I sold my first piece a couple of days ago--a short story for an anthology through L&L Dreamspell, www.LLDreamspell.com. Surprisingly, it was for the "Demented Anthology" <g>. I know, I normally write humorous material, usually with an underlying inspirational message. This was too good of a chance, as this is an up-and-coming e-publisher that also prints a good portion of its books. I have done a trailer for my short story. Enjoy!

 

Daryn Cross and all of her current heroines, Olivia, Margaret, Carolina, Honey Blood and Angelique, wish everyone a wonderful day. Spend sometime outside to enjoy how wonderful nature truly is and make a pledge to keep it that way.

I heard the most fascinating interview today on the Dr. Oz Show, Oprah Radio, XM 156. He was interviewing Martin Lindstrom, a marketing guru who is well-known for branding and marketing research. Lindstrom explained that many companies are turning to the use of neuromarketing to determine how to sell their products. They use colors, scenes, even smells to draw their audience.

Here is a blurb about it from Chapter Four of his book, "Buyology."

Subliminal messaging, alive and well

In 1957, when a market researcher named James Vicary claimed that a lightning-quick image of a Coca-Cola bottle—flashed for less than 1/3000th of a second on a movie screen—was enough to make the audience rush to the concession stand for a Coke, America was shocked and alarmed. If marketers could use hidden messages to get us to buy, couldn’t other nefarious forces use similar tactics to psychologically manipulate our behavior? The term ‘subliminal advertising’ was coined, and its practice was quickly banned in 1957. Since then, no-one has explored the potential influence of subliminal advertising—until Project Buyology. Lindstrom and some of the world’s most respected neuroscientists embarked on a mission to discover whether or not subliminal messages still surround us, and the extent to which they really influence our behavior. But be warned, what you’re about to see—or rather not see—may alarm you.

What the team discovered is that some companies use colors. For instance, Marlboro made the color of a Ferrari red many years ago in Formula One cars. Now, it is an unmistakable icon. Although no tobacco advertising exists in Formula One any longer, just the presence of the color makes people thing cigarettes and light up. He says even some bars in Europe will have red tiles on their bathroom floors for the same reason.

Some companies use smells. Certain stores have patented odors, or aromas iif you prefer. Abercrombie and Fitch has their own, and any well-heeled teen can smell the difference in an A&F pair of jeans and another brand.

Back to the tobacco industry. Lindstrom says there was a billboard up that had the picture of a cowboy enjoying the scenery with no written words on it. The company discovered more people would buy cigarettes if they didn't see anything written about them in the scene.

This all has me wondering, how can I brand Daryn Cross so people buy my books (when they are released) if they really want to or not. I must research Nora Roberts some more. I knew she had a secret!

In my second walk-in angel book, I introduced an angel-cat named Merle. Merle is a member of heaven's Feline Intelligence Agency and the "familiar" belonging to Earth Angel, Miranda.

I ran across this article from the Fresno Bee about an angel of a woman and her heaven home for cats here on earth, and thought you'd enjoy it. For more about this cat retirement home, go to www.purrrfectangels.org .

Purrrfect SANCTUARY

 

'Not So' Purrrfect Angels provides homes for 315 cats down on their luck.

By GIGI HANNA

-----------------------------

THE FRESNO BEE

 

At Janice Rozzano’s house the whir of a can opener can start a stampede.

The sound of metal biting into metal is a dinner bell that rings for dozens of cats running from all directions. The Fresno woman runs Not So Purrrfect Angels, a retirement home for felines.

At last count there were 315. "We’ve been able to assist people in ways other shelters can’t," Rozzano said. "If we find a home for one, we’re ecstatic. But our philosophy is that they can live out here for life."

 

Rozzano has nearly four acres southeast of the Sunnyside area for her colony of cats. About half are in the house with her and the others are in a fenced compound outdoors. None is allowed to roam. The animals have kitty condos, toys and tree branches to amuse themselves.

