Today, we will hear from Susan Ricci. Her link is below. Enjoy!
http://www.susanjeanricci.com/blog.php
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Today is the sixth day in our Positivity Blog Tour and is a free day for all of us. Being an animal activist, I thought I'd share with you a piece I wrote for the humane society newsletter for all the help they willingly gave me.
Tomorrow, we will resume our Blog Tour. Check for the link in the next stop.
THOUGHTS OF A FERAL CAT
I sit and watch as they put out food.
They see me but make no overtures, as they know I will run.
They seem to care, so I come each day and wait.
I can only hope that I will always be welcome,
If only from under a bush.
UNDER A BUSH
It sat under a bush, a small, thin ball of fur, and seemed to know instinctively that this was where it should be. I had watched the cat for several days, putting out food, hoping it would eat, and the third morning, there it was. I spoke softly as I placed the bowl on the lowest step, and going inside, I watched from the partially closed door. It took a week before it would stay under the bush and not run. It took another week before it began to trust me enough to let me watch from inside with the door completely open.
One morning, I opened the door to see a tiny flash of orange. She had kittens!!!!!! I placed the food down and went back inside to watch. Slowly, she came up, tentatively followed by four kittens, one orange, one gray and white, and two orange and white. What a joy they became! I looked forward to seeing their tiny faces each morning and grew to love each one. They began to trust me, letting me touch them, if only for an instant.
As the weather was turning colder, my husband and I bought a sleeper for them – a large plastic crate that he cut a hole in, sealing it against the rain. We placed a large towel inside, first insulating it with newspaper underneath. Each day, we would replace the towel with a nice warm one from the dryer. They slept there all winter, safe from the wind, growing friendlier as time passed. Why didn't I take them in? We already had two cats that never went out, a dog, a bird, and two ferrets. Being new at the feral cat experience, I think we were afraid.
By spring, they were grown, sweet cats but only trusting us. The little female surprised me one morning with a litter of kittens that I promptly placed with a loving woman who had done cat rescue and lived on a mountain. What a perfect place. As time passed, the calico gave birth to another litter. I caught them, turning them over to the humane society and a local rescue group and the capable and loving hands of women who became mentors. I remain grateful for their knowledge and support.
I was able to trap the five cats that formed the “colony” and through the humane society, had them spayed/neutered and inoculated. The last litter that had been born before we could trap the mama became members of our household, loving reminders that although we could not take all, we could at least make a difference for some of them.
I remember, as a child, watching our Siamese cat give birth and wondering at the tiny, helpless forms that filled the bottom of a box my mother had put in her closet. We watched them grow, playing with them and falling more in love with them each day. When the time came for them to go, we cried, but knew that my mother had found special, loving homes for each one. Soon after that, she had Belle, our beloved cat, spayed. When asked why she replied that there weren't enough homes for all the kittens Belle would have. We took her at her word but would not understand until later in life when we had our own experiences with cats.
My two sisters and I have a special place in our hearts for all animals, but especially cats. We all have several each, my last count in my house was 10. We also take care of ferals whenever we find them, going out of our way to feed them and look after them as best we can.
We don’t look for a 'pat on the back'. We do what we do as a small appreciation for regal, beautiful creatures that don't ask for their lot in life and return love and affection whenever it is given, even from under a bush.
I sit and watch as they put out food.
They see me but make no overtures, as they know I will run.
They seem to care, so I come each day and wait.
I can only hope that I will always be welcome,
If only from under a bush.
UNDER A BUSH
It sat under a bush, a small, thin ball of fur, and seemed to know instinctively that this was where it should be. I had watched the cat for several days, putting out food, hoping it would eat, and the third morning, there it was. I spoke softly as I placed the bowl on the lowest step, and going inside, I watched from the partially closed door. It took a week before it would stay under the bush and not run. It took another week before it began to trust me enough to let me watch from inside with the door completely open.
One morning, I opened the door to see a tiny flash of orange. She had kittens!!!!!! I placed the food down and went back inside to watch. Slowly, she came up, tentatively followed by four kittens, one orange, one gray and white, and two orange and white. What a joy they became! I looked forward to seeing their tiny faces each morning and grew to love each one. They began to trust me, letting me touch them, if only for an instant.
As the weather was turning colder, my husband and I bought a sleeper for them – a large plastic crate that he cut a hole in, sealing it against the rain. We placed a large towel inside, first insulating it with newspaper underneath. Each day, we would replace the towel with a nice warm one from the dryer. They slept there all winter, safe from the wind, growing friendlier as time passed. Why didn't I take them in? We already had two cats that never went out, a dog, a bird, and two ferrets. Being new at the feral cat experience, I think we were afraid.
