Blog Archives
What is July 4th and why do we celebrate it?
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY 2023!
What is the 4th of July, anyway? It is also known as Independence Day – an annual American holiday that is significant in our history. On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the United States became its own nation, separate from Great Britain. Before America was its own country, it was comprised of 13 Colonies established by the Brits: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Great Britain passed legislation that gave it more control within the Colonies, especially when it came to taxation, in order to boost revenue for The Crown. The Colonies did not have a say in the Crown’s policies. This became known as taxation without representation. All of these tensions led to the colonial militias battling the British troops and the American Revolutionary War began.
In June 1776 the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and a committee was formed to draft an official independence document, which became known as the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted, and America became a free nation. After declaring independence, America continued to fight in the Revolutionary War and officially defeated Great Britain in September 1783.
Although the 4th of July has been celebrated each year since 1776, it did not become a federal holiday until 1870 and it became a paid holiday for federal employees in 1941.
America’s early independence celebrations – People would attend bonfires, concerts, and parades to celebrate the new nation. The Declaration of Independence was often read aloud, and cannons were fired afterward. People celebrated proudly.
Today we celebrate with local fireworks displays, sparklers, barbecues, games and crafts, local 4th of July shopping sales, and planned trips during this holiday.
Americans remember this country’s fight for freedom, and we celebrate with friends, family, food and fun. Happy birthday, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
Solitaire
New books and Revisions
Here I am back again after Memorial Day, working on my latest book “Between Two Worlds.” I’m in the fifth chapter and going strong, but MS Word is being the usual annoying program that it is and slowing me down. I’d really rather concentrate on including everything that should be in the chapter, but no, here we go again with formatting issues. OK, I have to admit that some of the problems might be me, but whatever it is, my editor will figure it out if I don’t. Right now it’s a work in progress that’s coming along nicely.
I’m also working on a revision for one of my previous books – having the interior re-edited and having a new book cover as well. I’m creating a second book as a sequel, making this a saga. So, my work is cut out for me in the days ahead. Plenty to do. It will probably have typos, possible plot holes and characters that I’m not sure what to do with, but it will all work itself out in the end and hopefully create a two-book thriller that will keep people up at night. That’s the plan, anyway.
Every now and then I take a break to get some new input, whether it be from watching a movie or getting feedback from those around me on a particular character or subject. It helps to get a different point of view to make things well rounded or to bring up something I hadn’t thought of which could add to the story structure. Various forms of research are always needed, depending on what subject you are tackling and how much you know or don’t know , and how critical it is to making things accurate. If you decide that it’s not what you wanted – rebuild it. Read through from start to finish and you’ll catch things you missed. You have the power to create whatever you want for your particular world or story. That’s your superpower as the author and it’s pretty tremendous.
So good luck to all you writers out there who are clacking away on your computers or brainstorming for your next project. Keep up the good work and I hope you finish an amazing book!
Solitaire
How Hobbies Can Improve Your Writing
What is a hobby? As defined by the dictionary, it is an interest or activity to which a person devotes time for pleasure. Things or activities that a person does for relaxation or enjoyment.
Hobbies help to invoke passion in your life which in turn helps revitalize your writing, often by pushing your boundaries. When you give your characters interests or hobbies it fleshes out their personalities and helps the reader to be more invested and care about them. If they care about your characters, they’ll be more likely to enjoy the story and be able to make a connection. You as a writer need that passion as well. Without that enthusiasm there is little motivation to get up in the morning, head to your computer keyboard or pick up your pen and write.
Quite a few fiction writers paint. Painting helps you to look at things, create things, and show things. Anything that helps you to see is advantageous to your writing in creating characters, storytelling, locations, etc. for your books.
Giving quality time to activities you enjoy helps your performance in creative problem-solving which affects your brain’s abilities and supports your performance in life in general, as well as writing. Hobbies tend to build confidence and self-esteem. They are excellent for your mental health, they increase productivity, and can spark new ideas. When we get excited about something, it activates the reward system in the brain and motivates us to stick with it.
