Free university education

I'm thinking of Utopia, not dystopia...a more heavenly lovely world is all around us - if we choose to see it!  In some countries of the world university education is free and many advantages appear as if by magic when people have free access to follow their dreams and curiosity.  In North America, post secondary education is becoming more & more expensive -  not affordable for many and this situation is not improving.

Will higher education once again, like in the Middle Ages, be a privilege of the rich?  When we don't learn about things we should know about, we begin to experience negative feelings - fear of the unknown, misdirected anger at people, a total lack of understanding about the huge world we live in.  Our curiosity becomes restricted.  We can only think so far.  We can't think outside the box as we don't have the tools or skills to express ourselves.  We start to live in a bubble, convincing ourselves that everything is okay.

It's not okay to ignore what's going on around us and hope someone comes along to fix everything!  We should help!

One way to help is when authors try to write responsible fiction, especially for Young Adults - books that don't scare people for the sake of scaring people.  Responsible fiction is kind, shows a better way, ponders the human condition and has an uplifting message regarding humanity.  Responsible fiction for YA is not irreverent, cruel, inhumane and depressing.  

Those who choose to write irresponsibly, for book sales and profit, will not help to create a world of understanding.  In my opinion, those books are doomed.

What if I'm a famous author & you don't know?

I'm beginning to get the feeling, or should I say the feeling is not new, but for a few months now I'm thinking - I don't know if readers could recognize a famous author's writing (when the author uses a new moniker/alias/penname) even if the book was staring right at them!

I don't think agents could recognize a famous author from a slush pile if the author used a different name.  I think sometimes fame is all a bunch of bullshit, excuse the expression.  We're all followers, liking what other people like, wanted to be part of popular culture.  Fame is all a facade in writing.  Music is different because people can immediately identify a singer's voice, or the way a group of musicians play the fans can identify.

But writing...naw!  Readers need to see the author's famous name, and then they buy the book.  It doesn't matter how or where the author markets the book...it's a name game.

And the joke is on you...and me.  This activity is like lemmings - who follow each other to the edge of a cliff and jump off, to die.  Such is the case, when animal rights activists and environmentalists try to tell people we need to look around us and learn - but we're too busy following each other!  Hey, if one lemming stopped to stay and check things out, this one would survive "the lemming race."

Barbara, 24 years gone

January 20th, 2014 marks the 24th anniversary of Barbara Stanwyck's passing.  I am a superfan.  I love her movies, her ways, her style.  She's born in the astrological sign of Cancer, like me.  I'm 4 days earlier than her but many years apart.  We have a bunch of similarities, especially after reading Victoria Wilson's awesome biography I realized this. Barbara is my inspiration.  Here's the link Victoria Wilson's website and her new book - A Life of Barbara Stanwyck - Steel True - Volume One!

http://www.victoriawilsonbooks.com/

My ravenwinged angels

My new year is starting well.  It is the Year of the Horse and I am the dark horse advancing from the skies and stars to fly among lovers on Earth.  We all want to fly - if you can, in your dreams, do it!  Always imagination is followed by visualizing and creating your true reality.

You are my ravenwinged angels.  We are made of clear water and golden lights of constellations.  We are light years ahead. If you go with me, into Star Water, Sweet Sorcerer will guide your stairway to heaven on Earth.  Spread your wings and fly with this winged dark horse.  Thank you, angels.

http://www.swoonreads.com/m/star-water-book-one-sweet-sorcerer

My speech for Goodreads friends

This is my screenplay speech for Goodreads friends. Please read, I implore fair ladies (and gents)

The scene is a university campus. Around the main buildings the area is crowded with hundreds of students holding protest signs.  Some signs are "No Factory Farming".  Other signs say "No to Big Oil" and other signs say other things in protest (because this is a dream I had).  Anyway they are environmental and animal rights activists.  Now this is not the dream but here's where I come in.

Luvelle Raevan enters the scene and stands on a soapbox in the midst of the crowd.  She holds a microphone.  Here's her speech - a bit tongue in cheek, but sincere and hopeful.

"Friends at Goodreads - you call yourselves friends?  My friends support me.  My friends rally together for a good cause.  Where are you when I need you?  Sweet Sorcerer is at Swoonreads.com.  Here's your chance to make a difference for an author - and that author is me.  I need your votes.  Together we can change the course of human history.  You can say 'I was there when it all began'.  Why are those other books all ahead of me?  The power of one - a newest New Age.  Please head on over there!  Time is running out for my Sweet Sorcerer!."

The crowd is hushed.  Suddenly they cheer as one and head over to Swoonreads to rate Luvelle's book 5 swoonworthy hearts and to write amazing comments.  Luvelle is left standing on her soapbox.  It feels really good up there...yes, really amazingly good.

Thanks.                
                                                          The End.