“If I step on this crack, will the cat come back?”

Bad things happen. It’s an unfortunate part of life and being a citizen on this spinning orb that we call, earth.

But do our fears sometimes get in the way of progress? Of the ‘good things’ in life? Do we shy away from opportunities because they could spell F-A-I-L-U-R-E?

If you’re one who laughs at superstitions, perhaps even labelling them as ‘foolish’, remember, superstition takes on many forms.

Is the car going to breakdown just because you say it won’t? Will you be rejected for the position because you’ve told a few people that you’re a ‘shoe-in’?

That’s the way I often think. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve made sure to say the opposite of what I wished to occur, just to promote a favourable outcome. As if I could use mind control on the uncontrollable. Crazy! I know!

The truth is, like superstitions, most of the things that terrify us are nothing more than ‘Paper Tigers’.

Most are purely benign.

If you look beneath the surface of some, you might even discover something sweet!

There are many circumstances beyond our control, but with perseverance we can learn to master our fear.

What superstitions haunt you? Free yourself with logic and optimism!

I’m certainly going to try.

 

 

 

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Vanished

This is a Guest Blog Post about my novel, Vanished, that was kindly hosted by author Karen Ingalls.

I am grateful to Karen for this opportunity! Please click on the following link to view and purchase Karen’s novels: Amazon.com

Here is the Guest Post:

Author, Mark Bierman

I am pleased to have Rave Reviews Book Club Member, Mark Bierman, as my guest this week. Drawing on his work as a private investigator and a correctional officer, Mark combines unique experiences and imagination to create stories and characters.

His novel, Vanished,  is a remarkable story about Human Trafficking.

    

Synopsis:

When a shared tragedy strikes the lives of John Webster an his son-in-law, Tyler Montgomery, they seek healing by embarking on a good will mission to earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

The mission quickly changes from benign to perilous after a young girl is kidnapped by human traffickers, and the pair make a promise to the child’s mother that may cost them everything.

The two ordinary men undertake the extraordinary, forming unholy alliances with the seedy underbelly of an impoverished land, as they struggle to keep their moral fiber from unravelling.

Interesting Facts:

1. Giving Back: Fifty percent of the proceeds from the sales of Vanished are donated to organizations that help victims of human trafficking.

2. Coincidence? A few months after publishing Vanished, Mark befriended a missionary family that was actively helping victims in Cambodia. He continues to support their amazing work.

3. Change of plans: The idea for Vanished came about when Mark decided to write a magazine article about an actual mission trip to post-earthquake Haiti. The trip had been undertaken by his father and brother-in-law. The main characters are loosely based on them. They each kept a journal about their experiences, and though neither encountered human traffickers, a percentage of the facts and experiences they logged were used in the novel.

Some Reviews

“The subject of human trafficking is a painful subject to read about, but it is something that we all need to be aware of in hopes of bringing an end to this horrible part of most societies. Mr. Bierman does an excellent job of bringing the subject to the forefront through a fictional story. The actions of two Americans in a foreign country to bring one little girl safely home is the story line.

I had to give it four stars because there was too much detailed description of their hunt through the forest and the mine. All in all, this is a book I would recommend to anyone.

By Karen Ingalls

“Really great book about the hidden world of human trafficking. A friend referred to this author, and I’m glad he did! The story is based in Haiti and is not only a good read, but is also thought provoking and well written.

I highly recommend it and look forward to other books by this author. Great job!

By Gail M. 

Bio

Born and raised on a farm near Brockville, Ontario, Mark Bierman’s childhood consisted of of chores, horseback riding, fishing trips to a local lake, snowmobile races, and many other outdoor adventures.

Transitioning to adulthood also meant moving from the farm  into large urban  centers that introduced this ‘country boy’ to life in the ‘big city’.

Please follow these links to see what Mark is up to: 

Website:  markbierman.com

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon

Blog

Bigfoot Is Coming!

Today I have the privilege of welcoming my special guest, D.L. Finn! She is an author who is responsible for wonderful stories, across various genres! In this blog, she will be discussing her upcoming publication.

 

 

I want to thank Mark for inviting me on his blog! Since becoming a member of Rave Reviews Book Club I have been lucky to meet a lot of extraordinary authors, including Mark, and develop friendships along the way. Mark’s book Vanished is high on my TBR list for this summer’s reading.

Besides all the amazing books I’ve been lucky to read, I’ve been working, too. One project has been my first short story Bigfoot: A Short Story for “The 90-Day, Alpha / Omega (Beginning to End) Short Story Writing Contest” RRBC is hosting.

This has forced me to flex those unused short story muscles I haven’t used in a while. Luckily it came back to me quickly and I found a new freedom that writing novels doesn’t allow. My inner child took over and began to soar. The idea for “Bigfoot” came from a newspaper article a few years back when a local lake was being poisoned a second time to remove pike fish from it. The reasoning was the pike would kill the local species of fish–especially the trout. Aside from how I felt about pouring toxic chemicals into Lake Davis twice, I began to wonder what if. Then my what if laid around for many years until this contest where it became Bigfoot. This story is different than anything I’ve written before, but within my X-File type interest. Here is a short blurb:

Can you believe everything you read? Steve must answer that question when he finds a strange blog while searching for his friend’s address.  It was crazy to consider the government would poison a lake to find Bigfoot–and Steve wasn’t crazy. But, there were also some truths weaved into this unbelievable tale. Steve began to question his comfortable reality as he kept reading.

Bigfoot: A Short Story is available for pre-order now on Amazon with the release date of June 21^st–for the first day of summer!

 

D.L. Finn is an independent California local, who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 relocated with her husband, kids, dogs and cats to the Sierra foothills in Nevada City, CA.  She immersed herself in reading all types of books, but especially loved romance, horror and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, being surrounded by towering pines, oaks and cedars, her creativity was cradled until it bloomed. Her creations vary from children’s books, young adult fantasy, adult paranormal romance to an autobiography with poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to her readers to join her.

Please click on the links below to see what D.L. is up to.

Website and Blog

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

Nothing New Under The Sun? Then Head Underground!

Okay, so you don’t need to suffocate yourself by burying your head in the sand, but do you ever get tired of the ‘same old thing’? Sorry, this article won’t help you win the lottery, or forge a new identity, but it may change your perspective (somewhat . . . maybe?) on the mundane. Checkout some new names for everyday things!

 

Elevators can become Ascension Cabs. Of course, they’d have to install new signs in every office and public building.

 

Are goats really just Organic Lawnmowers? Much lower carbon footprint!

 

Candy or Fat Pills? Sorry, but they’re not good for you.

 

Are skyscrapers just People Hives?

That’s all for today. See how the ordinary can be re-branded to brighten your day?