Mom’s Favorite Reads eMagazine May 2020 by Mom’s Favorite Reads

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Trevor Neal Interviewed by T.E. Hodden .................................................................................... 7

Laughter is the Best Medicine! by Hannah Howe............................................. 20

Kiss Away Your Tears by Stan Phillips ............................................................... 13 For My New Grandchild by Stan Phillips .......................................................... 16

Purpose by Stan Phillips ........................................................................................ 24 Twixt Sleeping and Waking by Stan Phillips .................................................... 37

Landscapes by Hannah Howe ............................................................................... 17

Dinky by Jester (Age 17) ....................................................................................... 12

Mom’s Favorite Reads Author — Poppy Flynn .................................................. 34

Classic Movies by Hannah Howe ........................................................................ 14 May Day by Poppy Flynn ...................................................................................... 18 When the doc said no... by Keith D. Guernsey ................................................. 21 Social Distancing in the Mode of Isaac Asimov by Tony Whitt .................... 22 How to Use Oracle Cards to Give Psychic Readings by Val Tobin .............. 25 Herbal Remedies for Health by Ronesa Aveela ................................................ 31 May by Poppy Flynn ............................................................................................... 35 Women of Courage: Heroines of SOE by Hannah Howe ............................... 38

Checkmate in Three—Supplied by Chess.com ................................................. 15 Word Search by Mom’s Favorite Reads .............................................................. 30

20% OFF First Book Promotion with the Fussy Librarian .............................. 13 Connections eMagazine ......................................................................................... 29

Trevor Neal Interviewed by T.E. Hodden Trevor Neal is among the many artists and performers who have been reaching out with creative projects during these trying times. Every day he has been posting a new episode of Awkwords, his stay at home word game.

For those of us of a certain age (those of us who can still sing the phone number to the BBC) he is best known as one half of Trev and Simon, whose sketches were a staple of Saturday morning television. I reached out to Mr Neal to discuss Awkwords, and a few other things…

the early 1980s, for alternative comedy. We joined up with a group of local alternative arts performers and events organisers and put on our own gigs as well. We performed in the street, in night clubs, student venues, local council venues, sixth form colleges and arts venues. Some shows went down well. Others didn’t. We also did a few benefit shows in support of the striking miners in 1984.

Can I begin by asking how you first came to know and perform with Simon Hickson as Trev and Simon? Simon and I met at Manchester University where we were both Drama students, in the early 1980s. We were cast together in a few student productions and became friends.

Your show at the Edinburgh Fringe promised “nonracist, non-sexist” humour. Were those… less savoury acts still rife at the time?

Had you always been interested in the performing arts?

Alternative Comedy as it was then known was a relatively new thing. It was a bit like the Punk Rock of comedy, in which some acts, like us, were attempting to present a fresh style of comedy in which the targets of jokes were different to those of the old school stand-ups and entertainers. The older more traditional comics were still performing and appearing on TV, and some were doing material that would generally now be thought of as very offensive. But even then, there was a feeling that this kind of comedy was dying out and it was time for a new approach to reflect the changes in society.

As a child I wanted to be either a stunt motorcyclist like Evel Knievel or a rock star. As I grew older and those options became less likely, I developed an interest in writing comedy sketches and acting.

What was it like on the Manchester comedy circuit in those early days? Although the traditional clubs and pub venues existed for “old school” cabaret entertainers, there wasn’t really an established circuit in Manchester in -7-

So, how did a duo from the Manchester scene end up on Saturday Superstore? Taking the advice of some more established acts we met at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1984, we moved from Manchester to London, to work on the growing alternative comedy circuit there. After a couple of years, we were doing well and getting plenty of bookings, performing all over London. A BBC producer came to see one of our shows at The Chuckle Club and asked us to audition for a new show that was to replace Saturday Superstore, which became known as Going Live.

Many of our readers will probably best remember you as a mainstay of Going Live and Live and Kicking. To the viewers those shows seemed madcap and chaotic, but what was it a different world behind the scenes? There was a very organised and experienced team behind the show, but live comedy was a new feature of the format, so we were all very much making it up as we went along. From the start we had to write and perform a lot of new and untested material, so in that sense it was quite chaotic and what we did was often under rehearsed or not rehearsed at all.

with pop stars and guests in the tea bar or in their dressing rooms, just minutes before we performed them live in the studio. It was often chaotic but fun.

I am sure a lot of our readers will fondly remember the variety of sketches, from Singing Corner, and World Of The Strange, to Don’t Do Duvets. Do you have a favourite sketch?

So, what was an average working week like, when making Saturday morning TV?

There are too many really to have one favourite but the early Singing Corner “Swing Your Pants!” sketches with pop star guests were really good fun to do and very unpredictable. Simon and I really enjoyed World of the Strange too and I think this was a point where we began to develop as comedy writers as well as performers.

We would have a team meeting on a Monday morning to plan the show. By mid-week we would have an idea of who the guests might be and what features would be included. So Wednesdays and Thursdays were our writing days. Friday we would have a production meeting and some studio time to run through sketches etc. Sometimes everything would change at the last minute. On Saturday mornings, we would often talk through sketches and items -8-

Do you have any favourite memories from that time?

make the best show we could and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very pleased with the result. We were lucky to have some great guest performers and a whole bunch of talented people around us, who were all prepared to work very hard and put in long hours for little or no financial reward.

Meeting Paul McCartney and his family backstage in the early days when we felt very new to the world of TV and sharing some laughs. Nearly running out of time in a rehearsal read through with Hollywood movie producer Mel Brooks and having to run to the studio as we were being introduced live. Making stuff up as we went along with funny guests like Jonathan Ross. Encouraging WWF wrestlers to cause more chaos by breaking props and smashing up the set. Learning how TV worked and working alongside some very talented young producers and directors, who helped us to develop our comedy. It was a very happy and exciting time.

You have some amazing guest stars on the show. Did Rufus Hound and Alexi Sayle have any idea what they were letting themselves in for? I think they did know what they were getting in to because we really didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to persuade them very hard or explain what was expected. They both turned up with much enthusiasm and each delivered their own special performance, which helped to take the whole series to a new level. The recording session with Rufus was particularly bonkers and it was great to meet him and mess about doing daft stuff. We had all worked with Alexei before on other projects and he was also very funny to record with and great to chat to before and after the session. He improvised a bit round the script too which was hilarious.

More recently you have been working on the excellent Strangeness In Space podcast, can you tell us a little about that? Everything there is to know about Strangeness in Space can be found on our website strangenessinspace.com but essentially it was the brainchild of our manager and friend Clare Eden who thought it would be a good idea to bring back together a group of us who were once all together in Manchester as Drama students, including Sophie Aldred and Doon Mackichan. Clare had already produced the podcast drama Minister of Chance and suggested a sci-fi comedy podcast with us all in might be fun to make. Simon and I wrote the scripts and Clare worked hard to crowd fund and promote it. Dave Palser worked tirelessly on producing the audio and creating visual graphics. Clare even turned her own living room into a recording studio and offered her kitchen as green room and coffee bar for us all, including the guest performers. It was an extremely ambitious project with a very low budget but we all worked hard to

The show was crowd funded. How did that affect production? As I said earlier the budget was small but Clare worked hard to crowd fund it and did a great job. We are hugely grateful to all the Mirthlings, as they become known, who funded the show. Crowd funding creates a family feel to a production and also sets up a close relationship with, and a responsibility to, the audience that funded it.

