

After reading, perhaps, the hundredth conspiracy theory on the Illuminati and lizards taking control of the world, I began to think, is this really possible?

I guess there is after all some credibility to the saying that if you read too much of one thing, you begin to believe in them.

Trying to keep my sanity in check and in balance, I did try to saturate my reading materials to include Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. But for some reason, I kept reverting to all these conspiracies theories flooding the internet.

Even when the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 disappeared despite the efficiency of modern technology, conspiracy theories were born to explain how. When Robin Williams, Peaches Geldof, and Joan Rivers passed away this year, conspiracy theorists didn't wait too long to compose yet another mind-boggling explanation as to why they were murdered by the ever-secretive society of the Illuminati.

I am not sure if any of these theories hold any water, but it did stir my imagination as to what the future would be like.

There is already speculation that technology has peaked.And given that a peak follows a decline, this does give some cause to worry about the future.

Smartphones, social media and globalization are only few of the issues being debated over whether they have reached its peak. I pray dearly they haven't as I still haven't got my hoverboard like that of Michael J. Fox's in Back to the Future and the world hasn't surpassed that of The Jetsons.

I refuse to believe technology has peaked until we can do that!

However, with the added worry of the increasing class and wealth divide, the future can look more gloomy than ever for pessimists.

Some famous conspiracy theories include:

1. The Reptilian Elite
A theory popularized by the former BBC sports writer, David Icke which posits that people of power and influence are blood-thirsty, shape-shifting, extra-terrestrial reptilian elites.

Famous reptilians include Rhianna, Jack Nicholson, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the British Royal Family and... wait for it... Scooby Doo. Yep, he wasn't spared either. Basically, almost anyone and everyone who is of power and a celebrity.

Source: http://www.sherryshriner.com/images/obalizard.gif

2.The Illuminati
A super, super secret society that has penetrated governments, finance, science, business, the entertainment industry, through mind-control and with one goal in mind- WORLD DOMINATION!

What does irk me about this theory is that the society is so secret, everyone knows it exists. I suppose the Illuminati didn't do a not-so good job of keeping that a secret.

3.Fluoride
Anti-fluoride campaigners believe that fluoride is harmful to health and damages a specific part of the brain.


4.Subliminal Messages
Subliminal messages are embedded in advertising, songs, videos as a way of controlling the mind and coercing people to act in a specific way.

Buy my book... buy my book... buy my book.

Ok, that wasn't quite subliminal. I need some lessons from the experts.


5.Electronic Banking
Electronic banking was created by a secret group that plans to dominate the world. Basically, once everyone is sucked into it, relying on virtual money (debit cards and credit cards), they will erase everyone's bank accounts and as result, reintroduce slavery to the modern world.

Admit it. That freaked you out just a teeny bit. Oh well... I was.

JFK- President of the United States of America, 1961-1963
Yes, he believed them too

6.AIDS- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Conspiracy theorists claim that AIDS is a biological weapon, created by the Pentagon to control the lower-class population of the United States.


7. Cell phones causes cancer
The theory is that governments are deliberately shrouding the fact that cell phones are causing cancer- just as they did with tobacco, a long, long time ago.


8.Weather Modification
Yes, it is believed we can now control the weather! Well, not you, specifically... but you know what I mean.

For example:
i. Hurricane Sandy was an engineered super-storm by Barack Obama. How is it possible? This was done by HAARP. The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program.

ii. The Lynmouth Flood was caused by cloud seeding.

iii. Operation Popeye was the reason for the extended monsoon season in Vietnam, running between 1967-1972

iv. Europe is stealing rain from Iran as accused by former Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad


9. Global Warming is a Hoax
Yes, this is despite the numerous scientific studies showing that the Arctic Sea is thawing, flowers are blooming much earlier than normal and the undeniable changing patterns of migratory birds and animals.


10. Where is the water?
Sparked by the dramatically reduced water levels of the Great Lakes, theorists believe that companies are bottling them up and selling them or secretly shipping them to China.


While we may label conspiracy theorists as being loony or weird, what is scary is the equal potential of these theories coming true. Based on the numerous times in the past where once conspiracy theories were only that- just conspiracies but then turned out to be fact, must we be cautious about who we pin as the crazies?

For instance:
1. The NSA and mass-surveillance operations were once drummed as conspiracy theories. Until governments caved in and admitted they were involved in a surveillance program like the Echelon.