If you’ve ever had writer’s block, you know that sometimes you need that motivation to continue to the next chapter of your book or article. A hobby forces your mind to focus which is the enemy of writer’s block and a friend to the writer. Recharging your mind with something new or different can make all the difference in your outlook and productivity.
Hobbies give us a kind of resilience and keep us engaged so that we can write that next great novel that might be an inspiration for someone else who needs it. If you haven’t found what helps inspire you to greatness, do some exploration. There are countless ways to spark your mind!
Solitaire
The Great Book of Amber – Roger Zelazny
The Amber novels were written by Roger Zelazny and published over the years from 1970 to 1991. One of the most revered names in science fiction and fantasy, Roger Zelazny accumulated numerous awards – including six Hugo and three Nebula Awards – over the course of his legendary career. He wrote more than fifty books, and his Amber novels were some of his best. The Great Book of Amber is a collection of the complete Amber chronicles featuring volumes one through ten. He had a great imagination, and his outstanding storytelling inspired a generation of authors, from Neil Gaiman to George R.R. Martin.
The Great Book of Amber is a ten volume collection of the stories of Corwin and his son Merlin. Both are involuntarily thrust into staying alive while most of the other characters and family members attempt to kill them. Neither considers themselves to be heroes, although both achieve that status through a series of misadventures along the way.
I found the narrative to be brilliant, entertaining, and humorous, all testaments to Roger Zelazny’s talent with the English language. The books are fast paced and lavishly descriptive, a combination difficult to master, yet Zelazny accomplishes it with ease.
I would recommend these books to anyone who relishes swashbuckling characters, high paced action, and a deep moral conviction for good always becoming triumphant in the end.
The Great Book of Amber includes:
Nine Princes in Amber
The Guns of Avalon
Sign of the Unicorn
The Hand of Oberon
The Courts of Chaos
Trumps of Doom
Blood of Amber
Sign of Chaos
Knights of Shadows
Prince of Chaos
I wish there had been more.
Solitaire
Smashwords – Read an Ebook Week 2023 !
Welcome to the official Read an Ebook Week from March 5th through March 11th 2023!
Mark your calendars! Here’s an opportunity to find new authors with one of the biggest sales of the year! Support the many authors on Smashwords in this global celebration of Ebooks. You will find around 100,000 multi-format books regularly priced at free every day, and thousands more that are free or deep-discounted exclusively at Smashwords during Read an Ebook Week only. Browse the catalog by discount categories of FREE, 75%-off, 50%-off and 25% off.
This sale is a fantastic way to discover new authors and continue reading your favorite authors – so load up your e-readers and get started!
Solitaire
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/solitaireparke
What Defines Our Daily Lives?
Today is Friday. I was sitting here thinking about what needed to be done and what I had accomplished this week. At the same time, I was checking my emails, and came across some information I found to be of value so I’m passing it on to anyone who might be interested.
It’s amazing how fast time flies – 2023 – here already! So how can this year be different or better than the last one? We may begin the year with such good intentions or resolutions, but somehow life seems to get in the way and they never come to fruition. So maybe we just need to rethink how we traverse our daily lives and determine what is the main malfunction and correct the problem.
So here are some ideas to get on the right track:
First, we need to develop self-discipline. For some of us, that is easier said than done, but never impossible. I am a firm believer that you can do anything you set your mind to do. If there is something important you want to accomplish, then find a way and don’t let anyone tell you, no. How important is reaching your goal? Focus on getting things done one step at a time – sometimes that means you have to slow down or make a list. Concentrate your efforts so your energy is better spent. Attempting to do everything at once often leads to lack of motivation and spinning in a circle, never getting anything done.