By spring, they were grown, sweet cats but only trusting us. The little female surprised me one morning with a litter of kittens that I promptly placed with a loving woman who had done cat rescue and lived on a mountain. What a perfect place. As time passed, the calico gave birth to another litter. I caught them, turning them over to the humane society and a local rescue group and the capable and loving hands of women who became mentors. I remain grateful for their knowledge and support.
I was able to trap the five cats that formed the “colony” and through the humane society, had them spayed/neutered and inoculated. The last litter that had been born before we could trap the mama became members of our household, loving reminders that although we could not take all, we could at least make a difference for some of them.
I remember, as a child, watching our Siamese cat give birth and wondering at the tiny, helpless forms that filled the bottom of a box my mother had put in her closet. We watched them grow, playing with them and falling more in love with them each day. When the time came for them to go, we cried, but knew that my mother had found special, loving homes for each one. Soon after that, she had Belle, our beloved cat, spayed. When asked why she replied that there weren't enough homes for all the kittens Belle would have. We took her at her word but would not understand until later in life when we had our own experiences with cats.
My two sisters and I have a special place in our hearts for all animals, but especially cats. We all have several each, my last count in my house was 10. We also take care of ferals whenever we find them, going out of our way to feed them and look after them as best we can.
We don’t look for a 'pat on the back'. We do what we do as a small appreciation for regal, beautiful creatures that don't ask for their lot in life and return love and affection whenever it is given, even from under a bush.
Links for the Blogs Participating In The Tour:
Friday, June 5, 2015
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Welcome to the lovely Savannah Morgan who will be sharing her thoughts with us today.
Savannah's Thought Garden
Savannah's Thought Garden
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
What a beautiful morning. The sun is shining, the hummingbirds are staging their aerial battles, and the cats are sleeping peacefully in their respective spots. In April of last year, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and have had my last treatment of the series. I am grateful for my family and the many people I met in social media who have helped my journey.During the process, I began to read incessantly, a pastime that has always helped me over rough spots in my life.
We all have rough spots...loss of a loved one, financial woes, the daily aggravations, etc. Finding a diversion to make the road a little less bumpy is a positive thing and for me, that has always been writing and music. They go hand in hand and I couldn't have one without the other. Finding a favorite book and treasured family tapes with me and my father singing began my 'diversion program'. Then one day I discovered an ad on my news feed for a book on Amazon, and I was fascinated. A new world opened and being slightly OCD, my list of 'books to read' grew at an alarming rate. Imagining myself in a bookstore sitting in a comfy chair in front of a fire with a bottle of wine became my 'go to' when I was low.
Over the last year, I have met, through social media, some incredible people, mostly writers. There is a unique camaraderie among these people, one that comes from a common goal...to be a success at what you love best. And for the most part, all of the fascinating people have been gracious, funny, and quite willing to share stories, posts, and advice. The one thing that I've learned (and I'm still learning), is how to navigate the waters in this competitive endeavor. Finding myself stepping on toes without being aware led to watching carefully what those I admire were doing. They would promote their work while at the same time, give others the same respect. Sharing posts for their friends, being on street teams, posting on blogs, tweets on twitter (that always makes me smile), and buying their books were all positive reinforcements.
At the same time, however, there were often injurious comments, purposely negative reviews on Amazon and other platforms, and 'pimping' one's book during a takeover event or in the middle of another writer's moment to shine. I can understand the need to succeed. There are so many writers out there who want to be successful prize-winning authors, but to demean another only diminishes you. If your heart is in the right place and you are talented, with perseverance and patience and friends to help, your success will come. It takes work to be accomplished, no matter what field you pursue, and believe me, the respect of your peers is most important. All the work, the countless hours and days and months won't mean anything if you're sitting at the top of your game alone.
Being a music teacher and professional singer for most of my career, I found other musicians who had the knack for making comrades feel treasured, no matter their level of talent, and I have found the same among writers . This makes my heart glad. The world is a difficult place and life is short and these people are the ones I will remember....for their writing as well as their heart.
Peace.
We all have rough spots...loss of a loved one, financial woes, the daily aggravations, etc. Finding a diversion to make the road a little less bumpy is a positive thing and for me, that has always been writing and music. They go hand in hand and I couldn't have one without the other. Finding a favorite book and treasured family tapes with me and my father singing began my 'diversion program'. Then one day I discovered an ad on my news feed for a book on Amazon, and I was fascinated. A new world opened and being slightly OCD, my list of 'books to read' grew at an alarming rate. Imagining myself in a bookstore sitting in a comfy chair in front of a fire with a bottle of wine became my 'go to' when I was low.
