March 2023

Travel Inspires

Posted on March 30, 2023March 27, 2023 by Randi Bowslaugh

Written by: Barbara Ann Briggs

I really enjoyed recording the first chapter of Pilgrimage on the Path of Love for the Readers Intrigue podcast. It was a pleasure working with Randi. The inspiration for writing Pilgrimage on the Path of Love arose during my travels in India. The sights, sounds, tastes, smells and interactions I had with people from so many diverse backgrounds inspired me to pen down my observations and reactions as I travelled. Each person I met shared a fragment of their life with me and the multi-colored fragments, like beads on a thread, wove the necklace I wore, an inner adornment, composed of cherished memories of a country to which I feel deeply connected.

Pilgrimage on the Path of Love was awarded a five-star medal from a Readers’ Favorites Reviewer who said: “Pilgrimage on the Path of Love is a portal to an artfully detailed world of beauty, love, and awareness…Barbara Ann Briggs writes for the free spirits, adventure enthusiasts, and wisdom and spiritual depth seekers. The audience is encouraged to love and embrace others regardless of their religious beliefs, and this core message is key to achieving world peace. I recommend it to the world.”

Get your copy here (affiliate link)

Fear and Love

Posted on March 24, 2023March 24, 2023 by Randi Bowslaugh

Written by AG Flitcher

Time present and time past

Are both perhaps present in time future

And time future contained in time past.

If all time is eternally present

All time is unredeemable.

Four Quartets: Burnt Norton – T.S. Elliot

My time on Write or Die Show was humbling, honest, loving, caring, fun, and a memory immortalized by love and sharing pain as we heal each other with laughter and wisdom. When you share who you are, what hurts and heals you with the world, those who have or are suffering begin to breathe differently. Some people go searching for the air they wish they could breathe rather than inhaling the heavy charcoal ashen air nesting in their lungs that stems from trauma and negative mirror reflection.

Sometimes, when you see someone else’s anger and darkness, it can reflect how strong of a hold you have on your own. Your grip can be so strong that the light around you becomes ironically blinded by the brightness of the darkness in you. Nevertheless, when you see someone else gripping their anger and darkness as tight if not tighter than you, your grip slowly releases, and the darkness dims into a soft whimper. Turning fear into a healthy emotion you can use to further yourself into a greater perspective that allows you to be present.

My fantasy series, Boone and Jacque, is a mirroring of the chapter in my life that I am glad I am closing. More importantly, the chapter of the characters’ lives. Like them, I have learnt through pain, love and volition to love who I am, live in the present, let the past be a memory, and to value the most poignant moments in life before it ends. Life is our greatest teacher to self discovery and love.

Get Boone and Jacque here (affiliate link).

blog, Write or Die Show

Dealing with the Monster of Anxiety

Posted on March 10, 2023March 2, 2023 by Randi Bowslaugh

Written By: KC Grifant

Thanks so much for having me on the show! I enjoyed talking about writing and anxiety. Mental health
struggles are incredibly common, even though they’re not talked about nearly enough, and affect people
from all walks of life (no matter status, intelligence, level of success, etc.). Seeking professional support is
never a bad idea. In lieu of that, some tactics that can alleviate anxiety include:

1-Self-reflect: Taking note of catastrophizing thoughts is one first step to diminishing their power.
2-Write: For some, even 5 minutes of journaling can have a calming effect.
3-Exercise: Physically tiring ourselves out and getting out of our heads can interrupt negative thinking.
4-Focus on small changes: Big changes are usually overwhelming and stressful. Small changes can be an
effective way to modify behavior.

A little about me and my work: I write internally published horror, fantasy, science fiction, and weird
west stories for podcasts, anthologies, and magazines. My short stories tales appeared in Andromeda
Spaceways Magazine; Unnerving Magazine; Cosmic Horror Monthly; Dark Matter Magazine; the British
SF Association’s Fission Magazine; Tales to Terrify; Chromophobia; Musings of the Muse; Dancing in the
Shadows – A Tribute to Anne Rice; the Stoker-nominated Fright Mare: Women Write Horror; and many
others.

My debut supernatural western novel: Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger (Brigids Gate Press, 2023), is
described as a blend of Bonnie & Clyde meet The Witcher and Supernatural. Readers and reviewers call
the book “a fun, fast-paced, monster-filled joy ride,” “genre-blending,” “a story that is fascinating and
irresistible,” and a “massive crowd-pleaser.”

You can learn more at these links:
Website: www.KCGrifant.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/KC-Grifant/author/B01B3O66AY
Instagram: instagram.com/kcgrifant/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcgrifant
Facebook: facebook.com/kcgrifant
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8288519.K_C_Grifant

Get KC’s book here (affiliate link)

blog, Readers Intrigue

4 Dimensions

Posted on March 3, 2023March 2, 2023 by Randi Bowslaugh

Written by: Tim McCarthy

Thank you for the opportunity to be featured on Readers’ Intrigue.

After many years of experience as an educator and researcher in developmental child psychology, I have come to the conclusion that most parents are not aware that there are 4 Dimensions of human potential: The Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual (or Moral.)

As a result, most parents do not understand how to help their children grow in each of those dimensions in a way that is appropriate to their age and development. That is why I condensed my experience and research into a concise guide that amounts to the Owner’s Manual that you didn’t get with your child. If you don’t understand why your children behave the way they do, I can help.

Why can’t a two-year-old stop when you tell him to?

When are they ready for potty training?

What do you tell your child about where babies come from?

How do you discuss sex with an adolescent?

You see, you have to reach your children on their own level. That means you need to understand how their brains develop, and their capabilities and limitations at each age. Once you understand that, you have the tools to help your child advance. Some children develop physical skills easily, others develop mental skills quickly, while most parents don’t have a clear idea of how to help their child develop emotionally, and some parents don’t even believe in spiritual education. Although I hope they believe in the difference between right and wrong. Regardless of how quickly or easily your child develops in each dimension, I believe parents should help their child develop in each one.

In my book Raising 4 Dimensional Children in a 2 Dimensional World I provide that information, answer those questions and more, and provide over 400 age-appropriate activities to bring them up to the next level. Learn more at https://4d-2d.com.

Get Tim’s book here (affiliate link).