2. The CIA had been rumored to be involved in drug trafficking. This was only a theory until former police officers and drug lords produced evidence of the fact that the CIA and U.S. banking giants were some of the top players in the global drug trade.

3. And yes, the Mafia didn't exist until the 1960s. Conspiracy theorists believed they were a secret group involved in organized crime. Proven to be a fact and shocking the world, when people discovered just how much control they had on the CIA, politicians and businesses.

Cue- The Illuminati. Could they then exist too?

If history does repeat itself, maybe we shouldn't be quick to mock these conspiracy theorists too quickly.

Read Claimed and discover what it maybe like if any of these conspiracy theories did come true.

Ashton Pryor- A Modern Day Heathcliff?

Warning:  Contains Spoilers to The Atonement

I have always been fascinated by the character of Heathcliff in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

Tom Hardy as Heathcliff- a hero or a villain?
Image Source: http://thealphabetician.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/
the-psycho-who-doesnt-bring-sexy-back-heathcliff-in-wuthering-heights/

He is the typical bad boy of his time. His despicable conduct towards Catherine, his violence and his possessiveness makes him out to be the perfect character you just love to hate.

Through the entire novel, he is a true enigma as readers struggle to decipher why he acts the way he does, searching instead for redeemable qualities to justify why he even attempts to be the protagonist in Wuthering Heights. Why is he even worthy of Catherine's love?

While writing Affairs & Atonement, I couldn't help but revisit my fascination for this dark character. Thus perhaps sub-consciously inspiring some of those flawed elements into my very own Mr. Pryor.

From the very on-set, Ashton isn't the perfect hero. He makes mistakes. He regrets them. He works on amending them.

If anything, he maybe confusing. As a result, I will do my best to shed some light on his actions.

1. Why does Ashton heartlessly throw Christy out on the night of their marriage?

Ashton loves his sister, Linda. Undoubtedly, he is a young man very much influenced by the women in that period of his life. He protects Linda like a son would protect his mother and he does explain that later in the novel.

However, his attraction for Christy wavers him and he doesn't like this at all. It confuses him. His initial intentions of giving Christy a chance to life by marrying her are honest and honorable. This is evident when he refuses to apologize to Christy for marrying her. He has always wanted to marry her.

However, when he receives that ill-fated call about Linda's deteriorating health, it puts him into an irrational spin. And he blurts out in automated mode the sentiments of the women in his life- his mother and his aunt.

Take note Ashton is only an 18 year old. As a boy just entering adulthood, he can be quite impressionable. It isn't exactly a new fact that boys mature much later than girls. And it takes Ashton some time to grow-up and form his own opinion on certain subjects, especially those regarding his own family.

Moreover, Ashton spoke out of passion for his family. And people do say and do things in their moments of hurts and pain they would not have otherwise done in a better state of mind.

Ashton does regret his contemptuous behavior when he goes looking for Christy the instant he returns home to Bennett. In his naivety, he had assumed Christy would be there at Marshall's because she had no where else to go. This however, backfired on him when he discovers she runs away altogether. He regrets what he has done to her for the rest of his life.

2. Marital Abandonment and other legal issues

Marital abandonment was certainly a remedy Ashton or Christy could have sought in order to formally dissolve their marriage. And by all means he could have had his divorce papers served to her. In fact, he would never have had to set his eyes on Christy again! He could have happily married Naomi and sailed into the sunset.

However this is what you would most likely get to read after 20 or so pages:

Source: https://0.s3.envato.com/files/38938444/end%20title%20590.jpg

But that's not my story. That isn't the route I wanted to take. Affairs & Atonement is not meant to be a case study for some law textbook. It is not meant to be anyone's guide on how its various issues could be rectified by some legal remedy. It's a romance veered by the emotions of the characters involved.

Furthermore, Naomi comes to realize that Ashton's eleven year search for Christy to end his marriage is just an excuse. Ashton reveals to the end of the novel that he had always loved Christy and that he never intended to end his marriage to her. Considering every attempt to find her had failed, his engagement to Naomi was simply a ruse to convince Christy's close friend, Hilda into revealing Christy's whereabouts.

Of course, like most people, he doesn't realize why he has done what he's done until he is forced to man-up to his emotions.

3. Ashton's Affairs

Ashton is an 18 year old when Christy disappears. He explains he has never really loved anyone else other than her, evident from the manner in which he would sabotage his relationships with other women. He's convinced though, with the despicable manner in which he had treated Christy, there would be little chance of them ever getting together again. His reasons for initially searching for her are to largely apologize for his behavior and to ensure that she is doing well.