Once you get in that “sit and spin” mode, it’s very easy to become overly critical of yourself. We live in a society that is all about “hustle” which doesn’t help at all. There is a great deal of wisdom in slowing down. To succeed in anything, we need to develop healthy self-confidence, not negativity. Being negative is counterproductive. Concentrate on what you are doing now, not the results. You can’t control what happens in the future, but you can control the quality of what you do right now. No one ever succeeded by not doing anything. Criticizing yourself is a waste of time. Instead, focus on reaching your goals.
Look out for the “distractions” in your life. You can’t remove them by focusing harder or getting more determination. Never try to cope with a distraction that you can eliminate. A good example of this is the clutter around you. If you are trying to write, for instance, and all you can see is a desk full of stacks of paper, empty snack bowls, water bottles and coffee cups, pens and pencils scattered everywhere – you get the picture, your mind is so distracted with all the “stuff” that you can’t concentrate. So, remove the distractions! Don’t let anything tempt you to lose the focus you need. This holds true in any situation. If your surroundings are a cluttered mess, your mind will be too. Make it easier for yourself to succeed by removing the distractions. (Which, by the way, requires self-discipline.) Do this on a day-to-day basis and it will become a new habit – a good, healthy one. It frees your mind to think clearly.
Give yourself the right reasons. You might attempt to do something because of someone else’s opinion of you. That usually won’t last because you are doing it for the wrong reasons. Be motivated by something that is personal to you – something much deeper and more important. Get to know your strengths and interests so you can concentrate on what you really love. You can’t control what anyone else thinks about you, nor should you even try. What is important for you is to take ACTION and your life will improve and succeed. Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of procrastination – it’s a dead end. The only failure is doing nothing. So, don’t allow that to happen. If you fall, get right back up and keep going! Never give up!
Solitaire
5 Authors to read if you enjoyed the works of Sci-Fi/Fantasy author Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Edgar Rice Burroughs – (1875 to 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific writing in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. He is best-known for creating the character Tarzan, and John Carter from the Barsoom series, but also the Pellucidar series, the Amtor series, and the Caspak trilogy. His book, A Princess of Mars, was the one that started everything for me as a young boy. I have had a love of science fiction/fantasy since the day I read his book. His Tarzan books and movies are quite well known, and all his books can be found on Amazon today. He is known as the master of adventure.
I highly recommend the following authors if you enjoyed Edgar Rice Burroughs. They are some of my favorites as well.
Piers Anthony – an American author in the science fiction and fantasy genres, best known for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth. Many of his books have appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list, and he claims one of his greatest achievements has been to publish a book beginning with every letter of the alphabet, from Anthonology to Zombie Lover.
Roger Zelazny – Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult Fantasy – The fantasy sequence The Amber Chronicles, which started with Nine Princes in Amber, deals with the ruling family of a platonic realm at the metaphysical heart of things, who can slide, trickster-like through realities, and their wars with each other and the related ruling house of Chaos. His works were very loved, and he was a strong influence on such younger writers as George R. R. Martin and Neil Gaiman. He won the Hugo award six times and the Nebula award three times.
Michael Moorcock – Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published several well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has worked as an editor and is also a successful musician. Born in London in 1939, he is a prolific and award-winning writer with more than eighty works of fiction and non-fiction to his name, he is the creator of Elric, Jerry Cornelius and Colonel Pyat, amongst many other memorable characters.
Robert Heinlein – Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the “dean of science fiction writers”, he was among the first to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction and was thus a pioneer of the subgenre of hard science fiction. He had a writing career that spanned forty-nine years. He published 32 novels, 59 short stories and 16 collections during his lifetime. Four films, two TV series, several episodes of a radio series, at least two songs (‘Hijack’ by Jefferson Starship and ‘Cool Green Hills of Earth’ on the 1970 album Ready to Ride and as the B-side of a single by Southwind) and a board game were derived directly from his work.
