January-March 2015 The Cat's Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine Issue75

The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine®™ A helpful literary publication where we take care to bring you short stories, poems, haikus, and essays for your reading pleasure! Plus helpful and informative articles of all kinds, and a section that’ll show you where you can purchase authors’ books or subscribe to literary magazines and journals! ™ FOUNDER & PUBLISHER: Author Rosanne Catalano-Umland (RC Kayla)

1/15/15

© JANUARY-MARCH 2015 ISSUE 75, VOL 15

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER: Welcome

to

the

New

Year

Issue; the first one for 2015!

First, I would like to thank you for

your

continued

support

over the past 10 years (can you believe it’s been ten years?!)

Second, I have sad news to share: my cousin and fellow author ROSE ANNA SCHOENE (NEÉ INFRANCO) passed away October 17, 2014 due to colon cancer. She had been battling this cancer for two and a half years, while also writing her 4th book (uncompleted at the time of her death) and painting ‘The Last Supper’ for a family member (completed before her death).

ROSE ANNA’S debut novel, ABSOLUTELY THE LAST RESORT, published in 2003, is a charming and nostalgic family-oriented

story

which

fictionalized

many

of

her

personal experiences owning a vacation resort with her late husband, her late parents, her children, and her late siblings in the Catskill Mountains of New York State for over 30 years.

ABSOLUTELY THE LAST RESORT reflected just one aspect

of

Rose

Anna’s

life

and

creative

talents

and

introduced us to her artistic and comedic nature.

Rose Anna had a writing style that was both entertaining 2 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

and uplifting which reflected her true writing persona. Yet she proved the versatility of her literary scope with her second and third novels, WHERE ARE YOU? And BUT! I’VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU, respectively. All three (3) of her books can be ordered on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Seaburn Books. I only have the direct links for Amazon (below): ABSOLUTELY THE LAST RESORT http://www.amazon.com/ WHERE ARE YOU? http://www.amazon.com/ BUT! I’VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU http://www.amazon.com/ As a tribute to my cousin ROSE ANNA I am re-publishing a short story she wrote specifically for this magazine and which was in the January 2009 issue of The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers. “A Secret Place by Rose Anna Schoene” is the first story under the ‘Coffee House 4 Readers Corner’ of this magazine. RIP Rose Anna (neé Infranco) Schoene.

You are still greatly missed…

When I shared our Sasha’s photo in the July-Sept 2014 issue, I promised a more current picture of our now-1-yearold doggy but, unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the recent photos I took developed ‘yet’ because I still have more film in my disposable camera. I know, I must get myself a smart phone or, at the very least, a digital camera where I could just upload directly to my computer! I do have a cell phone that can text but no camera imbedded inside. UPDATED JAN 3 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

5, 2015: Unfortunately I did not get a Smart Phone or a Cell Phone w/Camera for the holidays. But there is always my upcoming birthday in June (LOL) ….

Now, in this month’s magazine you will find lots of delightfully inspiring fiction and nonfiction short stories, extremely informative and helpful articles, plus pleasingly gratifying and deeply emotional poetry by my contributors, and lots of new book authors and literary journals in the ‘Off The Press! Corner’:

Coffee House 4 Readers Corner Contributors: 1) ROSE ANNA SCHOENE (NEÉ INFRANCO): A Secret Place 2) JOSEPH J. MAZZELLA: Erasing the Evidence and What It’s

All About 3) KAREN MEADOWS: Instant Access

Helpful Nonfiction Articles for You! Contributors: 4) SAM VAKNIN: Arab Spring, Israeli Winter

Coffee House 4 the Poetry Lover! Contributors: 5) DEBORAH ANNE SHEPARD: New Year’s Fairy Visit 6) KATIE DIEM: To My Mother 7) SAM DUN KLEY: A Collection of Haiku, Inspired by

‘Dragnet’ and Father’s Day 8) MICHAEL PENDRAGON: Angels, Wish I May and Dancing

Through Time

Off The Press! Corner Contributors: 9) Poet & Writer DARREN B. RANKINS (POET RANKINS) 4 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

10) Author & Poet MELISSA LORRAINE GULICK (MJ RAIN) 11) Author & Poet THOMAS BRYANT 12) Author & Poet NANETTE M. BUCHANAN 13) Author & Artist ROSE ANNA SCHOENE 14) Author & Poet SANDRA L HOYNACKI 15) Author ROSALEE WILSON 16) Author, Publisher & Columnist CAROL ROACH 17) Author, Poet & Talk Show Host TRISHA MARTIN 18) Author, Editor & Writing Instructor BARBARA DEMING 19) Author FRANCES ACESTA-SCANDARITO 20) Author & Publisher ROSANNE CATALANO (RC KAYLA).

5 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Call(s) for Submissions: If you are a writer, submit your BEST work to the publisher of Storytime Tapestry Ezine via email at: winterose@videotron.ca Storytime Tapestry was launched on Sept 1, 2003 by Author, Columnist & Writer CAROL ROACH. It is a daily ezine which is delivered directly into your email. It features short stories and poems about the human condition. These stories will inspire you, teach you a new skill, challenge your senses, provide a positive attitude on life, make you laugh, make you cry, and first and foremost provide a cultural link with all the peoples of the world creating a tapestry of love for all of humanity.

To join Storytime Tapestry: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Storytime_Tapestry/ ================================================== Now I am giving the floor over to my other Contributors, who have more news to share with you before you start reading the short stories, articles, poetry, authors’ books and literary publications. Not to worry – it’s only good news!

*****

6 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

“Hi Rosanne, please tell your readers about my book, ‘Elder Rage’: My book ‘Elder Rage’ is a Book-of-the-Month Club selection

receiving

50

endorsements:

http://www.ElderRage.com/Review.asp,

300+

Five-Star

Amazon reviews, is now required reading at numerous universities. exclusively

It

is

at

now

Amazon:

available

for

audio

download

http://tinyurl.com/74479pq

and

Audible Books: http://tinyurl.com/7seo4fm.

Also available in Print and Kindle/Nook eBook formats.

Perhaps you know people who could be helped by it. http://www.ElderRage.com Jacqueline Marcell Coping with Caregiving Radio Show

Impressive Press 3141 Michelson Dr. #606, Irvine, CA 92612, (949) 975-1012.

“Splash of Inspiration” Published by JANET PEREZ ECKLES Author & Inspirational Speaker

7 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

JANET’S DAILY NEWSLETTER BRINGS YOU FAITH & LOVE WITH A LATIN FLAIR! To subscribe to her newsletter just send a blank email to: jeckles@cfl.rr.com Write “Subscribe” in your subject line and mention that the publisher of The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers

Magazine referred you. Janet will immediately send you her latest

issue

right

in

your

inbox.