Seeing that there really is no hope in ever being with her, he mindlessly moves from one relationship to another. Come on, people... he is 18 years old. Do you really expect him to remain celibate for eleven years?

4. Ashton and Naomi

Naomi is a poor substitute for Christy. Ashton is very clear about that. He settles for her in the disheartening belief that even if he wanted Christy, she would never want him back.

But he does care for Naomi as a friend would do another. And this makes it all the more hard for him to end his relationship with her when he is called to do so.

5. Naomi or Christy

Ashton cares about the women in his life. He acknowledges that he is who he is because of the women in his life.

He could have ruthlessly brushed Naomi away because he's finally found Christy again. But because he respects her for the woman she is, he is conflicted on how he should break the news to her. He begs time and again for Christy to be patient. He knows he would have to tell Naomi about his feelings for Christy. But he wants to be certain that he has opted for a way that would hurt her less and not more.

Has it ever been easy to choose between two people you care about?

6. Ashton's Affair with Christy

Christy is Ashton's weakness. He acknowledges that through the entire book.So when he does meet her again, he can't help but give into it.

Source:http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsY0OKUsaWY/T7yGIxsU_
AI/AAAAAAAACbU/bz0HCa8jFhA/s1600/not_perfect_person_photo.jpg

He is aware that he is cheating on Naomi, but as a man who had been searching for the love of his life for eleven years, he submits to his desires to be with her. Since Naomi is away, he procrastinates on his decision to face her and tell her how he feels about Christy. His actions are largely a sub-conscious decision to not face up to reality.

However, when Naomi does make an unannounced entrance at Puyallup, he knows he would have to tell her sooner or later. While he doesn't verbally reveal his affair to Naomi, his manner and his body betrays him. He refuses to touch or sleep with Naomi romantically after Christy re-enters his life.

7. The Atonement

His first atonement begins when he helps Christy with the lodge. His reasons are largely to put her back on her feet so he is assured she is independent and secured.

His second atonement is to not revenge by seeking legal reparations regarding their son. Instead, he perseveres to do what's best for his wife and son.

His last atonement is being there finally for the woman he has loved after she's had her accident. She suffers life threatening injuries and with Christy's condition, Margaret, Christy's foster mother would never have been able to shoulder the burdens of the lodge on her own.

Ashton at last attains enlightenment on what he needs to do in his life. He quits his job to be with the people he loves and works on healing Christy both emotionally and physically.


It's been a rather emotional journey bringing to life a flawed protagonist. Of course, Heathcliff will continue to remain my very epitome of all flawed heroes.

Who has been your favorite bad boy? Any  character out there you just simply loved to hate?

When The Wife Becomes The Other Woman

A few weeks ago, Sydney journalist, Amanda Goff revealed that she quit her job as a beauty editor and taken up a career as a high-paying sex escort, charging up to $5000 a night.

Amanda Goff- From journalist to escort
Source: http://www.womansday.com.au/lifestyle/true-life-stories/2014/9/amanda-goff-reveals-why-she-went-public-about-her-life-as-a-high-class-escort/

As I scrolled down the article https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/features/a/24859902/australian-journalist-reveals-secret-life-as-escort/, reading about why she had decided to make such an unusual career change, it is the following statement which intrigued me.

"Now she believes she can help save marriages because of her experiences with the married man who pay more than three times the average weekly wage for a night of her company."

So can infidelity save marriages?

While that question is up for debate, it holds without a doubt that infidelity exists. The reasons for cheating are though multitude- ranging from personality issues, to lack of sexual attraction or an addiction to sex.

Some claim that human beings are simply not engineered to be monogamous. It sounds all very scientific and logical, but there are also several cases in the history of human existence which show couples have remained loyal through their lives without ever cheating- thus successfully counteracting that argument.

The term "cheaters" in itself carry a negative connotation. Regardless of where it happens, in exams, jobs, relationships, games- both the doer and the deed are bound to be socially chastised.

Why then is cheating given salvation in marriages? Perhaps because people are desperate for some justice in their acceptance of infidelity in their relationships?

However is the case, there is always someone who will be hurt when someone cheats. And for that reason alone, infidelity may not be all worth it.