Over the last year, I have met, through social media, some incredible people, mostly writers. There is a unique camaraderie among these people, one that comes from a common goal...to be a success at what you love best. And for the most part, all of the fascinating people have been gracious, funny, and quite willing to share stories, posts, and advice. The one thing that I've learned (and I'm still learning), is how to navigate the waters in this competitive endeavor. Finding myself stepping on toes without being aware led to watching carefully what those I admire were doing. They would promote their work while at the same time, give others the same respect. Sharing posts for their friends, being on street teams, posting on blogs, tweets on twitter (that always makes me smile), and buying their books were all positive reinforcements.
At the same time, however, there were often injurious comments, purposely negative reviews on Amazon and other platforms, and 'pimping' one's book during a takeover event or in the middle of another writer's moment to shine. I can understand the need to succeed. There are so many writers out there who want to be successful prize-winning authors, but to demean another only diminishes you. If your heart is in the right place and you are talented, with perseverance and patience and friends to help, your success will come. It takes work to be accomplished, no matter what field you pursue, and believe me, the respect of your peers is most important. All the work, the countless hours and days and months won't mean anything if you're sitting at the top of your game alone.
Being a music teacher and professional singer for most of my career, I found other musicians who had the knack for making comrades feel treasured, no matter their level of talent, and I have found the same among writers . This makes my heart glad. The world is a difficult place and life is short and these people are the ones I will remember....for their writing as well as their heart.
Peace.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Hi Everyone!! :-)
Indie authors Jen Winters, Susan Ricci, Julie Nicholls, Savannah Morgan, Mistral Dawn, and Barbara Chioffi have come together for June to give you a month's worth of positive thoughts. Each of these authors has their reasons for doing this, but they all hope to make your month a little brighter.
Hey everyone! I'm Jen Winters, a paranormal romance writer, who does mom things including homeschooling. I'm so pleased to be a part of this blog tour because I get to bring exciting news from positive sources and being part of the indie world of romance writer's has been the very best experience for me. The women who are participating in this month's tour have been wonders of light in my life and I get to be with them all month long! So get ready! We are going to bring you into a better place this month!
Happy June, everyone! I’m Susan Jean Ricci, an Indie author who loves reading every genre out there, but pens humorous, contemporary romances dubbed the Cindy’s Crusades Series. I’ve recently published a novella in the Blush genre called My Sexy Chef, the first in a new series, and a complete change of pace for me. I’m excited to be participating in Positivity Month with these fabulously talented authors, because we all share a common interest - humanity has much to be grateful for, but sometimes that’s forgotten. Perhaps a few gentle reminders about those blessings, via our posts, will lighten people’s hearts or help them overcome a challenge they’re facing on a daily basis. Please join us so we may bring you joy if there’s sorrow, or maybe just a chuckle or two.
Hi, I’m Julie Nicholls, the owner of Fallen Angel’s blog and I’m here with my fellow authors in the Positivity Blog tour because having being stuck in a negative rut and stressed, I know that being positive helps me get through the rough days. So you’re probably wondering what craziness I’m going to spout about? Something quite simple, but effective. So come and join me and I’ll give you a reason to smile.
I’m Savannah Morgan, and I write in several different genres. I’m the author of the Sapphire Spring Series, which are my erotic contemporary titles. I also have a contemporary suspense series that just came out called Deadly Flowers. And finally, I write a little PNR as well. You might have heard of my Touch of the Irish: A Collection of Erotic Fantasies. I decided to participate in this project for two main reasons. First, I know what negativity can do to a person. I also know what the power of positive thinking can do for a individual. Secondly, I’ve been noticing a rather nasty trend of negative thinking, hateful posts, and people suffering from severe depression on social media. I’m proud to be involved in something geared to change that. We all have moments when it’s hard to pull ourselves out of the mire. It is at those moments we need to come together as a community and show the one suffering there is a better way. My hope for this project is for it to reach enough to make a difference, and be seen by those who want to take up the banner and do their own positive posting.
I'm Mistral Dawn and I'm the author of fantasy, romance novels Taken By The Huntsman and Bound By The Summer Prince. I decided to participate in this project because I've noticed a lot of negative things happening lately. I've heard some people speak unkindly to others, and I've seen things that hurt my heart. My hope is that this project might help reverse that negative trend somewhat, and bring a little happiness to our readers. If even one person smiles I'd consider that a triumph. :-)
Hello, my name is Barbara Chioffi and I am a 73-year old retired music teacher. I live with my hubby, son, and ten cats- yes, ten. I've been writing most of my life...family stories and poems, most recently, romance. I can't help but think of how blessed I've been to make the acquaintance of so many authors, each with their own brand of craziness. I've never read as much as I have recently and have experienced laughter, tears, frustration, fear, and romance, lots of romance. As my circle grows, learning from these talents has helped enhance my own writing. And that is as it should be...helping each other, giving each other confidence...not backbiting and using other writers to promote yourself. I've noticed that more than I would like to mention, and perhaps, that is why this introvert has decided to become a part of this positive blog tour. In the learning process, I've stepped on a few toes, as I imagine others might have, but only from inexperience. It's simple...trust yourself enough to allow others to shine a little and don't step on their light. It will only diminish your own in the end.