Enjoy

her

inspiring

newsletter!

****** More Good News from my Contributors…

CAROL ROACH AUTHOR, PUBLISHER & COLUMNIST: “Rosanne, please tell your readers about my three wonderful columns at examiner.com. The articles are well researched and, as you know, my field is psychology – I have a Masters in counselling psychology. The articles are also great for Storytime Tapestry members who do not want to wait for when the story is finally published, sometimes several months later.”

First column Women's Issues - covers all issues relating to women's lives, from the fight for women's rights which started over 100 years ago in Alberta, Canada, to all the great women's achievements in the USA, the feminist movement, women's legal, health, family 8 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

issues and more, later on I will incorporate eastern women's issues

as

well.

http://www.examiner.com/x-47386-Montreal-

Womens-Issues-Examiner

Second column Health - covers all aspects of health from disease and conditions to most recent medical studies, to warning against certain drugs and pharmaceutical drug recalls. http://www.examiner.com/x-38644-Montreal-Health-Examiner

Third column Mental Health - covers everything pertaining to psychology, psychiatry, self-improvement, theories about behavior and why we do the things we do and a lot more. http://www.examiner.com/x-33888-Montreal-Mental-HealthExaminer

****** ARTHUR C. FORD, SR PUBLISHER, EDITOR & POET:

JANUARY/2015 ISSUE OF ‘THE PEN’ WILL BE OUT SOON If you are a reader, writer or just interested in poetry, this poetry newsletter—‘The Pen’ is a must for you and your family. Send $25(USD) (4 issues), $48 (8 issues) or $4.00 for 9 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

a sample. OUTSIDE THE U.S.A. AND CANADA: $35 FOR 4 ISSUES, $68 FOR 8 ISSUES OR $8 FOR A SAMPLE. Poetry Submission information can be found at: www.thepoetbandcompany.yolasite.com (click on guidelines) Send Check or M.O. to: Arthur C. Ford Sr. P.O. Box 4725 Pittsburgh, PA 15206-0725(U.S.A.) USE “PayPal” (Credit Card) at: givemequality@yahoo.com ADVERTISING RATES: Size Issue

One Four issues

1/8

$10.00

$35.00

¼ ½

$20.00

$60.00

$40.00

$120.00

Full Page $80.00

$270.00

Ads must be typed clearly and in black and white.

Logos are accepted.

“ADS ARE DUE ON THE LAST DAYOF THE MONTH (Dec./Mar./June/Sept.)

PRIOR TO THE FOLLOWING MONTH’S PUBLICATION (Jan/April/July/Oct.) Yours in Words, Arthur C. Ford, Sr. Poet & Editor of “THE PEN” ================================================== 10 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

If you are a freelance writer, also go to Filbert Publishing: http://www.filbertpub.net today to pick up your copy of Beth Ann Erickson’s helpful eBook, “101 No Cost or Low Cost Techniques to Turbo Charge Your Freelance Income!”

She

offers a ton of excellent advice on how to earn more than pennies for your freelance writing.

Also check out the “Helpful Sites for You” page on my website for other interesting, fun sites, and literary journals and magazines!

I would like you to welcome my other Contributors; some new, some established who have written short stories, poems, and helpful informative articles for you. If you like what they have written, please let them know by email or by visiting

their

websites

[Authors’

email

addresses

websites are listed in the “About the Author” bios.]

or My

contributors love hearing from you!

See y’all in the Spring!

Copyright © January-March 2015 Rosanne Catalano.

Cat’s Rule, Dogs Drool and We Love Them Still ================================================== =================================

11 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

COFFEE HOUSE 4 READERS CORNER

Bringing You Fiction & Nonfiction Short Stories, Essays and Flash Fiction for Your Reading Pleasure!

“A Secret Place by Rose Anna Schoene” Is being published again as a tribute to a beautiful and extremely talented woman who also happened to be my wonderful cousin and a fellow author…

12 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

A Secret Place ROSE ANNA SCHOENE Author of “Absolutely the Last Resort,” “Where Are You?” and “But! I’ve Always Loved You” I KNOW A SECRET PLACE THAT NO ONE ELSE IS AWARE of nor can see, except me, that is. I go there often.

When I am happy and when I am sad, when I’m perplexed and when I’m mad. When I am lonely and when I am blue. If you like, I will try to share this place with you. Just come along with me…

On days when I’m harried and frazzled, I walk along a lovely Blue Lagoon, laced with swaying palm trees and lush green foliage. I breathe in the tropical breezes and put my feet in the azure water, feeling the delightfully tepid sensation of it rippling through my toes, and I am so refreshed and calm.

On other days, when I am lonely and I need a little warmth and loving, I’m off to Italy; Venice to be exact. I am embraced, kissed, and welcomed by adoring people.

“Come, come!” they say. “Sit down, eat, enjoy!”

Then we’re in a gondola, being propelled up the canal, singing and waving to the colorful Venetians, who are waving back at us from the windows of their homes that almost seem to be floating on the water. I’m warmed by their open hearted affection, warmth and caring.

13 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

When I feel the need of something exotic in my life, I find myself in Egypt with the hot sand under my feet, gazing in awe at the Sphinx and the Pyramids, feeling the warmth of the sun caressing my body. I wonder who built these amazing structures. Then in a blink, I am in India, enthralled by the beauty of the Taj Mahal, touching the cool white marble, and marveling at how the Emperor Shah Jahan must have loved his wife so much that he had this exquisite mausoleum built for her… HOW ROMANTIC! …Sigh…

There are other times I long for childish pleasures and I am in Disneyland, talking to Mickey Mouse while walking on Main Street. I’m laughing and conversing with the talking Bears and Tikka Birds, then riding around in the Small World exhibit, singing along with the little dolls so beautifully dressed, in costumes from around the globe.

“La la la … La la la, it’s a small world after all…” I sing.

When it is too hot, I cool off in Alaska among the snowcapped mountains, with the crunch of snow beneath my feet as I walk along the shore, watching the Glaciers sublimely towering on the icy waters where a little boy is fishing through a crack in the ice. Brrr! Now it is much too cold so I dash off to balmy Hawaii.

Hawaii, with its delightful climate of gentile breezes and unbelievably aqua waters of the all-encompassing ocean that is swelling and ebbing as the grass-skirted beauties dance the Hula and encircle my neck with a lovely flower lei.

