Top Authors Give Proceeds to Middle School Gardening Project

Top authors from around the world will come together on Facebook this Saturday to raise funds for a gardening project for students at Curry Middle School, located in Jasper, AL. The project is sponsored and coordinated by Bea Kunz of Sage Hill Farms.

“The project will be ongoing from year to year, with different students and teachers participating,” states Kunz. She goes on to say, “I am thrilled to be a part of any project that enlightens or peaks an interest in better foods for better health."

Kim Mutch Emerson, owner of Master Koda Select Publishing, got wind of the project and gathered authors together from around the globe who were excited to offer the proceeds of their sales on Saturday, 27 April to this worthwhile project. 

For a preview of the books being offered you can visit this blog: http://dragontargeseries.blogspot.com/2013/04/charity-event-one-day-host-of-authors.html

The benefit event will include games and contests for the attendees, and takes place on Facebook this coming Saturday, April 27, from 10:00am to 3:00pm Eastern time. The public is welcome. Proceeds from the book sales will go to the Curry Middle School Organic Gardening Project. 

To join this worthwhile event, simply go to this link and click join: https://www.facebook.com/events/485963738123325/

For more information or to donate to this non-profit project contact Bea Kunz on her website at http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com/or Dr. Thomas Kyzer, Assistant Principal at Curry Middle School, Jasper, AL.

I have put forward my book, Kiwi in Cat City, so all royalties from copies sold on that day will be donated. In the right-hand grey column you can see a list of links - 'where to buy my books'. Just click on one to get to where the book is on sale. 

Kiwi in Cat City

24 5-star reviews on Amazon US

For children aged 9+, teens and adults...

One dark night, Amy cannot sleep and she looks out of the window into the garden to see her cat, Kiwi, transfixed by the moon, which is glowing brightly like a cat's claw. Waking her brother, James, Amy suggests they follow Kiwi to see where she goes... whether it involves a hunt for mice or something else. Little do they know that, with a flick of her tail, Kiwi is going to magically change them into kittens and lead them on the adventure of their lives to a land they never knew existed in their wildest dreams. In the blue-lit world of Cat City, the budding detectives help Inspector Furrball to solve the mystery of the missing catizens and find out what happened to Madame Purrfect.

This book is the first in the Kiwi Series. So far, there are six books.

Thanks
Vickie

A Poem a Day (24) - Beyond & some senyru

Hi! Greetings from Poland. I'm on holiday for a couple of weeks in Poland. We flew yesterday (tweet tweet), so I didn't post any poems, but I'll try to post every day. LOL, we'll see!! 

Anyway, here are some 5-minute poems for A Poem A Day. They are inspired by the prompts from Robert Lee Brewer in the Reader's Digest April PAD Challenge. If you want to join in with the challenge, here is the link: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2013-april-pad-challenge

Here are my offers for PAD 20 and 21. 

The prompt for 20 was to use the word 'beyond'.

The prompt for 21 was to write a senryu. I had no idea what this was. Turns out that it's a haiku in the 5-7-5 syllable style, but about the human condition, so it seems I've been writing these for ages and have loads in my haiku book, Life's Rhythms, but I'd no idea that they have a specific name! You know what they say about learning something new every day!!

Okay, well have a lovely day and here are my poems!! :)

Beyond 

Beyond the day

Afore the mentioned

Skimming the waves

Bridging the fjord

Footsteps in the snow

Melting the roses

Spilt like blood, red

Casting brilliance

In a white blanketed

Night

Beyond the moon

Where the stars dance

In the darkest heavens

Enjoying their wealth

Their courage foreseen

Casting silver dust

They float suspended

Darting across the skies

Swept up in a draft of

Light

Senryu

Mindless he strays, far

From the heart strings that pull so,

Imagining light

Sinking in the dark

Where the gutter sucks him up,

He tries on a smile

She wakes in the morn

Wanders to the shower, sighs,

Stops and cannot start

Chasing the deep bark,

He throws the stick wide, laughing

Where the lake invites

He takes the plane where

A hundred signposts signal

The hunt for freedom

Pegging the clothes she

Stares into the ache beyond

As the days wear thin

copyright Vickie Johnstone 

A Poem A Day (23) - a trio

Morning! Sorry I haven't posted for so long. It's been a very busy past week. I went to the London Book Fair on Monday, which was cool and hoped to go back, but time has seemed to sail away this week! You know how that goes!! 