Being a staunch loyalist, I fail to realize how cheating saves a marriage. But it isn't just my strong sense of faithfulness to my husband that keeps me on the straight and narrow. I know I would totally fail as a cheat. I'm too bleeping lazy! I'd be tripping over all the evidences and the lies. In addition, I'm comfortable. And the idea of getting back to all that work of trying to impress a new partner, absolutely dreads me. You know you've got a keeper of a man if you can fart comfortably without being judged. Neither do I have the energy for all the 'emo' drama that follows cheating... yep, I didn't lie when I said I was lazy. In light of all the labor involved, I'd rather quit the relationship than cheat.

Of course to each his own. So if you are intending to cheat, I do advice that you invest in a serious course on spying and private investigation. After all, it is a whole lotta work. And because cheating is only good until... well, you're caught.

My new romance, 'Affairs & Atonements' centers around the theme of infidelity. The question though is where does Ashton Pryor's infidelity lie? With his girlfriend or his wife?

Affairs & Atonements is now available at all Amazon stores

In Love With Your Captor: The Stockholm Syndrome

People have always been curious about why some hostages either fall in love or are protective of their captors. It is a psychological condition so complex that even after being given a name only a mere forty-one years ago, there are still studies conducted to determine why it is that some people are more prone to Stockholm Syndrome than others.

Jan-Eric Olsson being taken into custody by gas-masked police

Source:http://jto.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/fl20130825x2a-870x646.jpg

In 1973, two armed men, Jan-Eric Olsson and Clark Oloffson held hostage four employees of Kreditbanken, a bank based in Stockholm, Sweden. In the matter of a mere six days, the hostages had taken sides of their captors, as they tried to rescue them (the captors) and even trying to save them after they had surrendered. One called the then Prime Minister of Sweden Olof Palme, scolding him to let both the captors and the hostages free. She continued to remain friends with Olofsson in particular after his arrest.

More recent cases involving Stockholm Syndrome would perhaps be those of Elizabeth Smart in 2003 where she only admitted to being herself after being shown a picture of her before she was abducted and Shawn Hornbeck in 2002 who did not reveal his predicament to police officers when he had the opportunity to do so during his captivity.

There are several reasons as to why hostages develop Stockholm Syndrome some of which are a threat to their lives or those of their loved one, some kindness from their captor, the feeling of being continually watched and the threat that they would continually be harmed even after escaping.

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0e
/Seven_Brides_for_Seven_Brothers_London_recording.jpg

Literature and movies have always romanticized the idea of being captured and falling in love with captors. Tales like Beauty and the Beast and movies such as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers immediately spring to mind. But are they true to the condition of Stockholm Syndrome? Does the freedom to choose to fall in love make it any different from Stockholm Syndrome?

My romantic sensibilities would think it is different. In Beauty and the Beast for instance, the Beast changes to accommodate Belle in his life and so do the brothers in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Other than that, there would have been no continual threat to the lives of these captives had they chosen to leave them.

And more than anything else, there is the idea that both the captive and captor had fallen in love and lived 'happily ever after'- so to speak.



While some are averse to stories of captivity, there are others who will continue to be mystified and dream of some swashbuckling beast who they could tame and fall in love with.

My new romance titled "Captive: Veiled Desires" touches on love with a captor.

Nora Jennings quit her job as a photographer for a small community newspaper to fulfill her dreams of traveling. First stop-Kashmir, the land renowned as heaven on Earth.

But dreams have a terrible habit of turning into a nightmare. And suddenly she finds herself bound and gagged in Afghanistan, ready to be wedded to Pashtun brute, Adam Afridi.

The Beauty of Afghanistan

It's hard to imagine that a country like Afghanistan could be beautiful.

Nuristan, Afghanistan
Source: http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/199/6/c/a_view_of_beautiful_nuristan__afghanistan_by_msnsam-d57omgu.jpg

War, violence, religious fanatics have all but driven away any visions of what this country actually is. With
beautiful snow-capped mountains, spectacular desert landscapes and lush valleys, it is disheartening that people aren't able to experience the natural wonders which behold Afghanistan.

But this now war-torn country wasn't always as volatile. In fact, through the 1950s to the 1960s, Afghanistan was an increasingly progressive country. Unbelievable as it may sound now, women wore short skirts, had co-ed classes and were generally protected under law.

Source: http://www.barenakedislam.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/a55dld-cuaelnkc.jpg

While the Taliban government of Afghanistan had been toppled over in December, 2001, there is a lot to be done before this historically rich country will be able to experience proper freedom.