I follow their movements and dance along with them. How 14 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

relaxing and what fun!

On some days when I am weary and feel ordinary and common, tired of doing the same ‘ole chores day after day, I am a Queen sitting on a throne. My servants are doting on me and serving me a lovely tea with crumpets, scones and biscuits, smothered with clotted cream, topped with assorted jellies and strawberries. There is a silver tray that matches the tea service and sterling silverware, laden with dainty little sandwiches, cut in fancy shapes, encasing luscious fillings of smoked salmon, watercress and caviar…

I am so pampered and oh so Regal. “OH DEAR!” When I am feeling blah Switzerland whizzing down and turquoise outfit, with exhilarated and energized “FANTASTIC!”

and need a pick-me-up, I am in the trail in my stunning black my face crimson and tingling, as I pass the other skiers.

In the winter, looking at the bare trees and grassless ground, longing for the sight of some lovely flowers, I am in Holland walking amidst the rainbow of color that tulips are creating; brilliant reds, sunny yellows, virginal whites, everywhere as far as the eye can see. I am so elated and cheerful now.

When the summer is hot and dry and we are having drought conditions, I find myself at the Niagara Falls wearing a yellow raincoat as I view the spectacular panorama of forcefully cascading water. So much water, roaring and crashing down! The sounds and the mist everywhere, exploding its power in awesome fury.

15 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

“UNBELIEVABLE.” There are times I want to be frivolous and merry. At these times, I find myself dressed in a lovely flowing gown, getting out of a limousine and entering a Casino with my mate, who is quite handsome in his tuxedo. We play roulette and win outrageously. Then we are having an elegant meal and the finest champagne as we gaze upon the French Riviera from our table in a quaint outdoor café. “OH SO ELEGANT!” When life is tough and rough, I am made to see that things aren’t so bad in my life as I walk with Christ on His way to be crucified, and I behold the Holocaust and Bosnia WITH HORROR and run. Nothing compares with that. I run to my heavenly haven, filled with iridescent, crystal light, beautiful shimmering flowers of gold, crimson, pearly white and azure that are permeating the air with their sweet perfume. There are little Angels among the blossoms, and breathtaking rainbows, flitting about and playing joyfully, their laughter sounding like little tinkle belles that mingle with the glorious soft music that fills the air, and I know that everything will be alright. “HEAVENLY.” All this, by now, I am sure you surmise is purely fantasy that comforts, heals and helps me cope with reality, in a ‘secret place’ that lies deep inside me.

Copyright © January 2009 Rose Anna Schoene.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ROSE ANNA SCHOENE was a published author and an artist (hobbyist) who was born in Brooklyn, New York USA, and 16 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

resided in Earlton, New York--near Albany--at the time of her death in Oct 2014. Rose Anna made her writing debut in 2003 with her fiction novel, ABSOLUTELY THE LAST RESORT, which is a charming and nostalgic familyorientated book that fictionalized many of her personal experiences owning a resort in the Catskill Mountains for over 30 years. This book reflects just one aspect of Rose Anna’s life and creative talents, and introduces us to her artistic and comedic nature. She has a writing style that is both entertaining and uplifting which reflects her true writing persona; yet she proves the versatility of her literary scope with her 2nd fiction novel, WHERE ARE YOU?, which offers a serious, dramatic and paranormal-love storyline and is available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Seaburn.com; as is her debut novel, ABSOLUTELY THE LAST RESORT. (More info about Rose Anna’s books, and info to purchase your very own copy of them, can be found in the ‘Off The Press!’ section of this magazine and on her author page located on my website.) Rose Anna (neé Infranco) Schoene is making her online-writing-debut in this magazine with her short story, A SECRET PLACE. Rose Anna can be contacted via e-mail at Rose722Rose@aol.com or you can visit her author page on my site, under ‘Fiction Novels of Author & Artist Rose Anna Schoene.’

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER: At the time I published my cousin Rose Anna’s story in the January 2009 magazine, she 17 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

had not yet written her 3rd and last fiction novel, BUT! I’VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU, which was published in 2010 by Seaburn Books, a small press book publisher located in Long Island City, New York.

Erasing the Evidence JOSEPH J. MAZZELLA Author of “Walking the Path of Love”

I WOKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITH A START. My aging and aching back had jolted me awake with a sharp pain. I got up and stretched in the dark until it eased, laid back down again, and shut my eyes. I couldn’t go back to sleep, though. Finally I gave up and switched on the television. One of those early morning infomercials was on.

Two women were going on and on about a new product that hid the wrinkles around their eyes and mouths. I watched for a minute then switched it back off. One thought came to my mind: "Why are they erasing the evidence of so much laughter and so many smiles?"

I walked into my bathroom, turned on the light, and looked into the mirror. My own laugh lines were deeper and more numerous than ever. They ripped out from my smile and my eyes like waves of joy and I loved the way they looked.

There was nothing ugly about them at all.

18 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

They spoke of countless thousands of smiles, wonderful moments of laughter, and a life lived in happiness as much as possible. I certainly didn’t look as young as I once did, but I still wouldn’t trade my wrinkles for the world.

There are many parts of aging that I could do without. I would love to have the energy, eyesight, and muscle mass I had at eighteen. My aching back I would give up without a second thought. But I want to keep my laugh lines right where they are. They are the roadmap of my life. They are a painting of my choices. They are the evidence of a life welllived and a life well-loved. I think that the Hand of God helps to draw those lines around our eyes and mouth so that we can recognize the kindness and goodness in ourselves and in others. Don’t cover yours up then. Show them off. Give them a workout. Make them deeper with every smile you share. Let them shine in your laughter and in your love for all your life here.

Copyright © December 20, 2014 Joseph J. Mazzella. ============================================

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What it’s All About JOSEPH J. MAZZELLA Author of “Walking the Path of Love” WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE I DIDN’T ATTEND MANY FOOTBALL games. I didn’t go to many functions. I wasn’t to be found at the bars or parties either. When I wasn’t in class, my dorm room, or spending time with my friends there was usually only one place to find me: the library.

I would spend hours there after class and on the weekends surrounded by books. I was fascinated by the amount of knowledge that was stored between their covers.

I devoured volume after volume. I read books on psychology, sociology, history, and philosophy. I read books on theology, faith, and self-help. I explored every area I could in an obsessive quest to find out one thing: "What is the meaning of life?" I was driven to discover why we are here. I had to know what it’s all about. Sadly, four years and a thousand books later I graduated with a degree but no real answer to my question.