Anyway, having missed doing my 5-minute Poem A Day, so I've just written 3 in a row. They are inspired by the prompts from Robert Lee Brewer in the Reader's Digest April PAD Challenge. If you want to join in with the challenge, here is the link: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2013-april-pad-challenge

Day 18 - prompt 'I am'

I am

I am

As the day finds me

Wandering through

Beneath the sun’s rays

Beyond the lines

Of grey buildings

I am

In the spaces between

Where things crawl

The skin twitches

Eyes open wide

In the morning fresh

I am

As the birds fly high

So the clouds chase

Ever turning moments

Find me

Waiting here

I am

Where the ocean roars

And the wind howls

As night falls

A curved moon rises

So I go to sleep

Day 17 – prompt 'express/expression'

Express Man

The brown envelope curls

At the edges;

Thumbed and worn.

It bears a single stamp

To reveal the tale -

Someone struck it there,

Sealed it closed,

Wrote upon the surface

In straggled prose.

I wonder as it sits

On the table’s edge

Waiting eagerly for me

To slide my finger along

The sealed edges,

What will I find inside?

Hearing the engine roar

Outside the window

Of the postman leaving,

My attention breaks

But not for long -

This writing seems familiar

In its constant curl,

Resurrecting the ache of

Memories long hidden.

My finger hovers along

The top, my breathing rises

And I back away.

It’s time for a cup of tea

Before I open this door

Full of distant echoes.

Day 16 – prompt 'impossible or possible'

The possible impossible

He digs in

As his heart pounds

Sweat pouring from his brow

Taking it in

Roars and whistles blowing

The constant ache fades away

He digs in

Passing them by, the crowd cries

Roaring its approval, pushing

Taking it in

He runs the fastest lap

His short life has ever seen

He digs in

As the finish meets him

In an embrace of like minds

copyright Vickie Johnstone

Thanks for reading!! :)

A Poem a Day (22): Why

Morning! Today's 5-minute poem is inspired by the prompt from Robert Lee Brewer in the Reader's Digest April PAD Challenge (day 10). The prompt is suffering.

If you want to join in with the challenge, here is the link:http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2013-april-pad-challenge-day-10

Here's my effort -

Why?

He sits shaking in the cold

Waiting for the morning

Drooling for some water

Yearning for some feeling

But none will come now

In this impenetrable dark

Where his only companion

Is the cage

He stares across the dirt

Lying clumped on concrete

Wishing he was elsewhere

Wanting his world to change

Almost desiring his death

But no one can help him now

In this oppressive dark -

Stolen away, his new home

Is the cage

Scuffing his black-furred paws

He stares at the missing claws

Waiting for the man to come

Wishing that he never would

Clearly desiring his death -

All they want is to drain him

Keep him here, locked away

Chained with a ring in his nose

In the cage

copyright Vickie Johnstone

A Poem a Day (21) - Hunted

Morning! Today's 5-minute poem is inspired by the prompt from Robert Lee Brewer in the Reader's Digest April PAD Challenge (day 9). The prompt is hunted or hunter.

If you want to join in with the challenge, here is the link:
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2013-april-pad-challenge-day-9

Here's my effort -

Hunted

Beneath the curved moon’s stare

She runs

Livid in the ice-cold touch

Of air’s fingers

She turns

Lithe limbs burning,

Her mind sets on nothing

But the escape -

She dashes

Silver in the distancing,

The silent shimmer

Of the lake entices -

Knowing, panting, slipping,

She leaps

Into the dark, inviting depths.

Chill water cascades,

Dipping her ears,

Coating the twitching whiskers -

Flicking the droplets

She swims

copyright Vickie Johnstone

Books for Boys- Reviews and Fun!: Kiwi in Cat City! A chapter book of fun.

I just got this marvellous review for Kiwi in Cat City. Me = very, very happy!

Books for Boys- Reviews and Fun!: Kiwi in Cat City! A chapter book of fun.: Let the mommy part begin first- all 4 boys read this, in part or whole, to one another.  Bobby and James read it alone, Brenton read it...

A Poem a Day (20) - a sevenling

Morning! I had a busy weekend so no poems! Hope you had a good one. Sigh! Apologies! And kick up the butt to me as these poems are meant to be every day!

Today's poem is a Sevenling, thanks to today's prompt from Robert Lee Brewer. I'm doing his April PAD Challenge. 

So, what's a Sevenling, I hear you ask...

According to the website, it’s a 7-line poem that features two tercets and a one-liner in the final (third) stanza. The first two stanzas should have an element of three in them that can either play off each directly, work as juxtaposition, or have no connection whatsoever. The final line should work as either a punchline, weird twist, or punctuation mark.

If you want to join in with the challenge, here is the link:
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2013-april-pad-challenge-day-7#comment-3394034

Here's my effort -

Waiting

She hovers on the water’s edge

Bare feet digging into softest sand

Awaiting the horizon’s rise

Its misted line feels so comforting

A fleeting glance of eternity

Endless in its stark burn of colour

Dawn breaks as she enters the waves

copyright Vickie Johnstone

A Poem a Day (19): Plus one

A ten-minute poem based on the prompt 'plus', given on the Readers' Digest poetry page I'm following.