So there are some wonderful reasons for wanting to participate in this little project. For the rest of the month, one author per day (with four free days during the month) will post about their thoughts for that day, and the rest of them will post the link to that author's blog. That way all of you fine folks will have the opportunity to visit some new blogs, and maybe discover some fun new reads along with your positive thoughts for the day. Hopefully you readers will have as much fun with this as the authors!! Happy reading everyone, and have a great June!! :-)
Indie authors Jen Winters, Susan Ricci, Julie Nicholls, Savannah Morgan, Mistral Dawn, and Barbara Chioffi have come together for June to give you a month's worth of positive thoughts. Each of these authors has their reasons for doing this, but they all hope to make your month a little brighter.
Hey everyone! I'm Jen Winters, a paranormal romance writer, who does mom things including homeschooling. I'm so pleased to be a part of this blog tour because I get to bring exciting news from positive sources and being part of the indie world of romance writer's has been the very best experience for me. The women who are participating in this month's tour have been wonders of light in my life and I get to be with them all month long! So get ready! We are going to bring you into a better place this month!
Happy June, everyone! I’m Susan Jean Ricci, an Indie author who loves reading every genre out there, but pens humorous, contemporary romances dubbed the Cindy’s Crusades Series. I’ve recently published a novella in the Blush genre called My Sexy Chef, the first in a new series, and a complete change of pace for me. I’m excited to be participating in Positivity Month with these fabulously talented authors, because we all share a common interest - humanity has much to be grateful for, but sometimes that’s forgotten. Perhaps a few gentle reminders about those blessings, via our posts, will lighten people’s hearts or help them overcome a challenge they’re facing on a daily basis. Please join us so we may bring you joy if there’s sorrow, or maybe just a chuckle or two.
Hi, I’m Julie Nicholls, the owner of Fallen Angel’s blog and I’m here with my fellow authors in the Positivity Blog tour because having being stuck in a negative rut and stressed, I know that being positive helps me get through the rough days. So you’re probably wondering what craziness I’m going to spout about? Something quite simple, but effective. So come and join me and I’ll give you a reason to smile.
I’m Savannah Morgan, and I write in several different genres. I’m the author of the Sapphire Spring Series, which are my erotic contemporary titles. I also have a contemporary suspense series that just came out called Deadly Flowers. And finally, I write a little PNR as well. You might have heard of my Touch of the Irish: A Collection of Erotic Fantasies. I decided to participate in this project for two main reasons. First, I know what negativity can do to a person. I also know what the power of positive thinking can do for a individual. Secondly, I’ve been noticing a rather nasty trend of negative thinking, hateful posts, and people suffering from severe depression on social media. I’m proud to be involved in something geared to change that. We all have moments when it’s hard to pull ourselves out of the mire. It is at those moments we need to come together as a community and show the one suffering there is a better way. My hope for this project is for it to reach enough to make a difference, and be seen by those who want to take up the banner and do their own positive posting.
I'm Mistral Dawn and I'm the author of fantasy, romance novels Taken By The Huntsman and Bound By The Summer Prince. I decided to participate in this project because I've noticed a lot of negative things happening lately. I've heard some people speak unkindly to others, and I've seen things that hurt my heart. My hope is that this project might help reverse that negative trend somewhat, and bring a little happiness to our readers. If even one person smiles I'd consider that a triumph. :-)
Hello, my name is Barbara Chioffi and I am a 73-year old retired music teacher. I live with my hubby, son, and ten cats- yes, ten. I've been writing most of my life...family stories and poems, most recently, romance. I can't help but think of how blessed I've been to make the acquaintance of so many authors, each with their own brand of craziness. I've never read as much as I have recently and have experienced laughter, tears, frustration, fear, and romance, lots of romance. As my circle grows, learning from these talents has helped enhance my own writing. And that is as it should be...helping each other, giving each other confidence...not backbiting and using other writers to promote yourself. I've noticed that more than I would like to mention, and perhaps, that is why this introvert has decided to become a part of this positive blog tour. In the learning process, I've stepped on a few toes, as I imagine others might have, but only from inexperience. It's simple...trust yourself enough to allow others to shine a little and don't step on their light. It will only diminish your own in the end.
So there are some wonderful reasons for wanting to participate in this little project. For the rest of the month, one author per day (with four free days during the month) will post about their thoughts for that day, and the rest of them will post the link to that author's blog. That way all of you fine folks will have the opportunity to visit some new blogs, and maybe discover some fun new reads along with your positive thoughts for the day. Hopefully you readers will have as much fun with this as the authors!! Happy reading everyone, and have a great June!! :-)
Links for the Blogs Participating In The Tour:
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