Check out my new series, Captive, based in Afghanistan's amazing wilderness.

Nora Jennings quit her job as a photographer for a small community newspaper to fulfill her dreams of traveling. First stop-Kashmir, the land renowned as heaven on Earth.

But dreams have a terrible habit of turning into a nightmare. And suddenly she finds herself bound and gagged in Afghanistan, ready to be wedded to Pashtun brute, Adam Afridi.

Untamed Hearts- Series 1 (Red Collar): Chapter 1

Untamed Hearts is a spin-off series from the novel, Red Collar and follows the romance between Lorenzo and Libby. Series 1 focuses on their budding love.


Libby watched Kate brooding in the corner of their balcony. She noticed that her older sister rarely left the house since she had returned from Sitka. She didn't understand what was wrong except that something had changed in the course of her one week trip.

"Libby, can I have a drink of cordial juice, please?" Lily tugged at her pants.

Libby, reluctantly, turned away and looked down at her six year old sister. "Which one would you like? Raspberry or lime?"

"Raspberry."

"Yeah?" Libby smiled. "And why is that?" she asked, even though she knew exactly what her answer would be.

"Because it's red. And my favorite color is red and pink and purple."

"Mine too," she said, as she mixed her drink.

"What's wrong with Kate, Libby? Is she dying?" Her eyes peered over at Libby, filled with a depth of concern not suited to a child of her age.

Libby's heart lurched. Lily had endurably watched her mother die slowly from liver cirrhosis. She had never known her mother other than the invalid who occupied her time between the bathroom and the bed. The only mother she could relate to was Kate. It wasn't surprising to Libby that anyone who looked as solemn as Kate did now, could only mean she was ill and about to die to Lily. It was all Lily had known. It certainly wasn't surprising and it definitely was sad.

But Libby had also known no different. Lily, at least, hadn't witnessed the drunk mother she had experienced, in addition to the several different men that used to frequent their apartment. Their home would be teeming with emptied bottles of alcohol, boxes of squashed, empty beer cans and stunk of cigarette odor. It used to be a relentless task emptying the garbage three floors down the building. She used to be so ashamed of her drunk mother though, she would wear a balaclava over her head as she would empty the evidence of her mother's addiction in the garbage bins of the neighboring building.

It was no wonder then, she was so jealous of Kate. Kate had it all. She had seen the wonderful mother their mother could have been and she had a father who had loved her. Libby, like the rest of her half-siblings, didn't know which of the men their mother brought home, could have been their father.

She leaned forward on her elbows, watching the little girl seated across the table. "She's not dying, Lily. Everyone who is sad or sick doesn't necessarily mean that they're dying. I think she's... just tired. She's had a long trip to Alaska. And Alaska is pretty far away from New York."

"How far?"

"Very far."

"As far as the moon?"

"No, but it is far," Libby rolled her eyes. "Now, if you've finished your drink, maybe we can ask Kate how far it really is. But not now," she added, quickly, before Lily could ask her when. "Once Kate is feeling a little better, okay?"

Lily downed her drink speedily when she heard the television blare one of her favorite series' theme. She shot out of the kitchen, leaving Libby alone once more to worry about Kate.

It was true she hadn't gotten on with Kate and she had deliberately tried to vex her on numerous occasions. But that largely was due to her jealousy. She wanted her picky, bossy older half-sister back so she could return to her sixteen year old self she had begun to love playing. Since Kate had taken over the household responsibilities three months ago, she never had felt so light and burden-free. No longer did she have to slave after her drunk, slobbery mother, or endure the task of ensuring that there was a meal in the house for her three siblings. She didn't have to worry about the little matters of pickings and dropping-offs of Lily and Johnny to and from school and she never would have to be concerned about how much money their mother had left in her wallet to pay for the bills and their shopping. But she was darned if she would say it out aloud.

She slid open the door to the balcony. "Kate, is there something wrong? Do you want to talk about it?" she muttered.

Her concern should have surprised Kate because she never once had shown she cared for her sister. But Kate didn't move at all. She sat with her knees folded up to her chest and her hair strewn wildly about her.

"Kate, what's going on?" she asked, again. "You've been in such a depressive state since you've returned from Sitka. Did something happen?"

Kate wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Leave me alone."

"Kate...," she started again.

"Leave me alone! Go away! Let me be!!"