Author Spotlight and Friday Memes

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple. 

"Lydia started breathing in short gasps as fear spread throughout her

body—not so much for herself, but for the man so valiantly trying to help her

in spite of his own shock at the events of this night."

BE NOT AFRAID by K.R. Morrison

First Line Fridays by Literary Marie

• Grab your current read.
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author so that other FLF participants can add the book to their TBR Lists.

Making a face, she spit the cold, bitter brew back in with the rest. “Guess
this means a trip to the breakroom for more hot water,” she thought to herself.
Be Not Afraid by K.R. Morrison

Fill In

1. In the summer I love to travel to exotic islands, sip tropical drinks and sit right under the flowing waters and relax.

2. I always enjoy family and friends when I am among them.

3. Reading is a passion that makes me want to share with others the stories or lives of others.

4.  I like to live life to help others because without humbleness life is not worth the living.

Fame or Fortune – Which would you choose?

By Pandora Poikilos

The adage "you'll never know the value of what you have until you don't have it anymore" is the pure truth. So as much as we would like to avoid the complexities of loss, it is only through loss that we become rich. If I had to pick fame or fortune, I would pick fortune. But only the kind of fortune I am blessed with now, the kind that will keep you rich beyond your lifetime as you pay it forward. What am I on about? Here are a list of my fortunes.

My sight. I was diagnosed with IIH when it was found that I had double vision in my right eye. For weeks I was dazed, helpless and even clueless. Simple tasks such as reading and walking were a force to be reckoned with. These days even after a VP shunt my eyes are carefully monitored and is a treasure I can never put a price on.

My writing. Yes, I have a published book with number two on its way. While I look forward to making this work and to be successful, it is not the material that counts as much as the skill that is able to grow. And for this, I am grateful. Add to this a publisher and an editor who think of you as a person and not as another piece of paper they need to be done with, I am far richer than most writers I know.

My memories. It has been decades since my first article was published in a local paper and yet I know of only one person who has clippings of my early articles. It isn't the recognition that is the fortune, it is the thought that someone thinks your achievements count and allows you a sense of recollection. One of the famous kickbacks of IIH is that one can be prone to memory lapses. I have had several episodes where I have been barely able to remember where I live but to have the ability to hold on to your memories and have someone else nudge you along, that is yet another fortune.

People. I have been blessed with some of the worst characters the world can ever spit out. And yes, I say I am blessed to have met them because if I had not met them I would never understand the three great fortunes any other person can bring into my life and that is love, trust and acceptance. The sheer relieve of hearing someone say, "it's okay to screw up, we'll love you anyway", that is a whole bankroll of fortune right there. These are the people you'll look upon and with absolute certainty smile in the knowledge that God does send angels to be with you.

And last but certainly not least, my biggest fortune is life. For everyday, I do not spend in a hospital, with a needle stuck into my spine or with the certainty that my shunt is about to fail and brain surgery will come knocking on my door again, I am rich in blessings and life.

I wish you all fortunes and blessings for years to come. Love and light.