-9-

The synth-pop of “Pink Custard” was a big part of the show. Is music a big part of your life? Where can we find out about your band? Simon and I are both music fans. We have always shared our musical obsessions with each other and often included them in our comedy. I play guitar a bit and have played in bands throughout the different stages of my life. I currently play with Charlie Don’t Surf who are based in Thanet where I live. We play classic punk, mod, rock and roll and ska covers by bands like The Clash, The Jam, The Stray Cats and The Specials. More recently we have included covers by Joy Division and The Stone Roses too. I post most band stuff on my facebook page but also on twitter @Surf_Charlie

Some of the Moms wanted to know what it was like being invited to appear on a celebrity edition of the gameshow Pointless?

artist and illustrator Moose Allain. As circumstances suddenly changed so dramatically for everyone, I decided I would give it a go online, as a home made video production.

They’re all filmed in one continuous shot? That must take some planning? It does a take a lot of planning and preparation and sometimes quite a few takes as well. Thankfully I am helped by my youngest son Elliot, who has become a very professional production assistant. While I do the “camera work” & voiceover, Elliot presses buttons and rings bells. It has become a slick little operation.

Do you have any advice for those who might want to reach out with projects of their own?

It was terrifying but ultimately very exciting when we won… twice. It was Simon’s idea to agree to go on the show. He loves pub quizzes and general knowledge tests. I was less confident but went along for fun. The first time we were on I was too nervous to understand the questions properly and we went out in the second round. The next time I did better and Simon showed his genius for obscure film knowledge in the final round. We were lucky enough to be invited on to the 1000th celebration show and we won that too, again thanks to Simon’s 1980s film knowledge . By that time I was less nervous and I even enjoyed it a bit!

Just give it a go. Choose the right platform for your project and use your own best skills and experience. Prepare it as well as you can beforehand. Put the work in on scripts and developing the idea as strong as possible but then just do it. Sometimes ideas don’t really take off until you have made that leap to try it out with an audience. Some things don’t work at all but that’s life. Don’t worry about that and just try something else instead. Don’t expect too much from a project either. Very few ideas and projects take off to become something bigger and even fewer make money or bring fame and fortune. Make sure you are doing it because it’s enjoyable and you really want to do it. It’s more likely to succeed that way in the end.

Since the UK went into lockdown, you have been making daily “Awkwords” sketches. Can you tell us a little about those?

Are there any up coming projects we should be looking out for?

AwkWords was an idea I had been developing before the lockdown as a book, hopefully to feature

At the moment, I think we’re all just taking things one day at a time. It’s a tough time for anyone involved in arts and entertainment and - 10 -

we’ve no real idea when or how things will return to normal. Without venues or audiences other than online, it’s impossible to plan projects. AwkWords is keeping me busy for now.

through this challenging time. The NHS were there for my daughter when she suffered a traumatic brain injury (now full recovered) so I have first hand experience of what fantastic work goes on in Hospital Critical Care units. All the emergency services deserve a shout out too, including Air Ambulance, Coast Guard and Lifeboats. I’d also like to mention Medicinema which is charity which brings movies and films to NHS patients in hospital. Simon is the manager of the cinema in the Chelsea and Westminster hospital and is doing great work there.

Where can we find out more about your work? I can be found on facebook as TrevorNeal, Twitter @TrevorNeal and Instagram trevor_neal and of course there is AwkWords on facebook @AwkWords_words on twitter and AwkWords_words on Instagram. My manager Clare Eden can also be contacted at clare@clareden.com

Mr Neal, on behalf of the Mom’s community: Thank you. Thank you.

Are there any good causes you would like to give a shout out to?

(The Mom’s would also like to extend their thanks to Mr Neal’s agent, Clare Eden for her invaluable help in arranging this interview. Thanks Clare!)

Like everyone, I want to shout out for the NHS

T.E. Hodden trained in engineering and works in a specialized role in the transport industry. He is a life long fan of comic books, science fiction, myths, legends, and history. In the past he has contributed to podcasts, blogs, and anthologies. Discover more on Mom’s Favorite Reads website: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/t-e-hodden/ - 11 -

Dinky Submitted by Poppy Flynn Written by Jester Age 17 What you know to be wrong. Disregarding the throes of womanhood,

Too much hardship and too much pain

The maturity of body and mind

Brought on an unwanted maturity

And instead clutching

Which, backfiring, threw me back

Baby memories.

into the world of a regressing mind.

Finding excuses for being a child

Gone are the naivete and trust

At heart, in mind and on act.

Of the child But forcefully brought back

But still as the throes of womanhood unfurl,

In the middle-aged teenager,

I’ll sit here and scream

Is the will to mistrust and believe

‘I want to be a little girl!’

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Kiss Away Your Tears by Stan Phillips If you listen carefully You can hear them Soft on the summer evening Or gentle in the star clad night For the breeze has tales to tell Words to embrace your mind To enchant your soul Hear the words before they fly away Those will of the wisp words That echo hauntingly Seductively on the drifting shifting air And then are gone forever

To leave a longing Etched onto the atmosphere And a yearning Engraved upon your heart Oh yes, listen carefully To the tales of the breeze That come and go And inspire your laughter And kiss away your tears.

Stan Phillips is an 80 year old poet, musical podcast maker, part-time wannabe male model, and occasional stand up comedian. “I used to be a psychotherapist/counsellor when I had an honest job. I was born into prewar London, and attended 17 schools (my father believed they couldn’t hit a moving target) and I eventually finished up here in Ireland. Still wondering what I will be when I grow up — but enjoying writing my quirky poetry as I do so.” Discover more about Stan on Mom’s Favorite Reads website: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/stan-phillips

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In our experience, the Fussy Librarian is the best book promoter in the business. When we promote with him, our free books always reach the top five of Amazon’s genre charts, most often they reach the top three. We promote with the Fussy Librarian every month and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. Prices start from as low as $15, minus our special discount of 20%. Click here: https://authors.thefussylibrarian.com/?ref=goylake for full details. And, at the checkout, be sure to enter this code: goylake20 to claim your 20% discount. Thank you for your interest. And good luck with your promotion! - 13 -

Classic Movies: The Detective’s Gambit by Hannah Howe I’m a chess addict and my Sam Smith mystery, Mind Games, is about a chess player. Chess and mysteries have a common thread, the solving of a puzzle. With that in mind, I decided to research the connection between private detectives and chess. August 1957 saw the television premiere of The Chess Player, series one, episode eight of the Richard Diamond Private Detective series. In this episode, the wife of a wealthy industrialist hires Richard Diamond to discover who is trying to murder her husband. The plot is standard for the genre. However, David Janssen’s portrayal of Richard Diamond is engaging and it foreshadows his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series The Fugitive. In The Chess Player, Julian Tyler, the industrialist husband, mentions that he played Capablanca and that he introduced a new variation to the Ruy Lopez.

advertising agency.” Yet Marlowe constantly returned to chess, including in the novel and television movie, Poodle Springs, a story written by Robert B Parker, another great of private detective literature. There are other examples of chess and the private detective, although in truth they are not numerous. In my Sam Smith Mystery Series, Sam (Samantha) is a budding chess player, keen to learn about the game. Chess is the ideal game to use as a metaphor in detective fiction. Furthermore, knowledge of the game suggests a certain level of intelligence. To win through, both the chess player and the private detective know that they have to make the right moves, and that one slip could be fatal.

