Aris Rising: The Court of Vampires

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Jeff

By Devin Morgan

Can true love survive despite the passage of centuries of time? Psychologist Sarah Hagan may have to pay the ultimate price to obtain the answer. Sarah’s once safe, quiet life working as a hypnotherapist in Chicago has been completely up-ended by Aris, a vampire whose story first began during the time of Alexander the Great. Aris has taken over the human body of one of Sarah’s patients so that he can be once again close to the only woman to have ever captured his heart. Before Sarah can be sure of her love for Aris, she must overcome obstacles not only in her own modern-day world, but also in Aris’ underground world of the Catacombs, as well as in the mountains of Spain where a vampire war threatens to erupt.
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Reviews

“Aris Rising is a fantastic read with just the right elements of mystery, adventure, and romance. The second in a trilogy–it is hard to put down. Aris Rising is a fantastic read with just the right elements of mystery, adventure, and romance. The second in a trilogy–it is hard to put down. I am already anticipating the further adventures of Aris in the third book. America was fascinated with Fifty Shades of Grey but Devin Morgan’s book Aris Returns is far better written and totally exciting. I can’t wait until these become a blockbuster movie!!” —Richard, Amazon

News

An Interview With Aris

By Melanie Fairchild
On many occasions I have interviewed authors just before the release of their newest work, but this is the first time I have ever had a conversation with the main character of an historical fiction novel. I must admit as I sat in the bar of the Biltmore Hotel waiting to have a heart-to-heart with a two-thousand-year old vampire, I had my doubts about the validity of the whole situation as well as the sanity of my editor for sending me on such a wild goose chase. Read More

Jennifer Garner Has a Heart of Gold

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Jeff

The Woman

More than just a pretty face, Jennifer Garner is the complete and beautiful package. With a heart of gold and reputation for being a charitable person, Jennifer is a proud mother of 3 kids who wants her children to grow up in a safe and loving world.

Born in Houston, Texas in 1972, Jennifer took an early interest in performing. She took ballet as a child and studied drama in high school and college. Keen for experience, Garner made the move to Los Angeles, aimed at TV and film and finally made her screen debut in the 1995 NBC’s made-for-TV movie Zoya, based on the Danielle Steel novel.

Work came quickly and quite easily over the next two years with her securing guest roles on several television shows, including Spin City and Law & Order, and small parts in several motion pictures, among them Deconstructing Harry, In Harm’s Way, and Mr. Magoo . In 2000, Garner earned notice for her recurring role on the hit show Felicity, and the show’s producer subsequently cast her as the lead in a new ABC drama, Alias. It was her starring turn as CIA agent Sydney Bristow that made Garner into an overnight success, earning her a loyal following of viewers and critical praise.

She married actor and Daredevil co-star Ben Affleck in 2005 with whom she has three children: daughters Violet and Seraphina, and son Samuel. After 10 years of marriage, Garner and Affleck announced their divorce in 2015.

Her upcoming film, Nine Lives, is a fantasy family film about a stuffy business man (Kevin Spacey) who gets trapped inside the body of a cat. Garner plays the wife of Spacey and the film releases on August 6. She has over a half dozen projects in development for the next year and shows no sign of slowing down.

Her Cause

Jennifer is one of the most charitable celebrities in the world. She is a regular contributor to

Save The Children–When disaster strikes around the world, Save the Children is there to save lives with food, medical care and education and remains to help communities rebuild through long-term recovery programs. Recently Jennifer, who is a trustee of the organization, launched an Omaze T-shirt campaign to raise funds for relief efforts after West Virginia was devastated by flash floods. Purchase a shirt here.

Children’s Defense Fund–In May of 2006, Jennifer joined a delegation of prominent Hollywood women including Reese Witherspoon, Cicely Tyson, Holly Robinson Peete, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Regina King, Deborah Santana, and over a dozen other prominent entertainment, cultural, media, and community leaders, in a trip to New Orleans for a Katrina Child Watch visit sponsored by Children’s Defense Fund.