Plus one

It’s meaningless, this plus one

You so wish I would bring.

I am here, though alone,

Accompanied by my thoughts.

I only want to sit in the corner,

Tucked away from the bustle,

Eat a little dinner, something light,

Drink a glass of sweet red wine.

Here I can watch the people,

Listen to their funny stories,

Enter their unique lives,

But remain anonymous.

What does it matter to you?

It is only me, the widow

As my dearest plus one

Passed so, so long ago.

copyright Vickie Johnstone

A Poem a Day (18): Hold that thought

A short poem from the prompt 'Hold that Thought' from a poetry site I was checking out yesterday. This one isn't a five-minute poem. Probably ten or so.

Hold that thought

“Hold that thought,” squawked the bird

As he peered down from his cage

“If I fly out, where would I go,

What would I eat, do you know?”

“Don’t be afraid,” soothed his friend,

Who watched him from beneath.

“I will catch you if you fall

Though I doubt you will at all.”

“But I’m scared,” squeaked the bird

Bobbing his yellow head to and fro.

“I’ve never gone beyond this cage,

“Ever since I was the youngest age.”

“Don’t you yearn to be free?

To soar overhead, oh so high,

Looking down on all of us?

Why do you make such a fuss?”

Canary turned his eye to the door,

Fastened with the simplest clip.

All this needed was to push a bit

And really that would be it.

Weighing up all his options,

He cursed his yellow heart.

Why did he tremble and shake

Over the journey he could take?

“Maybe another day,” he chirped

To his four-pawed, furry friend,

Whose whiskers suddenly drooped

As the bird was not to be duped.

copyright Vickie Johnstone

A Poem a Day (17): Some haiku

Five-minute poems to keep writing every day...

Some haiku

Trembling on a leaf

Yellow wings, dotted with black,

She flutters and flies

With just a knife, she

Splats a zillion zombies,

Only to be spam!

(RIP Andrea!!)

Darkness rises, here

In the pit plunging down - where

Fear hides itself

Scurrying away,

Whiskers twitch, a latch clicks back -

Cheese rockets his way!

Tomorrow, he thinks 

As the white blanket rises

On the sleeping field

He watches the tide 

Sliding back and forth, waiting

As his heart splinters

copyright Vickie Johnstone

Guest post: World Autism Day? No! World Autism WEEK!

By Nicole Storey

Hello! As an author and a mother of an autistic child, I try to do my part to support autism, whether it be research, grants for people with autism, therapy, resources for parents, and the like. World Autism Day gives the world a chance to show their support for all autistic individuals and I want to do my part.

So, with that in mind, my publisher, Inknbeans Press (http://www.inknbeans.com/) and I are offering a special edition e-book that includes all three titles of the Grimsley Hollow series written so far for only $6.99! With every purchase of this book, a donation will be made to Autism Speaks. The book will be available for purchase from Monday (4-1-13) until Friday (4-5-13) ONLY!

For those who aren’t familiar with Grimsley Hollow, I got the idea for the series from my son, and he is the main character and hero of the books. It is a YA fantasy with a touch of paranormal and a lot of Halloween! It is recommended for ages 10 and up.

Please consider grabbing a copy of this book and helping autistic individuals everywhere. Remember, not all heroes wear capes and these extraordinary people ARE heroes! Here are the links below:

Nicole Storey’s Face Book Page: https://www.facebook.com/nicolestoreyfans

Twitter: @Nicole_Storey

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C4I7NAQ

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grimsley-Hollow-Awareness-Collection-ebook/dp/B00C4I7NAQ

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-grimsley-hollow-world-autism-awareness-day-collection-nicole-storey/1046367702?ean=2940016426457

Kobo Books: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Grimsley-Hollow-World-Autism/book-ZjKIPKQ5BEKGHc5gzGoOEA/page1.html?s=5xs3mzhAI0qcLtHAuqVz3w&r=3 

Thanks so very much for your support! Together, we can make a difference!

Thanks Nicole for telling us about this very worthy cause. Readers, I also reviewed her book, Grimsley Hollow, and gave it a 5 out of 5 stars. 

A Poem a Day (16): In the blue

I hope everyone had a good Easter. Mine was pretty busy and lovely! Also ate too much chocolate! :)

Here's a five-minute poem for A Poem a Day...

In the blue

We rise with the tide

Sink with the ebb

Flowing within

A splash of blue

It takes me down

Into the unknown

Spinning in circles

Caressed by waves

Treading water

We chase bubbles

Of incandescence

Reflecting white

Rays from above

Into the unknown

Spinning in circles

Caressed by waves

The sun breaks

This surface film

Finding us here

Where we swim

Diving deep down

Copyright Vickie Johnstone