When not tangling with femme fatales or dodging bullets, Raymond Chandler’s private detective, Philip Marlowe, could often be found brooding over chess puzzles. Marlowe preferred puzzles to over the board games with real opponents, which served to highlight his mistrust of his opponents, and humanity as a whole. Chess served as a literary motif in Chandler’s novel, The High Window, while Marlowe himself confessed, “I like liquor and women and chess and a few other things.” Maybe Chandler, and Marlowe, had a love-hate relationship with chess because, in The Long Goodbye, Marlowe stated, “Chess is the most elaborate waste of human intelligence outside of an

David Janssen as Richard Diamond in Richard Diamond, Private Detective

Hannah Howe is the author of the Sam Smith Mystery Series, the Ann's War Mystery Series and the #1 international bestseller Saving Grace. Hannah's books are published by Goylake Publishing and distributed through Gardners Books to over 300 outlets worldwide. Her books are available in print, as eBooks and audiobooks, and are being translated into ten languages. Discover more on Mom's Favorite Reads website: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/hannah-howe - 14 -

Chess Supplied by Chess.Com Black to move. Checkmate in three.

Supplied by https://chess.com the #1 chess website. Used with permission. For more chess puzzles please visit https://chess.com You can find answers for this activity on the Momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Favorite Reads website here: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/magazines/activities/ - 15 -

For my New Grandchild by Stan Phillips You will see things child, things that I can never imagine as your time stretches into a century that is beyond my ability to comprehend. In the same way that I have explored a world that would have astonished the eyes of my grandfather. I can try to visualise your world child, but will never succeed, for those who will create it are yet to be born. Will it contain my music, my art, my poetry? Or will you create a magical and unique culture that stems from a source yet to be discovered? I hope you will laugh though, as I laugh child. Dance as I dance. Love as I love. Be enchanted, as I am, by the beauty of a blossoming flower. By starlight. By the glory of a newly born lamb. The sparkle of sunlight on still water.

These things I am happy to leave you to carry gentle into your strange new world child. With the hope you can abandon the hatred, the conflict, and the bloodshed that has so marred the society that gave you birth. So take the magic of my world child, on your great adventure. But leave our tragedies to fade into memory, As I fade too. Echoes of me lost on the contrary winds of time. Stan Phillips©2020

Landscapes: Sger & Kenfig, South Wales by Hannah Howe

May Day & Beltane by Poppy Flynn May Day is an ancient festival of Spring usually celebrated on 1st May. It is a current traditional spring holiday in many European cultures though in countries where is a public holiday, it is generally taken as the first Monday following the 1st of the month. The earliest documented May Day celebrations began with the Floralia, the festival of the Roman goddess of flowers which was held from 27th April â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3rd May around 230 BCE. The Floralia began with theatrical performances, goats and hares were said to be released as part of the festivities and it concluded with competitions and a sacrifice to Flora. Moving on to the 2nd century AD, and the month long Maiouma, described as a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nocturnal dramatic festival,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; was celebrated. This was held every three years and was celebrated with impressive banquets and offerings. Also known as the Orgies, it had a reputation for licentiousness which caused it to be suppressed during the reign of Emperor Constantine.

It is believed that these rites were originally intended to ensure fertility for crops and, by extension, also livestock and humans. Another of the superstitions associated with May Day was the belief that washing the face with dew on the morning of May 1st would beautify the skin.

Although May Day practices varied widely, many of the more modern May Day celebrations are a reflection of these early rituals.

Because the Puritans of New England considered the celebrations of May Day to be immoral and pagan, its observance was forbidden, and the holiday never became a very big part of American culture. In the 20th century, traditional May Day celebrations declined in many countries as May 1st instead became associated with the international holiday honouring workers and the labour movement.

Celebrations usually included the gathering of wildflowers and the weaving of floral garlands, the crowning of a May king and queen, and the setting up of a decorated May tree, or Maypole which people danced around as well as the tradition of giving of May baskets which were filled with sweets or flowers and usually left anonymously on doorsteps. - 18 -

These special bonfires were kindled using traditional methods, generally on a mountain or hill, and their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers.

Beltane

In Gaelic cultures, the evening of April 30th signified the start of the celebration for Beltane (meaning lucky fire).

All household fires would be doused and then re-lit from the Beltane bonfire. When the bonfire had died down, people would smear themselves with its ashes and sprinkle it over their crops and livestock.

First corroborated in 900 AD the celebration mainly focused on the symbolic use of fire to bless cattle and other livestock as they were moved to summer pastures.

Burning torches from the bonfire would be taken home, where they would be carried around the house or boundary line after which they would be used to re-light the hearth and candles.

This custom continued into the early 19th century, during which time cattle would be walked between fires to protect their milk from being stolen by fairies. People would also leap over the fires for luck.

From these rituals, it is clear that the fire was seen as having protective powers. The fire rituals were meant to mimic the Sun and to ensure sunshine for men, animals, and plants as well as symbolically burn and destroy any harmful influences. The gatherings would be accompanied by a feast involving food was cooked at the bonfire and there were rituals revolving around that too. Doors, windows and livestock would be decorated with garlands and yellow flowers such as primrose, hawthorn, gorse and marigolds, possibly because they evoked fire. Many of these customs were part of the later May Day or Midsummer festivals in much of Great Britain and Europe. The festival continued widely up until the 1950s, and in some places the celebration of Beltane persists today. In the late 20th century, many neopagans and Wiccans began reconstructing some of the older festivals, combining them with more recent traditions to begin celebrating May Day once again.

Poppy Flynn was born in Buckinghamshire, UK and moved to Wales at eight years old with parents who wanted to live the 'self-sufficiency' lifestyle. Today she still lives in rural Wales and is married with six children. Poppy's love of reading and writing stemmed from her parents' encouragement and the fact that they didn't have a television in the house. "When you're surrounded by fields, cows and sheep, no neighbors, no TV and the closest tiny village is four miles away, there's a certain limit to your options, but with books your adventures and your horizons are endless." Discover more about Poppy on Mom's Favorite Reads website:

https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/poppy-flynn - 19 -

Contributions by Hannah Howe

I visited the National Portrait Gallery recently and was astonished to see that they had a portrait of me. Then I realised it was a mirror.

I’ve tried all the fashionable diets, but they didn’t do a thing for me. So now I’m on a whisky diet. I’ve lost three days already.

If a book about failures doesn’t sell, is it a success? I’m not saying my marriages have been a disaster, but when I meet a guy the first question I ask myself is...is this the man I want my children to spend their weekends with?