Gap: Red— As a (product) Red partner, Garner helps with contributing half the profits from Gap (Product) Red Products to the global fund, to help women and children affected by AIDS in Africa.

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children-100% of the proceeds from each celebrity donating their jeans will go directly to NCMEC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding missing children and preventing child sexual exploitation.

Unexpected Dreams: Songs From The Stars –Actors have contributed songs to an album benefitting the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s music education programs. Buy The CD Here

Physical Challenges Can’t Stop These Sleuths

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Jeff

By Katherine Sharma

If you like triumph-over-physical-adversity tales, you may want to check out mystery writing’s long tradition of physically challenged detectives. There are many reasons for authors to create sleuths who are blind, deaf, paralyzed or otherwise physically limited. By literally handicapping crime-solving via a detective’s impaired ability to personally gather clues from crime scene inspection or interrogations, an author boosts the puzzle-solving challenge.

The social stigma often faced by people with physical issues also creates reader empathy and increases reader satisfaction in the protagonist’s ability to overcome and triumph. Authors usually offset a character’s physical disadvantage by honing intellect, senses, instincts or determination to a point beyond the skills of ordinary sleuths. A disability, because it can be misread as incapability, can even give a surprise edge in outwitting arrogant suspects, deceptive witnesses or uncooperative authorities.

Among the well-known detectives in this group is bestselling author Jeffery Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme, a quadriplegic New York City detective. NYC culprits also find a nemesis in George Chesbro’s dwarf criminology professor and private-eye Robert ‘Mongo’ Fredrickson. Proving lack of sight is not lack of insight is Jane A. Adams’ Naomi Blake, a blind ex-policewoman in the Midlands of England, while reading lips doesn’t hinder reading clues in Penny Warner’s Connor Westphal mysteries about a deaf newspaper journalist in California. For a list of more mysteries featuring physically challenged detectives, go to https://beyondrivalry.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/crime-fiction-book-list-disabled-isnt-unable/

ABOUT KATHERINE SHARMA

Katherine Sharma’s family roots are in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. But after her early childhood in Texas, she has moved around the country and lived in seven other states, from Virginia to Hawaii. She currently resides in California with her husband and three children. She has also traveled extensively in Europe, Africa and Asia, and makes regular visits to family in India. After receiving her bachelor’s degree. in economics and her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Michigan, Katherine worked as a newspaper and magazine writer and editor for more than 15 years. She then shifted into management and marketing roles for firms in industries ranging from outdoor recreation to insurance to direct marketing. Although Katherine still works as a marketing consultant, she is now focused on creative writing.

Visit Katerine’s Website or Sign up For Her Blog

The Price You Pay Getting Into A Relationship

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Jeff

Rom-coms focus on the tummy-butterfly-infused beginnings of romantic relationships, with the credits rolling long before real life with work, family and the power bill kick in. Love is an expensive endeavor with figurative and literal costs incurred by a couple as their relationship evolves.

Here’s a breakdown of the price you pay for getting into a relationship:

New Love
When you start dating someone, the bulk of the money spent is on entertainment. In a study conducted by the American Sociological Association, of 17,000 people surveyed it found 84% of the men and 58% of the women reported men cover the majority of expenses at the beginning of a courtship.

Regardless of if you go Dutch or treat one another, the cost of movies, dining out and trips adds up. You and your love interest make dates and plans that you wouldn’t spend money on as a single person.

Dating someone can also have an impact on other relationships in our lives. Making time and committing energy to a new love interest means that you decrease your commitments to others in your life in order to free yourself up. This relationship cost is not monetary but it can definitely be felt by all those impacted.

Studies have shown that females who swiftly increase the time they spend with a love interest also rapidly lessen the time they commit to friends. This change in interpersonal connections can cost the couple their close friends if balance is not created between friend time and romantic-love time.

Compromise will need to take place, as a couple will need to make appearances at various family functions as well as keep in touch with different friend groups. You won’t be able to attend everything, you will have to get good at saying no and balancing the variety of expectations of your friends and family, and those of your partner.

