Christmas—not always a joyful time of year

Christmas is about colored lights, decorated trees, and gift giving, but it’s also a time for deep reflection and sadness, for some.

While most people are celebrating Christmas with their families, others might be alone and feeling miserable. It’s especially hard if you just lost a loved one to be reminded of that loss.

I’m fortunate to still have my family, but our holiday get-togethers now have changed. We used to have huge Christmas Eve gatherings and exchange tons of presents. It was exciting and a little overwhelming. Now, we have quieter get-togethers with less presents. We’re all older now and pretty much have everything we need anyway, and it gets harder to decide what to buy people, even ones you know well. That was a stressor for me every year at Christmas.

The unfortunate part of our Christmas gatherings in recent years is that they aren’t always happy occasions. Yelling at each other is a new addition. Those sweet, innocent times are long gone now with the rise of lies and fake posts spreading on social media and cable news, the latter of which really isn’t news. Those so-called news channels are meant to anger people. And the trolls on social media are intentionally trying to cause rage. It’s sad, but a part of our lives now.

The good news is my husband and I have our own intimate Christmas celebration and traditions that help me through this time of the year. I think, no matter what, you need to find your happy place.

Hopefully, we as a nation can get past all of this anger, and I hope my family can too.

Merry Christmas, Happy Yule, and Happy Winter Solstice to everyone.

A New Perspective on Life

There’s nothing like a series of health scares to open your eyes. That’s what happened to me in July and into August. My experience was horrible, painful, and distressing. I’m not 100% yet, but I’m doing better. My journey into Hell started with what appears to have been caused by stress and a stomach virus that led to blood sugar fluctuations and a tweaked neck. Fun times. I simply wasn’t listening to my body trying to tell me to chill out and not do activities that strain my neck. Lesson learned.

I’ve been addressing my stress by starting Tai Chi, and it’s helping. I should have been doing this a long time ago. Yoga breathing exercises are also helping me stay calm.

All of this has put my writing and my whole life on hold. I had finished the first draft of my vampire thriller right before this happened. Streams of thoughts and ideas about changes have come to me in spurts, and I have been making notes to review later when I can spend more time on the computer. This has turned out to be a good break from my story. I can return to it with fresh eyes and ideas on how to expand areas.

I also started reading books again, something I used to do all the time until I guess I lost focus. Reading other stories helps with my writing process, and it is a nice escape from life stresses.

Even though my experience was one of the worst for me, it also helped me open my eyes and start living better.

 

Older Main Characters in Fiction

I’m noticing more older main characters in fiction, even though I know there have always been mature main characters. I wasn’t paying attention to that until I got older. Now I can relate to them. Things like needing reading glasses and dealing with aches and pains are part of my life now. I recall a funny moment from the violent Sons of Anarchy show where the evil, controlling mother was trying to hotwire and steal a car. She had to get her readers out so she could see.

Since I’m still recovering from my health scare, I haven’t returned to the book I was working on yet, but I have been editing for other authors. A small-press publisher hired me for three jobs, and keeping busy is helping me get back on track. So far, two of the books have older main characters.

It is refreshing to see stories featuring older main characters in books and on TV. Sometimes, though, watching these elderly people struggling with daily life is hard to take in. One recent example is the documentary on Ozzy Osbourne’s last couple of years and his final weeks. It was a great accounting of how much he went through after breaking his neck in a fall and then his final weeks planning his farewell concert. The documentary was both humorous and heartbreaking. One line stood out. “I used to take pills for fun. Now I take them to stay alive.”

I’m at that age now where watching an older person struggle is difficult to handle, but it’s part of life.

I’d prefer to see these mature characters running around like a 63-year-old Tom Cruise in his latest Mission Impossible movie. It’s inspiring to see that, but everyone ages differently, and everyone has a different story to tell. Even the daily struggles are inspiring in their own tragic way.

Escape to a world of enchantment and passion.

www.kelleyheckart.com

A unique vampire tale: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Steven Graham Jones

I really liked this unique vampire tale with a Native American slant. Set in the Old West, it’s the story of Good Stab, once a proud Blackfoot warrior who is turned into a vampire. It’s also about Arthur Beaucarne, a Lutheran pastor, who has a tragic history with Good Stab. His modern-day descendant also has a part in this revenge story.