I went on a coconut and banana diet. I didn’t lose any weight, but suddenly I discovered that I could climb trees.

I went to see my psychologist again last week. He said, “What would happen if I cut off your left ear?” I thought for a minute then replied, “I wouldn’t be able to hear.” Then my psychologist asked, “And what would happen if I cut off your right ear?” I thought for a minute then replied, “I wouldn’t be able to see.” My psychologist frowned then asked, “Why do you say that?” “Because it’s obvious,” I replied, “my hat would fall over my eyes.”

Words of wisdom: if at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you. - 20 -

When the doc said no... by Keith D. Guernsey Susan and I walked into the house on a balmy Saturday after a wonderful block party over at the clubhouse and then disaster struck. After a couple of adult beverages (no really ...I only two!), I ran smack dab into a chair with a very sharp wooden leg. My foot began bleeding and I rushed to the bathroom so as not to get any more blood on our new carpet.

Just then a Cheshire cat grin broke out across his face. The entire staff behind him broke out in hysterics. He said you are a New England Patriots fan and we don't treat them here.

I told Susan that I was just going to put a Band-Aid on my foot and go to bed. Her response was "look down at that pool of blood on the floor and say that again." Her caregiver instincts took over and she sprang into action. She wrapped my foot in an old towel, taped it in place and said get dressed we are going to the hospital (we were very fortunate that the very best hospital in the state of Georgia was only four miles away). I threw on my sweatshirt, a hat and off we went. She helped me to car and we drove to the ER in record time. We walked in (well she walked -I hobbled) to an almost empty emergency room. She sat me down and filled out the requisite paperwork.

In my haste to get dressed, I had didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize I had thrown on my Super Bowl championship sweatshirt and that the timing couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been worse as it was right after the Pats beat the Falcons in SB LI. It was a particularly humiliating defeat for them since the Falcons had lost the biggest lead in Super Bowl history at home in their own stadium. I did my best to assure everyone that it was purely coincidental, and I wasn't trying to rub it in! (Ok well maybe just a little.)

Just then the attending physician rounded the corner and took the clipboard from her. As he looked at it a crowd of half dozen nurses and staff crowded around him ready to help this klutzy old codger. He then said with an entirely straight face, "I'm sorry Mr. Guernsey but I can't treat you"

He proceeded to stitch me up and send me on my way. I'm sure it was just my imagination, but, it sure felt like he was digging the stitching needle just a little deeper as a measure of revenge. But in the end we shook hands and we parted as friendly rivals.

He paused long enough that I started to consider my options. Am in the wrong place? Should I ask for another doctor? Should I go to another ER?

For more, please visit us on the web at: https://tinyurl.com/y6ut57ms

Keith D. Guernsey is retired and living on Lake Lanier with his lovely wife Susan and his fourfooted son Harley (who really is the king of this castle!) thegurns2005@yahoo.com Twitter=@thegurns

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Keith-D-Guernsey/e/B00PR51Q7Y

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Social Distancing in the Mode of Isaac Asimov by Tony Whitt The longer I sit at my desk having virtual meetings with colleagues, teaching virtual classes via Blackboard and Zoom, and having my food delivered by drivers I don’t dare have any interactions with for the time being, the more I think about Isaac Asimov. The late science fiction writer, who died in 1992, was a visionary when it came to depicting how humans would come to rely on technology (mostly robots, in his novels) and how it might contribute to our distancing ourselves from each other, by choice rather than by necessity. I’m thinking specifically about The Naked Sun, the second book in a trilogy that began with The Caves of Steel, published in 1954. In that first book, Asimov introduces us to Elijah (Lije) Bailey, a detective living on an Earth where vast cities are protected from the open skies and surrounding wilderness by huge metal domes. Lije is paired with a robotic partner named R. Daneel Olivaw (the “R” standing for “robot”) in order to solve the murder of a Spacer Ambassador. The Spacers are human colonists who have moved to other planets and are trying to get the Earth to relax its strict laws on the use of robots, which the Spacers themselves use quite freely. Due to their living conditions, all the people in Lije’s world suffer from extreme agoraphobia, and they all distrust the Spacers, whom they see as having an unhealthy predilection for land, lots of land, and the starry skies above. In the second book, published in 1957, Lije and Daneel asked to travel to one of these Spacer worlds, Solaria, to investigate another seemingly impossible murder. The reason murder appears impossible on Solaria is the carefully controlled population of the planet are conditioned from birth to avoid all personal contact, and all of them live by themselves or with a spouse (who usually has his or her own quarters as well). The

Solarians also live in vast estates separated from each other by miles of open land. They live in a virtually contactless society. The only contact they ever have with each other is through a form of three-dimensional holography called “viewing,” which always them to view a virtual version of whomever they are talking to. They differentiate this from “seeing,” which is done in person and only in extreme circumstances, such as (gasp!) intercourse, which rarely happens anyway because of their long lives and strict population controls. Otherwise, they see “seeing” as a sometime necessary but always vulgar activity. Asimov at one point has one character describe Lije’s attitude towards “seeing” in person as “scatological.” Given the Solarians’ lack of modesty when they are being “viewed,” as they have no problem being naked during these holographic sessions, it is heavily implied that some form of “phone sex” can and does go on. In fact, one character in the novel is pegged as “deviant” because she allows Lije to come to her home in person so

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I’m anticipating a movie night via Zoom with friends that I may not see in person again for several weeks or more. I tend not to get dressed now at home unless absolutely necessary – though I obviously don’t go on Zoom that way. just had a few supplies delivered from GoPuff by a delivery driver instructed to leave them at my door, a driver paid and tipped via online app rather than handing them the now dirty physical money they might normally have gotten. And please, don’t get me started on the hookup apps available – if this goes on for too much longer, I’m sure that apps like Growlr and Scruff will soon be exploding with invites to virtual sex parties. Porn sites are doing a brisk business during the pandemic, for obvious reasons.

she can “see” him in the flesh. Scandalous! Otherwise, all of the needs of the Solarians are met by the thousands of barely humanoid robot servants they employ, robots that are programmed never to harm a human being. If people are unwilling to leave their homes, and their only contacts are robots, then how can a murder be committed?

Obviously Asimov never assumed that we ourselves would be living in a contactless society – his point in creating Solaria was to posit a place where murder is not physically possible, then construct a detective story in which such a murder takes place. (The solution, as you might expect from Asimov, is sheer brilliance.) And yet the world of Solaria feels closer to what life is like in the far-flung world of 2020 than the far-fetched idea it might have seemed back in 1957.

Asimov is proving to be much more prescient than anyone gave him credit for at the time. We can only hope our move into this contactless world is not permanent, as it is, for better and for worse, for the people of Solaria.

I’m composing this at the makeshift table in my apartment which is now my desk, from which I conduct my online classes, teaching students that I will not get to see again this semester.