Getting Serious
You have gotten to know one another and you mutually decide you want to be exclusive. This can mean your dating costs dip because you’d rather spend the night chilling together watching Netflix than getting all gussied up to go out to a fancy restaurant.

With the growing connection of a couple, there can be a desire to signify the more “serious” nature of a relationship. One way of expanding this level of your relationship is with jewelry, specifically, a promise ring which expresses a token of love and commitment.This is an outward expression of your dedication to one another and your union.

Getting serious may also mean spending nights over at one another’s places. If you do the math, you realize you’re both doling out rent or mortgage money monthly as well as covering the utilities and groceries for each of your homes. The cost-benefit analysis on this can quickly motivate couples to decide to make to move in together.

Make sure to have a discussion about how you’ll share the expenses before you make THAT move.

Moving-in, Marriage & Maybe Even Kids
The more commitment as couple pledges to one another and their relationship, the more significant the costs are. Big-ticket items tend to come into play when couples decide to pool their resources and move in together. Their buying power increases because they can combine their cash to buy furniture, a car or maybe even a home.

If an engagement and wedding are in the cards, the large price tag isn’t far behind. In the US, the average wedding costs around $26,000. Some people opt for more lavish events costing upwards of $30,000, while others keep their expenses down below $10,000. No matter where a couple finds themselves on that spectrum, it is a bunch of money to carve out of savings.

The next question after the wedding wraps up is typically “so when are you having kids?”. Or maybe you forgo the wedding and opt to just have kids. However you slice it, the little rag rats are one of the most expensive investments you’ll make a couple. Kids cost about $13,000 a year.

The expenses of having a child or children continue even if the couple doesn’t. Yup, there is a chance of divorce. An estimated 40%–50% of first marriages and 60% of second marriages end in divorce. Divorce comes with its own hefty fee.

All of the added commitments and stresses of running a household, raising kids while juggling work can take its toll on a relationship. Resentment can rear its ugly head as women tend to assume the majority of cleaning tasks. A recent study found that husbands create seven hours of extra housework a week — SEVEN!

Establishing and continuing committed relationship can be incredibly positive experience as it can bring security, emotional support and fun into your life. But don’t kid yourself, no matter what stage you’re in, relationships are hard work and have costs.

Go into relationships with your eyes wide open and honestly discuss with your partner what you’re both willing to invest of yourselves, your time and money.

(From Never Liked It Anyway, the number one destination for all things break-ups and bounce-back! It’s the place to buy, sell and tell all things ex! Sell your breakup baggage, tell your story and join the community of rock stars bouncing back better than ever! )

‘Bad Seed’ Characters Exist in Fact and Fiction

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Jeff

By Katherine Sharma

Psychopathic villains–manipulative, aggressive, remorseless and unemotional–abound in murder mysteries, but when those psychopaths are children, an element of horror enters.

Remember Rhoda, the too-perfect little girl murderess in the 1954 novel The Bad Seed by William March? Or Kevin, a school massacre perpetrator, whose mother suspects his evil capacity long before his final horrific acts in Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin. Agatha Christie’s Crooked House also featured a deadly child in scheming 12-year-old Josephine Leonides, who kills her grandfather because he won’t pay for ballet lessons–and almost gets away with it.

Author Jonathan Kellerman, a clinical child psychologist who writes New York Times best-selling mysteries featuring psychologist sleuth Dr. Alex Delaware, gives support to fictional “bad seed” characterizations. He notes in his nonfiction Savage Spawn, inspired by the spate of 1997-1998 schoolyard shootings, that “psychopathic tendencies begin very early in life, as young as three, and they endure.”

Though research shows psychopathy is 50% genetic, biology is not destiny for our complex human personalities, and nurture can guide nature. Budding pre-psychopaths can be tempered by a non-aggressive environment and by a parenting style that is neither too permissive nor too authoritarian while providing structure and limits, according to psychology experts. After all, children with psychopathic traits do not all become killers; many grow up to use the daring, charming and manipulative aspects of their personalities as successful business tycoons, political leaders or sports stars.