"We sort of hang out here, but the cats own the place," said Lynda Huffman, who, along with Rozzano, founded the program in 1996. Food, litter and supplies cost about $3,000 a month.

Vet bills range from $500 to $800. Expenses are covered by donations and a monthly barn sale that the group holds.

 

Rozzano pays the mortgage and overhead on the house. She has no outside job and said she has spent all her money on the operation, including cashing in her retirement account.

Now, she’s seeking more donations to pay off the mortgage and add a couple of outbuildings to expand her service. The shelter is in an unincorporated agricultural area so Rozzano is not bound by city limits on the number of animals she keeps. County environmental health officers said they had not had any complaints about her cat sanctuary, which is surrounded by vineyards.

 

The cats are available for adoption, but there are strict requirements they must be kept indoors and prospective families have to agree to a home visit from Rozzano or Huffman. Rozzano knows each of her felines. There’s Cleopatra and Sam and Hubba and hundreds of others. They all come with a story, and she knows each of those, too. Most of the cats have been rescued — like the litter of six kittens found two weeks ago floating in a storm drain at a construction site.

 

The two women spent 3½ weeks last year trapping cats that had been living in the basement of a drug house that caught fire. They captured a mother and 13 kittens. The mother and one kitten survived and now live out their days in the outdoor shelter.

 

Many of the cats are named based on the circumstances of their rescue. There’s Fargo, a little tabby rescued from inside a Wells Fargo bank in Clovis. And Alhambra, a Persian mix rescued from inside a wall at the Alhambra Water Company. Workers could hear her wails, but couldn’t find her. When Rozzano zeroed in on the trapped cat; employees were worried about having to tear into a wall to reach her. "I told them they were going to tear it down now or tear it down later," Rozzano said. "She was stuck."

 

She even performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a newborn kitten, later named Angel.

She hopes to start a foster cat program especially for elderly people interested in a pet. Under the program, a cat would be allowed to return to the shelter if its owner died, and Purrrfect Angels would pay vet bills and even provide rides to the vet’s office, if needed.

 

Taking care of so many cats takes time. Rozzano spends about 13 hours each day taking care of her charges, with assistance from some 10 volunteers. "You have to do things as they come up or it gets out of control," she said, grabbing Wally, a long-haired flame-point found in an apartment wall, to treat him for ear mites.

 

The women receive up to 30 calls a day from people begging them to take on another cat, or two.

There are referrals from vets, other shelters and calls from desperate people unable to keep their cats, but also unwilling to let them be killed. "There’s a lot of sad stories out there and they love their animals," Rozzano said. "We’re the last hope for people who don’t want to have their pets euthanized."

 

If the story is sad enough, Rozzano can’t resist. But the shelter is officially full. It was considered full last year, but they’ve added 100 cats since then, she said. "What’s considered full? I guess when I’m financially, emotionally and physically unable to take any more, then we’ll be full," she said. "Right now I’m full, but if somebody called me about a baby that needed a bottle. . ,”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want to review a site for online classes in spiritual studies (as well as a myriad of other topics)? I found it fascinating and not that expensive. Although I don’t endorse it in any way, I know those of us who are writers are always thirsty for more information to weave into our stories.

If you would like to explore the site and see what’s listed there, here’s a link:

http://www.universalclass.com/i/subjects/spiritual-psychic.htm

AND a video about the Angels 101 class I found on You Tube.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Saturday!

 

 

Could it be that we are saying goodbye to all those romantic times of years gone by when men said goodbye to women, and women to men at planes and at trains? With the advent of 9/11, the world has been and will continue to be on red alert for a terrorist attack. As a result, what was once the romantic gestures of one’s dreams are quickly disappearing. Witness what happened in the Newark Airport on 1/4/2010. A man goes through a cordoned secure area to kiss a woman and they disappear. The airport closes down for three hours. Yes, I know security needed to do that. But, isn’t it a sad commentary on today?