Tony Whitt is an English instructor and author of the book CRESCENT CITY CONNECTIONS; as well as the host of the DOCTOR WHO TARGET BOOK CLUB PODCAST. He lives in Chicago.

https://www.facebook.com/DoctorWhoTargetBookClubPodcast/

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Purpose by Stan Phillips Somewhere, lost in the ruins of forgotten yesterdays, abandoned in the desolate debris of my used up days. There was, unknowingly, planted a seed. Don't ask me where. Don't ask me when. Don't ask me why. But I know that seed carelessly tossed into some unremembered night, lost amid all my vagrant days, is called "reason". Is called "purpose". And it rooted wherever it might, anonymously, lie. It is, warmed by my passions. Nurtured by my tears. Sustained by my obstinacy. Without me ever needing to know of its struggle to burst into being. And one day, that seed will become a flower, a rainbow coloured enhancement upon a brief morning I don't need to see. Reason is like that. Purpose is like that. And we never have to question our existence. Just to realise that somehow, sometime, somewhere, we leave our music, our poetry, our art, etched onto the wavering walls of our world. So seek not to find your purpose for being. But rather, be the best you can. Try not to harm another soul. Laugh long, and often. Discover that life was never meant to be easy, but only a reflection of our reaction to events along our wavering way from birth to death.

And be the truth you seek. Aware always of that fallible child that dwells, half forgotten, within you.. Forgive yourself your failings, for they could well be the catalyst to your glory. Always remember the Golden Rule. And your purpose for life will find you in its own good time.

Stan Phillips 2020(C)

How to Use Oracle Cards to Give Psychic Readings by Val Tobin Oracle cards are a wonderful way to receive guidance on issues that might trouble you. Even if nothing bothers you, oracle cards can help you focus your energy and receive messages from your guides, the angels, or your higher self. With some practice, you can build your skills and confidence to give highly accurate readings for yourself and others.

About Oracle Cards Oracle cards, sometimes called “angel” cards since many of them focus on working with the angelic realm, are like tarot cards but simpler to use. They’re a divination tool, much like crystal balls and pendulums. Oracle cards work by making use of the Law of Attraction, which means that where you are currently at energetically will attract the cards that have the messages appropriate to you and the question you are asking.

Clearing the deck is mandatory if someone else has handled your cards or if the accuracy of your readings deteriorates. I clear my cards after every reading I do for someone else whether or not the other person has handled the cards. Most decks have instructions for clearing them, so you can follow those instructions, or use the following method, taught by Doreen Virtue in her books, card guidebooks, and courses: hold the cards in your non-dominant hand (for most people, that’s the left hand). With the dominant hand (the one with which you write), knock on the cards using your fist to shake off any unwanted energies that may cling to the deck.

They always have loving messages, unlike the tarot, which contains cards such as the Death card that have negative associations, though the Death card does not usually mean impending death. When a tarot card displays upside down in a reading, the message is typically about a negative consequence. The same isn’t true for oracle cards. The messages in oracle cards focus on a positive solution rather than on the negative consequence.

Program the Cards with Your Energy and Intent Go through the deck and touch each card to put your energy on it. You needn’t touch the whole card—touching one corner will suffice. Next, fan out the cards and hold them to your heart with the message sides facing you. Say a prayer or set intent for the cards, asking that your readings be accurate and relevant to the person getting the reading. Ask that you be able to clearly receive messages from your guides and angels and that you can stay in integrity throughout the reading.

Prepare the Deck To prepare the cards for a reading, select the deck of cards with which you would like to work and clear it, then program it for use. This means you remove unwanted energies that may cling to the deck and infuse it with the intended outcome you desire.

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If you already work with the angels, you know you can call on Archangel Michael for protection, guidance, and to keep your ego out of the way while you read. Make sure you remember to put up psychic protection around you to ensure you connect only with high-vibrating energies during the reading.

a simple and quick reading, pull one card after asking your question. This gives you a starting point for resolving your issue or answering your question.

Determine the Meanings of the Cards The layout of the cards determines the order you read the cards, but generally, you read the cards from left to right for a horizontal layout and top to bottom for a vertical one. While the cards come with guidebooks that provide meanings for each card, and it’s okay to consult the book when you start out, the idea is to rely on your own psychic abilities and intuition when you do a reading.

Connect to Guides and Ask a Question To start the reading, connect to your guides, or, if you’re doing an angel reading, then connect to your guardian angels or the angel with whom you typically like to work. If you are reading for someone else, you can also connect with his or her guides and angels. I have found that connecting to the other person’s guides and angels, with permission, helps boost the accuracy of the reading and increases the number of messages that come through.

Study each card to see what symbols, colours, or lines jump out at you. As well, use all your psychic channels of clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, and claircognizance to receive additional messages from guides and angels. Your readings will improve with practice.

Once you have made the connection, ask a question. Most readings are about health, career, relationships, or finances. Sometimes, a person doesn’t know what to ask. In this case, it’s okay to simply ask the angels to give you a message they would like you to know. To do this, you can ask, “What would you like me to know today?” Avoid asking yes/no questions. You can answer those types of questions with a pendulum. The cards are better suited to answering open-ended questions.

Should You Interpret the Messages Received During a Reading? If you are reading for someone else, don’t interpret the messages you receive. Inform the person what you get. If you try to do more than describe, you’ll often get it wrong. For example, if you are shown a suitcase, let the person for whom you are reading know that you see a suitcase. Unless the message also clarifies that the person has travel plans, you don’t know if the suitcase represents vacation travel, the person’s job as a flight attendant or pilot, or something else entirely. You can ask for further clarification from your guides and get the significance yourself psychically. Most people will verify the message for you, but if they don’t, that’s their prerogative.

Oracle Card Layouts Focus on the question as you shuffle the cards. When you are guided to stop shuffling—for me that always comes as an overwhelming urge to halt—lay out the cards in a format of your choosing. The most basic layout is the three-card spread, where you place three cards in front of you, faceup, and read them from left to right. The left-most card typically represents the recent past, the middle one represents the present, and the right-most card represents the near future.

Some people don’t want to share intimate details with you. That’s okay. Often, though, people get excited when you tell them something you couldn’t have guessed and willingly share the significance. Let the individual decide. Your ego wants validation, but you don’t need it to give good readings.

The instruction booklet for your deck will provide alternative layouts, and some can get intricate. For - 26 -

within one reading. However, there will come a point when you know it’s time to stop the reading, whether because the agreed-upon time is up, or you just feel the energy change or leave.

One other point that bears mentioning: whatever you get, say it, even if you think it’s nonsense you made up yourself. I once connected to someone’s departed friend and received the thought “I love having my small-plane pilot’s license.” I said nothing to the client because I thought it was a random thought my mind concocted. After the reading, my client said, “It’s funny you didn’t mention he had his small-plane pilot’s license.”

I once received a reading from a talented psychic, and she did three or four card spreads for me. After a time, the energy abruptly changed, and I knew the reading was at an end. I no sooner had that thought than the woman giving the reading told me we had to stop because she’d lost the connection to her guides. I understood because I’d felt them leave even though I didn’t know until she told me what exactly had happened.

I could’ve screamed in frustration and regret—an example of the ego needing to feed but also a lost opportunity to verify I had the correct departed loved one on the line. Such specific and obscure details help your client know you’ve connected to the correct person. Sometimes, other departed relatives or friends can appear and the loudest ones will come through more strongly than the introverted ones.