Still, the fictional tales of young murderers are not just fantasy and are reinforced every year by headlines about preteen killers and school shootings. We need to be alert to signs in children that presage criminal acts–violence toward people or animals, lack of guilt or remorse, social isolation, defiance and sensation-seeking–and commit to timely intervention. For more on youthful violence prediction and intervention, see http://crimefeed.com/2016/01/predicting-violent-criminal-behavior-how-to-spot-the-warning-signs-intervene/

ABOUT KATHERINE SHARMA

Visit Katerine’s Website or Sign up For Her Blog

Can Your Relationship Survive Infidelity?

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Jeff

Can I survive my husband’s/wife’s affair? If it happened to you, could you find the strength to forgive? Experienced marriage counselors and therapists argue that a spouse’s infidelity is the most excruciating type of bad behavior in a marriage; it can’t be understood unless you experience it firsthand. After uncovering a spouse’s affair several common feelings will invade your body: sadness, anger, surprise, disbelief and eventually, grief. Some couples need years to forgive their partners, while others choose not to forgive and get a divorce. Which of these two options resonates with your principles?

An affair has more than one connotation. It can be a one-night stand or it can become a relationship. Is it possible for modern day couples to move on, forgive and rebuild their marriage after an affair? Apparently, yes. Infidelity can be overcome however the phases to recovery are not easy to abide by.

Dealing with the crisis

The first and most important step in recovering from an affair is the crisis step. It occurs as soon as the affair was uncovered or disclosed. In the beginning, you will feel deep betrayal and you will be in shock. All the love, trust, empathy, and confidence you had in your partner will vanish. However you must keep your cool. Acknowledge that it’s a phase and you will surpass it. It will be difficult and incredibly painful, but you will make it.

Don’t make any decisions during this time of crisis because chances are you will make the wrong decision. In order to start recovering you have to sink it in and accept it. There’s nothing you can do to change what your spouse did. What can you do to cope with the affair? Start by going out more often. Meet up with friends and family, or make your work more engaging. Do fun things to help you get your mind off your marital issues.

Accept what you’re feeling

The feelings you have now for your partner are normal. It’s perfectly normal to think differently about your marriage too; you may have a tendency to see it as a liability rather than a strength. Confusion, loneliness, sadness, and frustration will also make themselves present inside your soul. Some of these emotions will interfere with your better judgment, and they’ll change the way you see society and the people in your life.

Allow yourself enough time to heal

Your heart needs healing before it can accept what your spouse did. Take some time off work, go on a vacation alone and clear your head. Surround yourself with beautiful places and unknown people; it will help you move on. People think a lot more clearly when they’re away. Detach yourself completely from your normal routine and don things you never dared to do. You’re in healing mode, so you’re allowed to do everything your heart tells you to do.

Face your demons

After a well-deserved healing period it’s time to face your demons. Meet with your significant other face to face and have a conversation. Make some decisions and talk about what you should do next – move on and letting go or stay together. Get marriage help if you can’t work things out alone. Counseling or couples therapy are recommended now that you’ve moved pass feelings of hatred and resentment.

If you feel the need to ask for an explanation, then do it. It can be difficult to accept, but many people cheat because they no longer get the attention they deserve from their better half. So they choose to search for it someplace else. Talk to your partner about your desires, and if you still love each other then you shouldn’t split up. An affair can be a wake-up call for many spouses, although it’s a harsh truth very few can accept.

Take things slow
Now that you’ve dealt with the crisis and faced your demons, it’s time to move on. The reconciliation process will be long, but you have to deal with it if you still want to be together. The betrayed party will still suffer enormously, although in time and with extreme care those feelings and insecurities will fade away. Everything depends on you! Take things slow and start from the ground up.

Remember the good things: how you fell in love, places you traveled together, secrets you shared, and love messages you sent to one another. Stay focused on the good memories and smile every day. Make each other happy and add more understanding and compassion to the mix. Don’t ignore your love life either! Spice things up in the bedroom and before you know it the affair your spouse once had will be forgotten.