No more Bogey saying, “We’ll always have Paris" on the airplane runway. No more Luc from “French Kiss” stealing back on the airplane to tell Kate, “I want you.” No more Audrey Hepburn running along next to the train until William Holden grabs her on board and kisses her.

A kiss is no longer just a kiss.

 

How would you react if you saw an angel? It seems people are still talking about an angel caught on surveillance cameras at a North Carolina hospital. The You Tube video attached shows many different segments on this story proving people need to discover ways to explain away such a sighting. But, after all is said and done, here's what's true. With God, anything is possible.

Over the years, I have discovered that more than one person has found a copy of my poem, HOPE WILL NEVER FAIL and posted all or part on a website. I leave these last words of the poem with you.

For hope will never, ever fail,

And light will over night prevail,

See, God poured love into our hearts,

His Spirit saves us from the dark.

 

 

Many years ago, I coined a phrase: "Angels only fly when wings have been broken." I think it's appropriate, for I believe angels are always here with us, but simply hover nearby until we need support. Then, they fly into action. When do we routinely need them? When we have a broken wing.

To put it more succinctly, when we have a problem and need assistance, angels come in a myriad of ways. Sometimes, money just shows up you didn't expect: a refund you'd forgotten about, a dividend from your local coop, a job offer or side job request you weren't expecting. Then, there are more tangible things, synchronicities that can occur, a song repeatedly playing, a sequence of numbers showing up everywhere, or a subject that keeps repeating. These "coincidences" help you focus on what you need to do to solve your problem.

Angels can even save you in more physical ways. For instance, once, I was driving in a downpour over a rain drenched back road to work. My car hit a hidden pot hole and careened out of control, right into the path of a oncoming car, one twice as big as mine. I grabbed the steering wheel, closed my eyes, and said, "God help me." The next thing I knew, my car was back in the right place, and no big car was even in sight. Since I am not prone to hallucinations, I think my angels were flying to my aid.

Now, most of the time, those angels are with you to set you back on track, not to solve your problems or save you from physical injury. But, be aware they are with you, messengers of God, to help you when you get that broken wing.

I didn't realize until today that Chris Correy posted my first journal entry on his website! I'm deeply honored. For those of you who may not know who Chris is, his website says, he"is a Writer, Teacher, Researcher, Lecturer and Inspirational speaker who has developed a learning system called 'Beyond Belief System' which is based on complete objectivity and is structured for those who seek to learn outside of common methods and practices."

"Christopher is also a regular guest on Sirius XM Stars Radio, Channel 102  and XM 155 as a Paranormal expert and Intuitive on 'The Unexplained Hour' every Thursday for the very popular daily Talk Show 'Angels on Call,' hosted by Mary Occhino."

Thanks, Chris. Readers, pleasevisit his site at http://www.ChristopherCorrey.com .

Also, I read my copy of Romance Writers of America e-notes today and discovered I am riding the new trend in publishing. Woo-hoo! I didn't even know it. According to the article:

"Rose Fox, fantasy reviews editor at the trade magazine Publishers Weekly, said: 'If these stories are particularly compelling at the moment, perhaps it's because the world is full of questions and fears right now. Readers who blame themselves for their misfortune may find comfort in stories of angels who broke rules or failed at tasks and are given second chances. Readers struggling with uncertainty may enjoy the idea of a cosmic plan.'"

"That uncertainty has also rekindled interest in more traditional angel books, featuring guardian angels rather than fallen ones. The most popular is Lorna Byrne's Angels in My Hair, which has sold about 60,000 copies, according to Nielsen BookScan. Judith Kendra, publishing director at Rider, said: 'These are usually stories of great comfort that touch on all of our feelings of vulnerability now that we all live very individual lives away from our family. People like to feel there is somebody or something watching out for them and trying to help.'"

For the article in ints entirety, go to: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/were-loving-angels-instead-publishing-craze-goes-celestial-1850915.html