When you know it’s time to end the reading, thank all the guides and angels that helped you and disconnect from them. It’s also important to disconnect from the person you were reading if you are reading someone else.

Practice Reading with Family and Friends

The Importance of Disconnecting If you don’t disconnect from the person for whom you’re reading, you may find that person intruding on your thoughts throughout the day, or you may feel distracted and unfocussed afterward. Disconnect by setting the intent to disconnect, and then physically chopping through the air between you with your hand. You can even do this on a phone or email reading. The intent to disconnect followed by the chopping motion will do the job well. Virtue taught the chopping method of disconnecting in her courses, and I find it to be the easiest one.

It’s okay to practice with family and friends but much easier to read someone you don’t know very well. If you read family and friends when first learning, it’s too easy to doubt the messages you receive. Differentiating between information you already knew and information you received psychically is difficult. However, you can’t possibly know everything about everyone, so ask your angels/guides to give you messages that will help the person and give them the information he or she needs. Virtue recommends that “if you get nervous, focus on service.” This was something she reiterated in the courses she taught that I attended and also in her books and in some of her Oracle card guidebooks and cards. When you focus on serving, you put the attention where it should be: on helping the person and not on your performance

End the Reading Sometimes a person will have more than one question, and you can do as many spreads as you like - 27 -

I once forgot to disconnect after giving a mediumship reading by phone, and not only was I distracted after the reading but we also experienced some paranormal activity in our home until I remembered to actively disconnect from both the person for whom I did the reading and the departed loved one to whom I’d connected. After that experience, I’ve never forgotten to disconnect from all other parties involved.

Useful Tool for Divine Guidance Oracle cards are a useful tool for accessing divine guidance from your spirit guides and guardian angels. If you are having difficulty with an issue and require such guidance, doing a card reading for yourself can help you gain clarity and insight. A card reading is also something that anyone can do. But it requires consistent practice, not only in reading the cards but also in recognizing how you receive your psychic messages.

Note: The information contained in this article is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide major decisions or treatment without the opinion of an appropriately trained professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health, career, relationships, or finances should contact a qualified expert for advice.

In my Valiant Chronicles stories and my paranormal romances, I have characters who are psychic or do readings for others with or without the use of cards. When I created these characters, I drew on my experiences with giving readings, which may or may not reflect how others receive messages. It takes practice and focus to recognize how you receive messages from your guides, through telepathy, or from departed loved ones (if you practice mediumship).

References

Chasity e ijames, Image: Peaceful Prayer Virtue, Doreen. The Angel Therapy Handbook, California: Hay House, Inc., 2011. Virtue, Doreen. Angel Therapy Oracle Cards Guidebook, California: Hay House, Inc., 2008. Virtue, Doreen. How to Hear Your Angels, California: Hay House Inc., 2007.

Val Tobin writes speculative fiction and searches the world over for the perfect butter tart. Her home is in Newmarket, Ontario, where she enjoys writing, reading, and talking about writing and reading. Discover more about Val on Mom’s Favorite Reads website: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/val-tobin

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The Connections eMagazine Reader's Choice Award is open to all independently published authors and their work. This is an annual award. The winners will be featured in the August issues of the magazine. Authors can be nominated by anyone who has read the novel. See our website for details.

The 2nd Quarter issue of Connections eMagazine is dedicated to summer fun, easy reading and adventure. I hope you will take a minute to check it out. Be sure to come back in August for the 3rd Quarter edition and our Reader’s Choice winners.

https://melaniepsmith.com/readers-choice/

https://melaniepsmith.com/emagazine/

Connections eMagazine is a FREE quarterly publication founded by authors Melanie P. Smith and Rhoda D’Ettore. It is currently produced entirely by Editor, Melanie P. Smith. Over the years, the magazine has evolved and it now features promos, freebies, blog articles, and short stories in every issue.

Discover more about Connections eMagazine on their website here: https://melaniepsmith.com/emagazine-landing/ - 29 -

Word Search By Momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Favorite Reads

You can find the answers for this activity on the Momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Favorite Reads website here: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/magazines/activities/ - 30 -

Herbal Remedies for Health by Ronesa Aveela will produce even more honey. The rest of the consecrated honey is used as a remedy for mumps, measles, and other illnesses throughout the year.

NOTE: The following information is not meant to be taken as a cure for any illnesses. If you’re sick, always contact your health-care professional. The information that follows is common folk medicine, which people have used from generation to generation.

Honey is a delicious immune-stimulator! It’s rich in many vitamins, including B and C, and has iron, calcium, zinc, and more. Honey acts as an antioxidant, much like fruits and vegetables. Using it regularly will stimulate your body’s organs, helping to improve your physical and mental state.

In these times when people across the globe are stressed and anxious about the future, it’s important to maintain and strengthen our immune system. Look around your kitchen and you’re certain to find products that are beneficial to your health: fresh vegetables, fruits, spices. The kitchen, the garden, the meadows are gifts that are good for our health. Every culture and every household have beliefs and recipes passed down from generation to generation. A number of herbs and products in Bulgarian folklore are believed to help us achieve this. Here are some of my favorites, plus a couple of tasty recipes with simple ingredients you can easily find. Honey Bulgarians honor bees and in the summer, on July 8, pay tribute to their patron, Saint Procipius, or Prokopia the Beekeeper. On this day, early in the morning, people who raise bees go to the hives to remove the first honey of the year. They burn incense, allowing the smoke to enter the hives. The beekeepers bring two pitkas (ritual bread) to the hives – one for God and one for the saint. They take the honey and the bread to the church, where the priest consecrates them with a special prayer. The beekeepers then spread the honey on the bread and give them to neighbors to ensure the health of both the family and the bees, so the bees

Lemon Balm The herb is native to the mountainous regions of Southern Europe, but you can buy it in the spring at Home Depot and other chains or local flower nurseries. The leaves of the lemon balm are well-known in Bulgaria and used in herbal teas. I have a few plants in my garden because its lemon smell keeps away mosquitoes and other insects. - 31 -

Ever since ancient times, it’s been used to cure diseases resulting from the nervous system. The plant has a calming effect, it stimulates appetite and digestion, and suppresses nausea and vomiting. In folk medicine, the leaves are used to treat high blood pressure, dizziness, headache, vision problems, and tinnitus. Gargling with water infused with lemon balm also gets rid of bad breath. Nettle Nettle is also a gift from nature that appears in the spring. If you pick it yourself, make sure to wear gloves, because nettle is not a friendly plant; it “bites.” My grandmother used to say that if you pick up nettle with your bare hands, it’ll prevent you from getting arthritis, but I never tried this. You don’t have to go and look for it in fields, though, because you can buy dried nettle online or in your local farmer’s market. You can drink it as a tea or add it to soup. I like to add fresh nettle to cream soup.

Yogurt Yogurt is an integral part of many Bulgarian meals. It’s served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When I was a child, my grandmother used to make yogurt with jam and call it “ice cream.” It was a much healthier option than regular ice cream. It’s good for the digestive system, bones, and teeth, but it also helps strengthen the immune system, fighting disease and helping the body resistant to infection. Walnuts

Recipes

Walnuts are rich in vitamin B, vitamin E, fiber, magnesium, iron, and mineral salts. They are also high in calories, so limit them to no more than 42 grams a day. Even walnut leaves are a natural remedy, often used in tea to help prevent atherosclerosis, goiter, and skin problems such as eczema.