Algis Boudrys – Algirdas Jonas “Algis” Budrys was a Lithuanian American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome, John A. Sentry, William Scarff, and Paul Janvier. He is known for the influential 1960 novel Rogue Moon. He is the author of ten novels, three short story collections, and five non-fiction works. He has taught at Columbia (Chicago), Harvard, Brigham Young University, CalTech, the Charles Dickens House in London, Pepperdine University, the Taos experimental Writers of the Future workshop, and the Library of Congress, to name a few, as well as several annual workshops in Moscow, Idaho. He was the editor and publisher of Tomorrow Speculative Fiction magazine.
If you love science fiction and fantasy, all these authors are certainly worth reading and may become some of your favorites. There is nothing quite like the world of science fiction. It has the ability to instantly transport you to another world, leaving Earth behind. You also get to explore the capabilities of time travel, interact with androids, and consider artificial intelligence all while imagining what the future might be like.
Solitaire
10 Fun Trivia Facts about Thanksgiving
Gratitude changes our attitudes and our actions. It changes how we live. This is the power of living a life of thanks; of gratitude for our blessings, whether those blessings are great or small. This is the power of Thanksgiving.
Photo by Kiy Turk on Unsplash
Here are some fun Thanksgiving trivia facts from the Good Housekeeping Magazine.
Question: What town canceled Thanksgiving because they couldn’t make pumpkin pies?
Answer: Colchester, Connecticut
A frigid bout of cold weather in the middle of October led to the Connecticut River freezing, so settlers couldn’t get their usual liquid sugar shipped on time from across the pond. Thus, the townspeople decided to postpone the holiday for a week in 1705. It was so legendary, Rose Mill Powers actually wrote a poem about it in a July 1908 issue of Good Housekeeping.
Question: What professional football team has played almost every Thanksgiving since 1934?
Answer: The Detroit Lions
George A. Richards, a former owner, purchased the Portsmouth Ohio Spartans in 1934 and moved them to Detroit. Rebranded as the Detroit Lions, George decided to host a Thanksgiving Day game against the world-champion Chicago Bears in hopes of attracting fans. The team has always played on Thanksgiving except between 1939-1944 due to World War II. The Dallas Cowboys also joined in on the Turkey Day tradition in 1966 and have played every Thanksgiving except in 1975 and 1977.
Question: What city is home to the oldest Thanksgiving parade?
Answer: Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Gimbel Brothers Department Store parade in 1920 had only 50 people, 15 cars and a fireman dressed as Santa Claus. The parade ended with Santa on his sleigh, signifying the arrival of the holiday season. Today, it’s much bigger and called the 6abc Dunkin’ Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade instead. It was the inspiration behind the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Day Parade which started in 1924.
Question: What did President Calvin Coolidge famously receive as a Thanksgiving gift?
Answer: A live raccoon
In November 1926, Vinnie Joyce of Nitta Yuma, Mississippi, sent the 30th President of the United States a live raccoon to be served as Thanksgiving dinner. However, the President became so smitten with the furry animal that he pardoned it and adopted it as a pet. He named it Rebecca.
Question: What wasn’t part of the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Answer: Balloons
If you can’t imagine the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade without giant floats featuring your favorite characters, you’d barely recognize the first parade in the early 1920s. It did have puppets riding the iconic floats, as well as singers and celebrities and of course, Santa Claus. That said, when the Thanksgiving parade made its big debut in 1924, it did have something that might be even crazier than balloons: animals from the Central Park Zoo.
Question: What happens to the turkeys that are pardoned by the president each year?
Answer: The turkeys pardoned by the president go on to live fulfilled lives.
President George H.W. Bush pardoned the first turkey in 1989 after he noticed the 50-pound bird at his official Thanksgiving proclamation looked a little nervous. Every president has upheld the tradition, ever since. But what happens to that lucky bird that lives to squawk another day? In 2005 and 2009, the turkeys went to Disneyland and Walt Disney World parks to serve as grand marshals in their annual Thanksgiving parades.
Question: According to Americans, what’s the best part of Thanksgiving?