There are ways to survive an affair, especially if you still love your spouse although we’re not saying it will be easy; because it won’t.

Written by Sylvia Smith

Mystery on Board: Cruising Into Murder

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Jeff

By Katherine Sharma

It’s vacation time, and maybe you’re longing to sail away from it all. You may even be one of the folks actually taking a cruise ship to exotic destinations. But what if there is a murderer hunting among the passengers trapped on that floating hotel?

If you don’t mind a frisson of anxiety with your real or imagined cruise adventure, add some of these noted mystery authors’ tales of shipboard murder to your reading list. A well-known classic is Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie, in which her Belgian sleuth Hercules Poirot plans a leisurely cruise down the Nile but ends up sifting through suspicious passengers and false leads to solve the murder of a wealthy young woman.

Bestselling suspense author Mary Higgins Clark also penned a thriller with a cruise setting. In Clark’s You Belong to Me, a killer stalks lonely women on board cruise ships as a radio-show psychologist rushes to catch the murderer before he can literally stop her dead.

Famed New Zealand writer Ngaio Marsh even introduced her mystery series’ police detective Roderick Alleyn to the high seas in Singing in the Shrouds, sending Alleyn on a ship voyage in pursuit of a serial killer. But the King of Ocean-Liner Fiction is Conrad Allen. Allen’s eight mysteries in the “Murder on the…” series are all set aboard pre-World War I cruise ships, starting with Murder on the Lusitania, and feature a husband and wife sleuthing team.

For an updated ocean liner tale, fans of the “Murder, She Wrote” mystery series will appreciate Murder on the QE2, by Donald Bain and “Jessica Fletcher,” as Jessica, invited aboard as one of seven guest lecturers, tries to solve the murder of a fellow speaker. For more mysteries with cruise ship settings, see http://www.cozy-mystery.com/blog/mystery-books-that-take-place-on-cruise-ships-mystery-books-at-sea.html

ABOUT KATHERINE SHARMA

Visit Katerine’s Website or Sign up For Her Blog

Melissa McCarthy: Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Jeff

The Woman

Actress Melissa McCarthy is a stand up person who literally started in stand up. McCarthy worked clubs in New York City for years before she decided to pack it all up and move to the warm climate of Los Angeles. She joined a sketch comedy group known as The Groundlings and perfected her craft. Continue reading →

Be Wary of Dreaming Up Dreams in Your Writing

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Jeff

By Katherine Sharma

Because all people experience dreaming, it is tempting for authors to include a “dream sequence” in works of fiction. Some reasons for fictional dreams include illuminating a character’s suppressed anxieties or desires, creating a foreshadowing or mood, or inserting an explanatory flashback.

In general, writing critics discourage the urge to insert dreams because botched efforts are so common. You’ve no doubt encountered fictional dream descriptions that bore and impede rather than propel the story, that annoy as obviously hokey manipulations, or that confuse by their ambiguous truthfulness and significance.

Most writers can’t match great literature’s dream usage. For example, Homer’s epic Iliad uses a false dream sent by Zeus to Agamemnon to spur the attack on Troy. Many of William Shakespeare’s plays include vivid dreams, such as Macbeth, Richard III, The Tempest and, of course, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

In Emily Bronte’s gothic Wuthering Heights, characters are guided by their dreams. Russian greats Leo Tolstoy in War and Peace and Fyodor Dostoyevsky in Crime and Punishment rely on dream motifs, too. Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland uses a dream setting to play with logic and satire. James Joyce’s Ulysses has dream sequences that inspire Freudian and Jungian analysis.