Honey-walnut elixir Combining walnuts with honey creates an elixir that boosts the immune system, and fights colds, exhaustion, and anemia. The elixir is suitable for children, because it naturally increases the body's defenses.

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You’ll need medium-sized jar, about 24 oz. like the ones used to make jam. Cut a handful of nuts into small pieces. Then peel a medium-sized lemon and cut the fruit into small pieces. Add the nuts and lemon to a half jar of natural honey. Stir the mixture well. Take 2 or 3 tablespoons once a day. Tip: Don’t throw away a used lemon after the juice has been squeezed out. You can use it to clean your cutting boards. If you add a little baking soda inside the peel, you can use it to clean pots. It works like magic. I even like to massage my hands with lemon peels and yogurt. It makes them soft and cleans the germs naturally.

Dessert Here is one of my favorite desserts using yogurt, walnuts, and honey. If you don’t like walnuts you can omit them. 400 g yogurt 4 Tablespoons honey 50 g walnuts (or other nuts) Divide yogurt into individual bowls, one per person. Pour honey over it. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts. Tip: You can bake the nuts for about 5 minutes in a preheated 220 degrees C (about 430 F) oven and then crush them and sprinkle them with milk. The dessert works well if you replace plain yogurt with strained yogurt. It’s best to look at the label and make sure it has Lactobacillus bulgaricus bacteria in it. You can substitute honey with liquid chocolate or your favorite sweet.

Ronesa Aveela is “the creative power of two.” Two authors that is. The main force behind the work, the creative genius, was born in Bulgaria and moved to the US in the 1990s. She grew up with stories of wild Samodivi, Kikimora, the dragons Zmey and Lamia, Baba Yaga, and much more. Her writing partner was born and raised in the New England area. She has a background in writing and editing, as well as having a love of all things from different cultures. She’s learned so much about Bulgarian culture, folklore, and rituals, and writes to share that knowledge with others. https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/ronesa-aveela/ - 33 -

Mom’s Favorite Reads Author Poppy Flynn Ties That Bind (book 3) – Romance, Erotica, Contemporary “The story is a roller-coaster ride of emotions and truths, assumptions, poor communication, hurt feelings, new beginnings, and trying to bury the past.”

Poppy Flynn was born in Buckinghamshire, UK and moved to Wales at eight years old with parents who wanted to live the ‘self-sufficiency’ lifestyle. Today she still lives in rural Wales and is married with six children. Poppy’s love of reading and writing stemmed from her parents’ encouragement and the fact that they didn’t have a television in the house. https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/poppy-flynn/

Novels Dark Consequences (book 4) – Romance, Erotica, Contemporary “his is a real tearjerker and definitely more intense than any of the previous books.”

Club Risque series Fool’s Desire (book 1) – Romance, Erotica, Contemporary “The story is a roller-coaster ride of emotions and truths.”

Friends With Benefits (book 5) – Romance, Erotica, Contemporary

Fear’s Whisper (book 2) – Romance, Erotica, Contemporary “The intimate scenes were explicit and scorching hot. The book was a perfect steamy read.”

Captive Heart (book 6) – Romance, Erotica, Contemporary - 34 -

May by Poppy Flynn There are a couple of different theories about how the month of May got its name. The first is that Maius as it reads in Latin, was believed to be named after the Goddess Maia. She was explicitly identified with Earth and embodied the concept of growth and thus associated with Spring. The second etymology is that that May is named for the maiores, which is the Latin word for elders, and that juxtaposed to the following month of June, which was named iuniores, the Latin word for youth.

The zodiac signs for the month of May are Taurus until May 19 and Gemini thereafter.

The modern name for this month entered English from the Old French in the 1000s. the Old English word for the month of May was þrimilce. The literal meaning of which is ‘three milkings’ because it was the only month when it was possible for cows to be milked three times a day. May’s confusion with the verb ‘may’ is simply coincidence. The verb came from the Old English word magan meaning “to be able.”

May Observances (just a few!) International Mediterranean Diet Month Garden for Wildlife Month National Pet Month Skin Cancer Awareness Month World Trade Month May 1st - May Day (Beltane) May 3rd - Lumpy Rug Day May 4th - Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you) May 6th - No Diet Day

May 10th - Clean Up Your Room Day May 12th - International Nurses Day May 13th - Frog Jumping Day May 14th - Dance like a Chicken Day May's birthstone is the emerald which symbolises love and success.

May 19th - World Plant a Vegetable Day May 25th - National Wine Day

The May birth flowers are the Lily of the Valley which is traditionally seen as symbolising humility, purity, and the return of happiness, and the Hawthorn, representing love and protection.

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May 17th 1792 - Two dozen merchants and brokers established the New York Stock Exchange. In good weather they operated under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street. In bad weather they moved inside to a coffeehouse to conduct business.

Historical May Events

May 1st 1707 - Great Britain was formed from a union between England and Scotland. The union included Wales which had already been part of England since the 1500's. May 1st 2004 - Eight former Communist nations and two Mediterranean countries joined the European Union (EU) marking its largest-ever expansion.

May 18th 1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor of France, snatching the crown from the hands of Pope Pius VII during the actual coronation ceremony, and promptly crowning himself.

May 2nd 2011 - U.S. Special Operations Forces killed Osama bin Laden during a raid on his secret compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

May 18th 1980 - Mount St. Helens volcano erupted in southwestern Washington State spewing steam and ash over 11 miles into the sky. This was the first major eruption since 1857.

May 4th 1494 -, Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica during his second journey of exploration in the New World. th

May 20th 1932 - Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.

May 24th 1844 - Telegraph inventor Samuel Morse sent the first official telegraph message.

May 28th 1961 - Amnesty International was founded by London lawyer Peter Berenson.

May 5 1893 - The Wall Street Crash of 1893 began as stock prices fell dramatically. May 5 1818 – Birth of communist founder Karl Marx. May 6 1937 - The German airship Hindenburg burst into flames as it neared the mooring mast at Lakehurst, New Jersey, following a transAtlantic voyage.

May 29th 1660 - The English monarchy was restored with Charles II on the throne after several years of a Commonwealth under Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell.

May 12th 1937 - George VI was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, following the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII.

May 29th 1917 Birth of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, youngest man ever elected to the US presidency.

May 12th 1820 – Birth of British nurse and public health activist – Florence Nightingale. May 13th 1981 - Pope John Paul II was shot twice at close range while riding in an open automobile in St. Peter's Square in Rome.

https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/poppy-flynn

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Twixt Sleeping and Waking by Stan Phillips It is that half moment Twixt sleeping and waking. That almost morning when, beyond the curtained window it is still dark, though no longer night, and the birds have yet to commence their serenade of the dawn. And it is cold out there in the new day that lies untouched, uncertain beyond the safe haven of slumber. Such a lonely time it is Twixt sleeping and waking. A moment when we are all children, afraid of the unknown that lies outside the cocoon of sleep. Where that safe haven of night's embrace holds us in its secure arms. Soft dreams melting into awareness. Floating into consciousness . New day dawning and bringing? Bringing? What? Small fears suddenly allayed by the touch of a hand upon mine. A drowsy smile from the next pillow. A gentle kiss that awakens me to that fresh morning.