I didn’t give up after college, though. I kept looking in books, in nature, in prayer, and in my own heart and soul to find the answer. I never gave up through all the work, struggles, pains, and losses that I went through. After many years too I think that I finally learned the answer to that question and it was so simple. The answer was Love!

Love is what it’s all about. Love is what we are all about.

From our first cry as a newborn baby to our last breath before death, love is our purpose. Every hug, every smile, every laugh, every tear, every word of encouragement, every kind act, every helping hand, every moment of compassion, and every thought we think can lead us to greater love as 20 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

well. Three of the most important words in the Bible are: "God is Love." And when we become one with love we become one with God. Don’t spend your life on anything less.

Choose love. Share love. Grow in love. Walk the path of love through all of this life and into the next.

Copyright © December 2014 Joseph J. Mazzella.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JOSEPH J. MAZZELLA is a published author and writer who was born, raised and still lives in the mountains of West Virginia in the USA. He grew up walking in the woodland trails around his home and draws much of the inspiration for his work from God's beautiful creation that is all around him.

He graduated from Glenville State College with degrees in English and Education. He has worked over the years as a busboy, lumber mill worker, and teacher.

Joseph is currently a mental health worker, and also cares for his two sons who have Autism. A father of three, he has been writing for over 20 years for local county newspapers.

With the creation of the Internet, he is now read by people all over the world. In August of 2010 Joseph had his first book published, titled “Walking the Path of Love”, which can be purchased at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, or wherever books are sold. He can be contacted at: joemazzella@frontier.com

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================================================== =========================

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Instant Access KAREN MEADOWS TODAY’S WORLD IS A FRENZY OF TEXTING, INSTANT Messaging, skyping, email, and on-demand programming.

Children are caught up in imaginary worlds of dragons and warfare from video games. No longer do children go outside and play, use their imagination, stay out until dusk, then come in to have dinner with the family. Children are kept so busy with extracurricular activities, such as sports, gymnastics, dance, piano lessons. When at home, they do not talk to their parents. Their world is consumed by their smartphone, their computer, their online life and virtual friends.

Parents do not find the time to interact with their children. Most households with two parents, both work, and consume the rest of their time shuffling their children from one activity to another. One parent households have it even worse. Children more often than not come home from school to an empty house. Parents today have replaced supervision with security cameras that can be accessed from their phone or computer at work.

23 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Dinner is not a time that the family gathers to talk about their day anymore. If the family does eat together, it is usually with the interruption of texting, or phone calls. Most families eat on the run, which means separately, and a lot of fast food. And we wonder why childhood obesity is such a problem with today’s children.

Sundays are no longer a time for the family to go to church. So many parents are raising their children to “follow their own conscience” where God is concerned. They do not want to “push religion down their throat”, and let them make up their own mind into what they believe. It is this very lack of religion that is allowing children to become destructive, violent, unconcerned for their peers or elders.

Instant access has given way to entitlement, disrespect, and inconsideration to others. Children want what they want, and they want it now. They do not feel the need to earn what they get, or respect what they have. It is not just today’s youth that is affected by instant access. Adults now have instant access to anything and everything with just the swipe of a phone or the click of a mouse. Our lives have become a virtual world of online banking, online dating, and online learning. We shop online, make friends online, share photos online, and communicate across the world online.

Life has become a time of instantaneousness circumstances.

Long gone are the days of missing a call, or just listening to the radio when we are driving, or taking a walk and enjoying the weather. People are now “plugged in”. They have to be connected at every given second. Children do not play outside and exercise anymore. They are too busy learning the art of violence from video games and movies.

Marital values have plummeted due to the instant access of 24 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

online pornography. Predators have become much savvier, and have much closer access to our children through online chat sites.

I see more and more on the news these days of children killing their parents, and worse, parents killing their children. The respect for human life no longer exists.

Cyberbullying has become the norm in schools across America. No longer does the bully have to face their victim, they can now hide behind the screen of a computer to torment each other. Stalking has increased with the availability of everyone’s life being practically open for the entire world to see through the use of the internet.

Passwords, selfies, texting, sexting, emails, instant messaging, skyping, FaceTime, spyware, malware, viruses, these are words and phrases that were not the norm 15, 20 years ago. When a person wanted to date, they met a person, in person. We did not have the need to secure our thoughts and lives with passwords, because they were not stored in cyberspace. Pictures that we had of ourselves were usually taken by a loved one or a friend, capturing a special moment in time. Writing someone a letter, using pen and paper, then putting it in the mailbox for the post office to pick up was how we kept in touch with those far away.

Sexting was unheard of. Private things went on behind closed doors, and were kept private. Talking on the telephone did not happen at any given place or time. Missing a phone call was not unheard of either. People were not afraid of being hacked, or have their lives invaded by strangers, because they did not carry their lives around in their pocket. A virus was something you saw a doctor for, given medication to cure, and a reminder from grandma to stay bundled up.

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Life is at a fast pace today. We move through it so quickly, that we no longer take time to look in a person’s eyes, or hear the meaning behind a person’s words. We do not slow down long enough to treasure a person’s presence, or remember a person long gone. Long gone are the slow and peaceful days of yesterday. A time when family meant something, and connection was personal. No, today is all about instant access, and before you know it, life is over.

Then what is left? Not a handprint on another person’s life, but rather our carbon footprint left on the world.

Copyright © September 3, 2014 Karen Meadows.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: KAREN MEADOWS is the mother of one adopted daughter and grandmother of two who has been writing narratives and poetry since the age of ten. She likes to write on topics for which she holds dear to her heart or feels strongly about.

Karen lives in Pearl, Mississippi; where she was born and raised. She briefly lived in Livingston, Louisiana from 20112014. Karen can be contacted at karen.meadows999@gmail.com

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HELPFUL ARTICLES FOR YOU!

Where Nonfiction Articles with Helpful Information & Tips of All Kinds Can be found! Also general Informative Articles!

Arab Spring, Israeli Winter SAM VAKNIN Author of “Malignant Self-love: Narcissism Revisited” Editor-in-Chief of Global Politician

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ISRAEL, THE BIG POWERS, AND THE TRUE NEW WORLD ORDER

The Jews and their state, Israel, have always sported a procolonial predilection, relying on "Big Powers" (Britain, France, and the United States of America) to sort out the Middle-Eastern quagmire in Israel's favor. This default policy may no longer prove possible.

A consensus is now emerging in Europe - including Britain that the "road map" for peace in the Middle East would be a futile exercise without some anti-Israeli "teeth".