The vampires are interesting. They aren’t like Dracula or Ann Rice creatures, but also not as grotesque as The Strain blood drinkers. One thing I found interesting is that if they drink too much of one thing, human or animal, they become that thing.

The distinctive first-person POVs for all these characters were spot-on, and the descriptions of the setting immersed me in the story, making me feel as though I was in the Old West.

That being said, the book slogged for most of the story for me. It took too long to get to the main event, and it seemed like the author was filling up space to reach a higher word count. Also, Etsy, Arthur’s ancestor, is introduced at the beginning, but we don’t hear from her again until the end. I forgot all about her. Despite the slow pace, I managed to finish this book. I was pleased, but not particularly surprised, by the ending. Revenge is sweeter when it’s cold, after all.

I recommend this book to readers looking for a different vampire tale.

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Hunter-Stephen-Graham-Jones-ebook/dp/B0D6WL1XJ1?ref_=ast_author_mpb

My Visit to a Wolf Sanctuary

My husband and I recently took a vacation to Sedona, AZ. Before our trip, I Googled “things to do if   you don’t want to go hiking.” The Sedona Wolf Sanctuary came up. I’d never heard of it, and I was intrigued. You must make an appointment to visit, and you are allowed inside the enclosures where you can interact with the wolves.

After visiting their website and reading the rules, I booked an appointment. They are very strict about clothing and what you can bring inside the enclosures. Also, you have to be over 18 to visit the sanctuary, and you are not permitted to use a cane, walker, or wheelchair. You can’t wear sunglasses because wolves need to see your eyes. We were good with all the rules put in place to protect the wolves from stress.

We arrived at the remote location, paid our cash donation, and the first thing our hosts did was tell us about the wolves and the Native American spiritual history of the place. Then, our group performed a sage smudge around a medicine wheel to calm ourselves before meeting the wolves, because these intelligent animals can sense your anxiety, and they will avoid you.

This was the most awakening experience I’ve ever had. We sat on benches or on pads on the ground while two wolves, Thor and Spirit, roamed the area. They only approached you if they chose to do so. My husband and I got wolf kisses. I have never felt so calm in my life by meeting these awesome creatures.

I really connected with Larka, the alpha she-wolf, mainly because we are both older females with arthritis. She doesn’t really trust men because a horrible man abused her. She was so sweet.

This is the last chance for these wolves. They were surrendered by people who thought having a wolf as a pet was a good idea. The wolves at this sanctuary can’t be pets, and they can’t survive in the wild. The only other option is euthanasia. Cynthia and Xavier are doing a great service by taking care of these animals.

Visiting this sanctuary also helped me. I’ve been struggling mentally and physically lately. This was a spiritual experience that helped heal my fractured soul. I want to return to this wonderful place.

  

White Rose of Avalon available on multiple online retailers

 

Now on Amazon, Kobo and Kobo Plus, Google Play, and Apple Books: 

https://storyoriginapp.com/universalbooklinks/0f6a067a-05a0-11f0-ab3e-170251331eed

I'm trying to see if I can get better sales by having my ebooks in other stores, not just Amazon. Plus, Amazon has been making me angry lately. They keep changing the process for listing and selling Kindle books. The latest one has upset readers because now they can't download ebooks they bought and back them up on their computers. As a reader with a Kindle, I'm not sure if I'm going to buy any more ebooks from Amazon. Amazon can remove them from my reader, even though I own the ebooks. I'm rethinking the whole digital thing and may return to physical books. It's starting to look like we don't actually own digital media that we purchase.

www.kelleyheckart.com

Self-Hypnosis and Positive Affirmations: The Art of Self Therapy Book Review

Amazon Buy Link: Self-Hypnosis-Positive-Affirmations-Self-Therapy

5 Stars

Self-Hypnosis and Positive Affirmations: The Art of Self Therapy is unique because it combines the two therapies. This guide covers both physical and psychological illnesses in different chapters like quitting smoking, weight loss, stress, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, pain management, childbirth, insomnia, addictions, lack of confidence/low self-esteem, anger management, nail-biting, sports performance, motivation, and a host of common fears.

 What I really liked about this guide is that there are convenient self-hypnosis scripts for each treatment and a list of affirmations inserted at the end of each chapter.

I found the breathing exercises and affirmations most helpful. There is also a list of resources for further research at the end of the book. Highly recommended.