And the cold is fine. The uncertainty acceptable. For the promise of new life is born afresh with that touch. That smile. That kiss. All is well with my world, for I do not face it alone, and that sustains me. It always will. Stan Phillips ©2020

Woman of Courage: Heroines of SOE by Hannah Howe

Yvonne Cormeau Yvonne Cormeau, born Beatrice Yvonne Biesterfeld on 18 December 1909, served the SOE as a wireless operator for the Wheelwright network under the code name Annette. She operated in southwestern France from August 1943 until the liberation of France in September 1944. Yvonne was an unusual SOE agent in that she was a mother. The SOE acclaimed Yvonne for the quality and quantity of her wireless transmissions. Wireless operators were vulnerable to detection and capture, often within weeks of landing. Nevertheless, she performed her duties with great courage and skill for over a year.

Yvonne Cormeau

With Yvette in a convent, where she remained until she was five, Yvonne parachuted into France, arriving on 23 August 1943. In common with many agents, she declined to take a cyanide pill with her to commit suicide if captured. The SOE issued her with a .22 revolver, but she did not carry the firearm because discovery of a weapon could lead to instant execution.

Educated in Belgium and Scotland, Yvonne was living in London in 1937 when she married Charles Emile Cormeau, a chartered accountant. Charles enlisted in the Rifle Brigade and, in 1940, was wounded in France. Tragically, he was killed shortly after his return to London when the Nazis bombed his home. Yvonne survived the bombing when a bathtub fell over her and protected her head. However, her unborn baby did not survive.

Wireless operators transmitted an average of twelve words per minute in Morse code. However, Yvonne averaged twenty words per minute. This meant she was a very talented “pianist”, SOE slang for wireless operators.

Yvonne sent her two-year-old daughter Yvette into the countryside for her own safety. Then she decided to “take her husband’s place in the Armed Forces”. She joined the WAAF as an administrator in November 1941. From there the SOE recruited her to train as a wireless operator. After much agonising and fearing that she might make her daughter an orphan, she joined the organisation on 15 February 1943.

Yvonne also worked as a courier, cycling 50 kilometres on regular occasions. As a “district nurse” Yvonne travelled the countryside avoiding the Nazis and the dreaded Milice, a radical and brutal branch of the French police. - 38 -

A “wanted” poster in Yvonne’s neighbourhood offered an accurate description of her appearance, heightening the danger. On one occasion, the Nazis stopped her at gunpoint at a roadblock. Eventually, they accepted her false papers and her story, passing her wireless equipment off as an X-ray machine. M.R.D. Foot, the official historian of the SOE said of Yvonne, “She was a perfectly unobtrusive and secure craftswoman. She broke one of the strictest rules of wireless security – i.e. always keep on the move – with success: she transmitted for six consecutive months from the same house. She could see for three miles from the window where she worked, which was one safeguard; a more effective one was that there was no running water in the village, so the Germans who knew there was an English wireless operator somewhere close by never thought of looking for her there.” Yvonne assisted in the cutting of power and telephone lines, resulting in the isolation of the Wehrmacht Group G garrison near Toulouse. In June 1944, she was shot in the leg while escaping from a Nazi attack on Castelnau, but managed to rescue her wireless. The dress she wore on that occasion and the bloodstained briefcase she carried are on permanent display in the Imperial War Museum in London along with her WAAF officer’s uniform.

Bloodstained dress and briefcase of Yvonne Cormeau, on permanent display at the Imperial War Museum.

After the war, Yvonne worked as a translator in the SOE section at the Foreign Office. She also became a leading organiser of veterans’ reunions. Reunited with her daughter, Yvette, she lived in London.

Editor In Chief—Hannah Howe The Editor-in-Chief is the key figure in every publication. Hannah Howe works closely with the editorial staff to ensure the success of each publication. She is the author of the Sam Smith Mystery Series, the Ann’s War Mystery Series and Saving Grace. Get to know more about Hannah, her projects and her work on Mom’s Favorite Reads website here: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/hannah-howe/

Executive Editor | Graphic Designer—Melanie P. Smith The Executive Editor / Graphic Designer is responsible for developing the layout and design of MFR eMagazine. She also works hard to create new covers each month that captures the essence of each publication. In addition to the editorial staff of Mom’s Favorite Reads, Melanie P. Smith also produces Connections eMagazine. She is a multi-genre author of Criminal Suspense, Police Procedural, Paranormal and Romance novels. Get to know more about Melanie, her projects and her work on Mom’s Favorite Reads website here: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/melanie-p-smith/

Managing Editor—Ronesa Aveela & Denise McCabe Our Managing Editors oversee the physical content of the magazine and coordinates the production schedule. There are two Managing Editors for Mom’s Favorite Reads; Ronesa Aveela and Denise McCabe. Get to know our Managing Editor’s on Mom’s Favorite Reads website here: Ronesa Aveela— A freelance artist and author of mystery romance inspired by legends and tales. https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/ronesa-aveela/

Denise McCabe— A children's book author and blogger. https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/denise-mccabe/

Art Director & Copy Editor / Proofreader — Sylva Fae Sylva Fae—Mum of three, fairy woodland owner, and author of children’s books. Sylva is is responsible for the amazing graphics that appear throughout the publication each month. She works hard to ensure the images capture the spirit and message our author's convey in their articles and stories. In addition, As Copy Editor, Sylva works hard behind the scenes to correct any grammatical, typos and spelling errors throughout the magazine. https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/sylva-fae/

Feature Editor—T.E, Hodden As Feature Editor T.E. Hodden works diligently to provide content that is interesting, informative and professional. He is a trained engineer and a life-long fan of comic books, Sci-Fi, myths, legends and history. Get to know more about TE Hodden on Mom’s Favorite Reads website here: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/t-e-hodden/

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Marketing Director—Grant Leishman Our Marketing Director, Grant Leishman, oversees marketing campaigns and social media engagement for our magazine. After an exciting career in accounting and journalism, he now focuses on his true calling—writing. Get to know more about Grant on Mom’s Favorite Reads website here: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/grant-leishman/

Content Editors Our Content Editors are responsible for acquiring articles, short stories, etc for the eMagazine. They work hard to make our magazine interesting and professional. Get to know our Content Editor’s on Mom’s Favorite Reads website here: Poppy Flynn— https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/poppy-flynn/ Val Tobin — https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/val-tobin/ Stan Phillips — https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/stan-phillips/

Mom’s Favorite Reads eMagazine May 2020

Articles inside

Laughter is the Best Medicine! by Hannah Howe

Twixt Sleeping and Waking by Stan Phillips

For My New Grandchild by Stan Phillips

Dinky by Jester (Age 17

Landscapes by Hannah Howe

Trevor Neal

Kiss Away Your Tears by Stan Phillips