Recognizing the nascent Palestinian state in September 2011 may be just the start. Economic sanctions are on the cards as well. With Obama in the White House - a President the Israelis largely consider to be hostile - and with the Arab world turning palpably more democratic, the Europeans feel unshackled.

Striving towards an Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation may prove to be the glue that reunites the fractious Euro-Atlantic structures.

But while the United State is reluctant to impose a settlement on the Israelis, the specter of sanctions against the Jewish state has re-emerged in the Old Continent's corridors of power. A committee of the European Parliament is said to be laboring away at various scenarios of escalating measures against Israel and its leaders. The European Commission may be readying its own proposals.

Not all Americans are Obamatons.

The views of Conservative Americans are summed up by David PryceJones, Senior Editor of National Review: 28 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

"Israelis and Palestinians face each other across the new ideological divide in a dilemma that bears comparison to Germany's in the Cold War ... Israel must share territory with Palestinians, a growing number of whom are proven Islamic terrorists, and who identify with bin Laden's cause, as he identifies with theirs ... The Oslo peace process is to the Middle East what Ostpolitik was to Germany and central Europe. Proposals to separate the two peoples physically on the ground spookily evoke the Berlin Wall."

Still, such sentiments aside, in the long-run, Muslims are the natural allies of the United States in its role as a budding Asian power, largely supplanting the former Soviet Union.

Thus, the threat of militant - and even nuclear - Islam is unlikely to cement a long term American-Israeli confluence of interests. Moreover, with the prospect of representative regimes in several Arab states more tangible, Israel is losing its long-held title as the "Middle East's only democracy."

Rather, the aforementioned menace of armed fundamentalism may yet create a new geopolitical formation of the USA and moderate Muslim countries, equally threatened by virulent Muslim religiosity. Later, Russia, China and India - all destabilized by growing and vociferous Muslim minorities - may join in. Israel will be sacrificed to this New World Order.

The writing is on the wall, though obscured by the fog of war and, as The Guardian revealed in April 2003, by American reliance during the conflict in Iraq on Israeli intelligence, advanced armaments and lessons in urban warfare. The "road map" announced by President George Bush as a sop to 29 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

his politically besieged ally, Tony Blair, and much contested by the extreme right-wing government of Ariel Sharon, called for the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005.

The temporal goalposts may have shifted but not the ineluctable outcome: The State of Palestine is upon us, embedded in an Arab world far less amenable to Israel's economic charms (witness the cessation of Egyptian gas supplies to Israel under the new military "transition" dictatorship).

Israel has witnessed and survived through many convulsions in the Arab street. In 1953, Nasser's youthful and reforminclined pan-Arabism swept the Arab world. The long-term fruit of this hopeful tumult, though, was Mubarak. The revolutionary Baa'th parties in Syria and Iraq gave us Saddam Hussein and the murderous Assad dynasty. Israel is very skeptical when it comes to yet another Arab Spring. It tends to support reactionary regimes because they are predictable and easy to do business with. Israel is a natural foe of progress and democracy in the region because it would like to maintain its monopoly on these important political currencies.

30 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

The Prospect of Sanctions against Israel Israel was always expected to promptly withdraw from all the territories it re-seized during the 30 months of second intifada. Blair had openly called on it to revert to the pre-Six Day War borders of 1967. In a startlingly frank and impatient speech, so did Obama in May 2011. In a symbolic gesture, the British government decided to crack down on food products imported from Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza and mislabeled "Made in Israel" or "Produce of Israel". The European Union pegs the total value of such goods at $22 million.

Wariness of Israel in both Europe and the Arab world was heightened in April 2003, when then National Infrastructure Minister, Yosef Paritzky, saw fit to inform the Israeli daily, Ha'aretz, about a plan to revive a long defunct oil pipeline running from Mosul to Haifa, a northern seaport. This American-blessed joint venture will reduce Israel's dependence on Russian crude and the cost of its energy imports. It would also require a regime change in Syria, whose territory the pipeline crosses.

Partly to prevent further Israeli provocations of an extremely agitated and radicalized anti-Western Arab Street, European leaders revived the idea of economic sanctions, floated and flouted - in 2002. The EU accounts for one third of Israel's exports and two fifths of its imports. It accords Israeli goods preferential treatment.

In April 2002, in the thick of the bloody intifada, Germany and Belgium suspended military sales to Israel. Norway boycotted some Israeli agricultural commodities. The 31 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Danish Workers Union followed suit. The European Parliament called to suspend Israel's Association Agreement with the EU. Though Belgium supported this move, harsher steps were avoided so as to allow Colin Powell, then U.S. Secretary of State, to proceed with his peace mission to the Middle East.

Israel has been subjected to boycotts and embargoes before. In the first four decades of Israel's existence as well as in the last five years, the Arabs imposed strict market access penalties on investors and trade partners of the Jewish state. The United States threatened its would-be ally with economic and military sanctions after the Suez War in 1956, forcing it to return to Egypt its territorial gains in the desert campaign.

For well over a decade afterwards, Israel was barred from direct purchases of American weaponry, securing materiel through West German intermediaries and from France. After the Six Day War, French President Charles de Gaulle imposed an arms embargo on the country. Faced with Arab intransigence and virulent enmity towards Israel in the Khartoum Summit in 1967, the USA stepped in and has since become Israel's largest military supplier and staunchest geopolitical supporter.

Yet, even this loyal ally, the United States, has come close to imposing sanctions on Israel on a few occasions.

In 1991, Yitzhak Shamir, the Israeli Prime Minister at the time, was reluctantly dragged into the Madrid Arab-Israeli peace conference by a victorious post-Gulf war administration. He proceeded to negotiate in bad faith and continued the aggressive settlement policies of his 32 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

predecessors.

In consequence, a year later, President George H.W. Bush, the incumbent's father, withheld $10 billion in sorely needed loan guarantees, intended to bankroll the housing of 1 million Jewish immigrants from the imploding Soviet Bloc.

Shamir's successor, Yitzhak Rabin, succumbed to American demands, froze all new settlements and regained the coveted collateral.

Only concerted action by the EU and the USA can render a sanctions regime effective. Israel is the recipient of $2.7 billion in American annual military aid and economic assistance. In the wake of this round of fighting in the Gulf, it will benefit from $10 billion in guaranteed soft loans. It has signed numerous bilateral tax, trade and investment treaties with the United States. American sanctions combined with European ones may prove onerous.

Israel is also finding itself increasingly on the wrong side of the "social investing" fence. Activist and non-governmental organizations are applying overt pressure to institutional investors, such as pension funds and universities, to divest or to refrain from ploughing their cash into Israeli enterprises due to the country's "apartheid" policies and rampant and repeated violations of human rights and international law. They are joined by student bodies, academics, media people and conscientious Jews the world over.