Note how assumptions about dreams have changed in the West, from the ancient belief that dreams come from outside supernatural sources, to Romantic personal inspiration and revelation, and finally to the modern focus on science and psychological insight. No matter what theory of dreaming is used, writers must make sure a believable dream sequence is relevant to character and integral to the plot. Here are some dream facts to consider: https://www.verywell.com/facts-about-dreams-2795938

ABOUT KATHERINE SHARMA

Visit Katerine’s Website or Sign up For Her Blog

9 Steps To Successful Dating

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Jeff

Dating has always been an opportunity to meet a wide variety of people and look for the right person; the one who is likely to make you happy for the rest of your life. Modern technology may have made it easier to meet people from anywhere in the world, or even to find your perfect match, according to a computer. However, it cannot help you to date successfully and hang on to the perfect partner. The following tips are a good source of relationship advice and can help you successfully date the person of your dreams:

1. Communication is fundamental

Communication in relationships of any sort is one of the most essential traits. You must do more than simply talk about how nice their eyes are or how great the film was. Communicating effectively requires you to open up and talk to them about the things which are important to you. It doesn’t matter whether it is regarding the level of sex in your relationship or your dreams to be the next President. Communicating effectively will ensure you have found someone who knows you and wants to be with you, just the way you are.

2. Be spontaneous

The first stage of any relationship generally involves a large amount of spontaneous sex and other activities. Unfortunately, as you grow older and the relationship matures it becomes more difficult to maintain this level of spontaneity; other commitments get in the way. Try to hold onto this feeling for as long as possible by going out regularly; when you are out forget about everything else and go where the wind takes you!

3. Abandon traditions

The traditional couple has a male breadwinner and a female cook, cleaner and home maker. This stereotype is no longer valid in the modern society. The best relationship advice you can have is to forget all traditions and what works for other couples. Share your dreams and work towards them together. You will be able to support each other and your dreams can come true.

4. Work hard and fight for the person you like

Relationships require work. It is simply not possible to get along all the time, especially as difficult decisions need to be made and other influences come into play. No matter what happens you must be prepared to put in the work and find a way through the difficult times; the good times will be worth it. The opposite of this is that whenever you have the opportunity you should also play hard. Your free time can be used to enjoy each other’s company and indulge in any activity which takes both of your fancy.

5. Believe in the right one

You need to believe that the right one is out there; you just need to find them. Do not wait for them to find you and do not be afraid to end a relationship which is clearly not working for you. The idea behind dating is to try several different people until you find the right one.

6. Acknowledge that every relationship is unique

Just as every person is unique, so is every relationship. What works for your friends or worked for you in a past relationship may not work in your current one. To date successfully you must be aware of your partner’s needs and personality; the way this matches yours will dictate how your relationship will work. There is no right or wrong path; just the one that works for you.

7. Be open to new experiences

No matter how long you have been dating, there will be opportunities to experience something new and different. Always seize these opportunities, they can broaden your horizons and strengthen your relationship, even if it is something that you do not enjoy!

8. Showcase an honest, fun attitude

It’s fundamental to be honest when jumping into a new relationship. Date someone you truly like and let them to get to know the real you. Don’t hide your personality; if they like what they see they might also like what’s underneath the surface.

9. Laugh

Laughing is good at a date. It shows that you’re enjoying the person sitting in front of you, not to mention that it’s the perfect opportunity for you to show that you have a sense of humor too. Laughter loosens the stressful ambiance created at a date. It makes people relax and enjoy the moment. This is the perfect opportunity to talk more, open yourself up and let your personality shine.

Dating someone nice is challenging these days. We live in a world of advanced technology where most people socialize online. If you want to meet someone special, you need to do it face to face. In the virtual world what you see is not what you get, so it’s always best to be careful when going out with someone you know nothing about.

Written by Sylvia Smith

Author Archives: Jeff

Aris Rising: The Court of Vampires

Reviews

News

An Interview With Aris

Jennifer Garner Has a Heart of Gold

Physical Challenges Can’t Stop These Sleuths

ABOUT KATHERINE SHARMA

The Price You Pay Getting Into A Relationship

‘Bad Seed’ Characters Exist in Fact and Fiction

ABOUT KATHERINE SHARMA

Can Your Relationship Survive Infidelity?

Mystery on Board: Cruising Into Murder

ABOUT KATHERINE SHARMA

Melissa McCarthy: Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts

Be Wary of Dreaming Up Dreams in Your Writing

ABOUT KATHERINE SHARMA

9 Steps To Successful Dating

Want More Love?