Answer: The leftovers
Fans of the beloved turkey, stuffing and mashed potato leftover sandwich: You’re in the majority. Most Americans prefer Thanksgiving leftovers to the actual meal. Almost eight in 10 Americans agree that the second helpings of stuffing, mashed potatoes and of course pie beat out the big dinner itself.
Question: Do other countries celebrate the holiday?
Answer: Yes! Canada also celebrates Thanksgiving — but on a different day.
Our neighbors to the north also celebrate Thanksgiving, but they do so on a different day and for an unrelated reason. While American Thanksgiving pays homage to a feast between the pilgrims and the Native Americans, the Canadian celebration commemorates a feast between English explorer Martin Frobisher and his crew after their successful sail from England to the Canadian territory in 1578. Canadian Thanksgiving takes place on the second Monday of October every year.
That doesn’t mean there are zero similarities between the two holidays. Both American and Canadian Thanksgiving menus often revolve around turkey, and revelers in both countries frequently spend the day watching football marathons and festive parades. In Canada, the biggest one is the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Question: How many people go shopping on Black Friday?
Answer: Over 32 million people
Even though many consumers think stores shouldn’t be open on Thanksgiving, a good chunk of us still shop on the holiday, according to the National Retail Federation. But not everyone heads to the mall before their meal settles. Black Friday still draws the biggest crowd of the entire holiday weekend, with 115 million people. A total of 69 percent of Americans chase those deals like a retail-driven Olympic sport.
Question: How much pumpkin pie do Americans eat every Thanksgiving?
Answer: An estimated 50 million pumpkin pies are devoured every November.
Some of us consider pumpkin pie a vehicle for whipped topping and could take it or leave it. If you’d also rather leave your pumpkins for Halloween and dig into another Thanksgiving dessert, you’re not alone. According to The American Pie Council, more Americans prefer apple pie overall – pumpkin pie only comes in second place.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE
Solitaire
TODAY IS INTERNATIONAL LEFT HANDER’S DAY
10% of the entire world population is left-handed. That is 760 million people around the globe. You are much more likely to be a lefty if one of your parents is too. I am one of those left handed people. It was in August of 1976, on a Friday the 13th, that Left-Handers International first declared August 13 to be a day where left-handers were celebrated.
It is thought that left-handed people are more flexible and adaptable, as they are often challenged in a world that is made for right-handed people. The left hand is also controlled by the right side of the brain, which is associated with emotion and creative qualities such as music and art. I have always been a musician, playing guitar and writing music, poetry, and books, and have a passion for digital art, so I guess it holds true, at least for me.
American Presidents Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton are part of the left-hander’s club, along with such famous musicians as Céline Dion and Jimi Hendrix, who was one of the biggest rock stars in the world. He was renowned for playing a right-handed guitar with his left hand.
Here’s an idea – if you are left-handed, challenge your right-handed friends and family to use their left hands for the next day or so! You never know when using your left hand could be a real benefit!
Solitaire
2022 Annual Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale!
2022 Annual Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale!
July 1, 2022 – July 31, 2022
Why is it called “Summer/Winter”? Here in the Northern hemisphere, it’s mid-summer. Readers are loading their e-reading devices for summer beach reading and long-awaited vacations. South of the equator they are now in the middle of winter. They’re ready to curl up in front of the fireplace and enjoy a great read too!
Hello to all the readers and authors out there! All my eBooks will be on sale for 50% off, so take advantage and stock up on plenty of books to read over the summer/winter. It’s an opportunity to find exclusive discounts from your favorite indie authors and discover new future favorites. You will find every type of genre with books from terrific authors all over the world. So, check it out at SMASHWORDS.COM.
My new book called The Atrium will be in the editing process soon. You can read about it on my website. In the meantime, I am continuing to do Spring Cleaning on my digital content to make improvements and move forward into 2022. It’s difficult to believe that this year is half over already. Enjoy your Summer! See you soon!
Solitaire
Solitaire Parke - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books 