According to The Australian, a petition launched in 2002 by John Docker, a Jewish-Australian author and Fellow of the Australian National University's Humanities Research Centre 33 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

and Christian Lebanese Australian senior lecturer and author Ghassan Hage of Sydney University's Anthropology Department, "calls (for a) ban on joint research programs with Israeli universities, attending conferences in Israel and disclosing information to Israeli academics".

It is one of many such initiatives. In the long run such grassroots efforts may prove to be have the most devastating effects on Israel's fragile and recessionary economy. Multinationals are far more sensitive to global public opinion than they used to be only a decade ago. So are governments and privatized academic institutions.

Israel may find itself ostracized by consent rather than by decree. Already a pariah state in many quarters, it is being fingered by European left-leaning intellectuals as being in cahoots with the lunatic fringes of Christian and Jewish fundamentalism. Yet, if sanctions cause a recalcitrant Israeli right to trade occupied land for a hitherto elusive peace, history may yet judge them to be a blessing in disguise.

Appendix: The USA, the Friendly Bully I. Introduction It is common knowledge that, in international affairs, emotions defer to self-interest. As George Orwell noted in his masterpiece, "1984", the flux of circumstance may render yesterday's foe tomorrow's friend.

II. 1948-1967 During the 1950s and 1960s, the USA was essentially proArab. It attempted to secure the oil fields of the Middle East 34 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

(in the Gulf, Iraq, and Iran) from Soviet encroachment by nurturing friendly relations with the region's authoritarian regimes and by fostering a military alliance with Turkey (later, a part of an extended NATO).

Remarkably, Israel was forced to rely on the USSR for arms (supplied via the Czech Republic) and, later, on France and Britain, who were desperately trying to hang on to the smoldering remnants of their colonial empires.

Thus, in 1956, Israel (in collusion with France and Britain) attempted to pry open the critical recently-nationalized waterway, the Suez Canal, by invading the Sinai Peninsula, then, as now, a part of Egypt. The USA forced Israel into a humiliating and public retreat and threatened the fledgling state with economic, military, and diplomatic sanctions if it did not comply with American demands without ado.

During the 1960s, even when America did (rarely) sell weapons systems to Israel, it made sure to make the same armaments available to Israel's avowed and vociferous enemies, Egypt and Jordan. By 1967, the USA has granted the Hashemite Kingdom of Trans-Jordan far larger sums of military and foreign aid than it did its neighbor to the west, Israel.

President Johnson was a staunch supporter of Israel. Yet, in the run-up to the Six Days War, the Johnson Administration summoned Israeli politicians and military leaders to Washington and publicly chastised and berated them for refusing to succumb to American pressure and yield to Arab demands (which amounted essentially to the dismantling of the Jewish State by economic and diplomatic means).

35 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Secretary of State Dean Rusk went as far as blaming Israel for the war. A diplomatic solution, he insisted, was possible, had Israel shown more flexibility.

The deliberate or mistaken Israeli attack, during the conflict, on the USS Liberty, an American intelligencegathering ship, moored in international waters, did not help bilateral relations any.

III. 1967-Present Still, Israel's decisive victory over the combined forces of numerous Arab states, many of which bore Soviet arms, changed perceptions in Washington and among the Jews: here was a military democracy that could serve as a bulwark against Soviet expansion in the Middle East; a regional cop; a testing ground for new weapons; a living breathing demonstration of the superiority of American arms; an intelligence gathering "front office"; and a frontline base in case of dire need.

Israel's standing was thus transformed from pariah to a major non-NATO ally overnight (a status officially granted it in 1987). Israel felt sufficiently secure in its newfound pivotal strategic role to reject a peace plan forwarded by then Secretary of State, Will Rogers in 1970.

Yet, even in the heyday of this "special relationship", Israel refrained from defying the USA and feared the repercussions of any disagreement, major or minor. This hesitancy and dread were not confined to the political echelons: the entire population were affected. People of all walks of life engaged in reading the tea leaves of "the mood in Washington" and 36 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

what should Israel do to placate its fickle, thuggish, and overbearing "partner".

Thus, despite numerous warning signs that it is about to be attacked by superior Arab forces in 1973, the Israeli leadership gambled with the country's very existence and did not launch a pre-emptive strike, having been cautioned not to act by President Nixon and his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger.

When Israel repelled and encircled the invading Egyptian Army, Kissinger called Israel's Ambassador in Washington, Simcha Dinitz and instructed him not to pursue a military victory. When Dinitz protested, Kissinger told him that disobeying the United States (and destroying the aggressor's remaining forces on the ground) was "an option that simply does not exist".

Kissinger then proceeded with shuttle diplomacy aimed at pressuring Israel into ceding most of the land it conquered in the last two wars in return for a mere ceasefire. Whenever Israel resisted any of his dictates, however inconsequential, Kissinger would publicly threaten Israel with abandonment and even sanctions. This modus operandi continued throughout President Carter's years in office.

Even in the early Reagan years, Israel was berated and threatened on a regular basis, owing to its invasion of Lebanon and its rejection of yet another American-imposed "peace" plan in 1982 and in 1988. The Reagan Administration also openly consorted with the PLO, at the time still an unrepentant, anti-Jewish terrorist organization.

37 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Yet, throughout these very public and advertent humiliations, the USA remained Israel's main backer.

Friendship and bullying appeared to be two inalienable facet of the same coin of American-Israeli relations.

The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 1981; formed a Joint Military Political Group in 1983; conducted joint air and naval exercises in 1984; stockpiled American weapons and materiel on Israeli soil; and signed a free trade agreement in 1985. Israel has also been the recipient of 3 billion USD annually (until 2004, one third of all American foreign aid) since the early 1980s.

At the very same time, Secretary of State, James Baker reprimanded Israel for its "expansionist" policies and his boss, President Bush (the father) insisted that east Jerusalem - the very soul and heart of the Jewish state was an "occupied territory".

Blowing hot and cold on the "special" relationship strained them to the hilt. Disagreements and misunderstandings proliferated as the USA began to micromanage Israeli affairs, telling the country how to conduct its investigations into incidents and even how to hold elections (for the Palestinian delegation to a peace conference).

With the first Gulf War imminent in 1990, Bush affirmed the USA's commitment to Israel's existence and security. But, only a year later, when Iraq attacked Israel with Scud missiles and Israel heeded America's request not to retaliate did relations between the two asymmetric allies 38 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

thaw. Israel was granted loans, albeit under the condition that it freezes all settlement activities in the West Bank.

Relations between Israel and the Administration of President Bush (the son) started off on the wrong foot, with recriminations and accusations, only to be rendered an intimate collaboration by the terrorist attacks of September 2001.

Currently, in the throes of an umpteenth honeymoon, Israel can do no wrong. But, history teaches us that such phases are invariably followed by discord. Israel has consistently jeopardized both its national security and its interests to placate American impetuous demands and to cater to its ally's geopolitical and -global economic interests.

Thus, at America's vehement and minacious behest, Israel has ignored Syrian offers to negotiate a peace accord.

Similarly, Israel has cancelled the sale or maintenance of proprietary weapons systems to China, Venezuela and other countries the USA deemed "unfriendly".

When Israel dared to service and upgrade an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) it has previously sold to China, it was harshly penalized: joint development programs, shipments of military equipment, and regular communication between the departments of defense of the two allies were all suspended.

Acting as the latter-day equivalent of a colonial or imperial master, the USA demanded from Israel a detailed report about dozens of transactions with Mainland China; the right to supervise and inspect Israel's military equipment sales 39 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

supervision system; and an effective veto power on all future arms sales.

40 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Also Read: Europe's Four Speeds Switching Empires Transition in Context How the West Lost the East The Criminality of Transition Fascism - The Tensile Permanence Communism, Capitalism, Feudalism Left and Right in a Divided Europe Anarchism for a Post-modern Age Althusser and the competing interpellations The Beginning of History - Islam and Liberalism Forward to the Past - Capitalism in Post-Communist Europe

Copyright Š July 2012 Sam Vaknin.

41 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: SAM VAKNIN ( http://samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of ‘Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited’ and ‘After the Rain - How the West Lost the East’ as well as many other books and ebooks about topics in psychology, relationships, philosophy, economics, and international affairs.

He served as a columnist for Central Europe Review, Global Politician, PopMatters, eBookWeb, and BellaOnline; and as a United

Press

International

(UPI)

Senior

Business

Correspondent. He was the editor of Mental Health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101,

and

is

currently

the

Associate

Editor

of

GlobalPolitician.com.

Visit Sam's Web site at: http://samvak.tripod.com ===============================================================

42 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

COFFEE HOUSE 4 POETRY LOVERS CORNER

Bringing You Poems (Classical and contemporary) And Haikus for the Poet in You!

New Year’s Fairy Visit DEBORAH ANNE SHEPARD SOFT AS THE LILACS, WHICH FELT NEAR A HUMAN SOUL 43 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

I caught in mid-summer breeze mist My buttercup umbrella with ease Plumes rustled as the center appeared, I saw the human form, do I dare?

I shall embrace his life to mine Violets colors vespers strolled in mid-air above me Tiny little gnomes and fairies in my world unseen Soft in purple essence it shines apart of the rest Irreverent I shall dress with sparkles it seems to radiant to you my heart calls thee in the magical beings Captured wings adrift, we kissed See ye my dreams are with ebony strings Effluence in fairyism breeze I live I saw in misty blue waters

44 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

To each Dream cup, I shall await in time Thy candles burn bright, tis twilight chime we shall humanly share, I need you my human this I cannot share I cannot wear slippers, to be human I swear I shall weep Whilst thou be thy prince of fairy's?

I so desire, whilst throe's transform to me?

I shall wait by dandelions bay Will you my darling, my human, come to me my love today?

BY DEBORAH ANNE SHEPARD Copyright © January 2015 ABOUT THE AUTHOR: DEBORAH ANNE SHEPARD is a published author and poet who was born in Carmel, California, USA, and has a delightful family; a husband that was in the military for 25 years and their son, who is married with one child, making Deborah and her husband first-time grandparents. Deborah herself says: “I am a teacher and a writer, my background is 45 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

French, English and Native American Cherokee.” She attended high school in Carmel, and attended a few years in Germany for grade school. She is currently enrolled in Bates College for Para educators and Clover Park College. “I have the child development degree with early childhood and working on special education endorsers. I work with many sites on the web, such as Character Counts for Fort Lewis. I am currently an Educational Specialist and I teach school age and preschool children.”

Having been writing since she was attending grade school, and having ideal writers such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Shakespeare, Helen Rice, Keats, and multiple poets at Starlit Café, and her favorite Edgar Allen Poe, whose poetry enriched her life. “Clearly Helen Keller summed it up in saying ‘beauty is not seen but felt within,’ that is what I teach as an educator for Fort Lewis Beach Wood School Age Center.”

Deborah has an inspirational book titled “The Pages Of Time” currently out. It is about fairies, romance, angels, inspiration and character of one’s self. “It’s about life’s character, the beauty of fairies and angels compassion to the heart strings. My poems tell the story of dreams. We have the beauty of traveling into them to give us belief, hope and life. In our world today life is filled with so many trials and tribulations but with hope; like a little girl to travel into fantasy and relieve ourselves for just a moment. With our dreams we can soar to our goals in life, with our inner child as they grow, awakening our heart to feel with each stance.

A glimmer of beauty of the heart, soul, and spiritual awakening for the poems give them life.”

46 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Although Deborah has a book out, she wishes to write about “romance dedications to the soul, about my families.” She would like to put away the profits she makes from her book(s) to help her family. She writes about dreams and angels, she has angels that bless her each day and dreams of her own. Her dream is “to share dreams with others, share the gifts.” She currently has the “Poetry 4 Club at Fort Lewis”. Deborah’s book of poetry, titled “The Pages of Time”, is located on Amazon and Barnes& Noble under author: Deborah Shepard. She can be contacted at AngelRainbowne@aol.com

__________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________

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To My Mother KATIE DIEM WE’VE SWUM THE SEVEN SEAS and climbed the highest mountains together there's been times when we begged for mercy On our knees our load has not been as light as a feather But there's one thing we always have; each other

When life gets hard and I don't want to be I look to you my mother Whose love is as boundless as the sea Your soul is forever young Your heart forever giving Me, by life has been stung But, you've taught me the joy of living

There are lots of things we had to let go But, it was just transitional We were forced to grow But, our love is unconditional 48 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

So don't you fret And don't you cry We're soaring into the sunset On the wings of a butterfly.

BY KATIE DIEM Copyright © January 2015

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: KATIE DIEM is a young writer who lives in the midst of redwood trees in northern California processing her feelings and thoughts through writing. When she's not writing, she's curled up with a good book, crossstitching, blogging, or doing astrology. Katie can be contacted at spiritualzodiac@gmail.com __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________

A Collection of Haiku, Inspired by ‘Dragnet’ and Father’s Day SAM DUN KLEY LIGHT PIERCES THE SHADE Dream is slain, and with it rest 49 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

it is time to work Look now at the World See how it is now, and say: "That's not good enough."

"It's no fault of mine should not another suffer?"

"That's what they all say."

To interfere now I require distraction.

Fetch me that flower.

Looks at a lock and thinks it's an open door.

An unhealthy mind.

Words can never think.

They can always cause great pain.

Sticks and stones will heal.

Love without limit Live for another and you this is parenthood.

50 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

BY SAM DUN KLEY Copyright © January 2015 Sam Dun Kley.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: SAM DUN KLEY is a current student at Mass Bay Community College. He plans to be an actor but writing is his first love.

Sam can be contacted at samdunkley@gmail.com __________________________________________________________________ _____________________________

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Angels MICHAEL PENDRAGON I OFTEN THINK THAT ANGELS QUIT THE SKIES And sojourn to our world in human guise To help us through our darkest hours of strife Tho' we may entertain them unaware They never fail to hear our smallest prayer Touch ev'ry care with wings of burnished gold And guide us on our journey through this life Regardless of what ills the days might hold With gentle hands and tender sighs These sweetest allies rise to take our part With tears and smiles and words in Heaven wrought Yet tho' their glory shine we know them not But for the love that wells up in their eyes And for the warmth that flows from out their heart.

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*****

Wish I May MICHAEL PENDRAGON I WANT TO RIDE A SHOOTING STAR Across the sky one summer night Then hitch a ride in Dian's car And set the jealous stars to flight Then race to meet the coming day By sliding down the Milky Way I want to join a pirate band And sail about the seven seas With patch on eye and hook for hand Renowned for countless treacheries While fast within my vessel's hold Treasure chests burst with Spanish gold 53 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Or maybe I'm a gallant knight With armor bright and red-plumed steed The first and fiercest in the fight Sworn to set right each evil deed Of wicked king or wizard gray Fair maids to serve, foul dragons slay I wish I had a magic ring Like in the fairy books of old That I might do most anything Each day a new adventure bold Then there were nothing I'd not do!

Each thought made real, each dream come true but I am old and death draws near and idle dreams best left to youth for rheumy age, one thing stands clear that sorrow is the whole of truth

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and wishing rings of yesterday Are just the stuff of childhood play.

*****

Dancing Through Time MICHAEL PENDRAGON Dancing through time in time to true love's tune waltzing on stars Beneath a waning moon Your hand in mine And mine around your waist Down lovers' lane Where two hearts first embraced "Fiddler!" I cry "Don't let the music end" Onward we fly What lies beyond the bend Cannot distress Long as the music swells Gay mandolins And silver wedding bells Two steps in time To harp strings and guitars Words become rhyme And heartbeats measure bars Swirling through years As verses rise and fade 55 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Through joy and tears Our little promenade Keeps us awhirl Like petals in the breeze New strains unfurl That never fail to please Love's pas de deux Unspoken rondelet Hitting each cue Accepting each bouquet Soaring through life The song has just begun Husband and wife Who dance through time as one.

Copyright Š January 2015 Sam Dun Kley.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MICHAEL PENDRAGON is an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher currently residing in upstate New York. He is best known for having published a pair of literary magazines: "Penny Dreadful" and "Songs of Innocence & Experience" (1996-2005). His published works include: "Much of Madness" - a novel; "Into the Night" - collected poetic works (1980-2010). His writings have appeared in "The Romantics Quarterly," "The Dream Zone," "The CatBird Seat," "The Raintown Review," "The Roswell Review," "Boston Poetry Magazine," and over 200 others. He can be contacted at michaelmaleficapendragon@gmail.com __________________________________________________________________ _____________________________

56 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

OFF THE PRESS! Take a look at the BEST In Contemporary Literature for Authors Books, Anthologies, Literary Magazines & Journals, Then Order Your Very Own Copy Through The Links Provided for You!

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58 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

59 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

60 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

For more info about Award Winning Poet, Writer and Photographer DARREN B. RANKINS (POET RANKINS) and his “Pure Thoughts” Book Anthology, click on the graphics and it should take you to his website. If the graphics don’t take you there or isn’t showing up for some reason, please click on either of these links below instead: www.ireport.cnn.com www.purethoughts.info Poet Rankins on Facebook Phone: 615-582-5128 Books Pure Thoughts Vol. 1-4 “DarrenBRankins” on Twitter; “Darrenpt” on Pinterest; “Darren2466” on Instagram; “Darren66” on Tumblr.com Email: mailto:rankins.darren@yahoo.com or mailto:purethoughts24@yahoo.com www.youtube.com/darrendbr www.purethoughts.info Facebook (Poet Rankins) Darren B. Rankins, P.O. Box 17763, Nashville, TN 37217.

61 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

A Telltale Secret by MJ Rain (Melissa Lorraine Gulick)

Five Keys. Two Parallel Universes. One Destiny.

62 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Willow Rain lives in a seemingly perfect world with her sister and their nanny, on a planet where those who are deemed useless seem to vanish without a trace, along with those who speak of the forbidden keys.

When she gets her chance to be of use, she begins on the path to her destiny when the magical key from her dreams is set in her possession. With it, she embarks on a journey to another world in search of her parents and slowly she uncovers the mysteries that surround her family's past, present, and future.

When she uncovers the deepest secret of them all, the difficult path ahead of her reveals the true purpose of her life. Come with me and discover what became of the people of Atlantis!

About the Author:

63 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

MJ Rain (Melissa Lorraine Gulick) is a woman, a wife, an activist, and a published author. She lives in Iowa in the USA with her husband, her mother, and her Siamese cat. MJ’s passion is to have a major impact on the world by causing a positive change through her writing.

She has always made her presence known for causes she believes in, and plans to continue doing so as she expresses herself through words.

Stay tuned for Book 2 of her ‘A Telltale Destiny’ book series; ‘A Telltale Secret’ is Book 1.

MJ Rain’s Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mj-Rain/517670434943373 MJ Rain’s Novel Blog: http://mjrainwriter.wordpress.com/

Passionate Plea

By Thomas Bryant 64 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Sammy Page is a wonderfully loving husband, dedicated father and a lifelong professional thief, who survives a nearfatal crash while trying to deliver a luxury liner to a wealthy client.

He awakens in Buckskin Canyon nudist camp amnesiac and unaware that he’s being hunted for a double homicide; when law enforcement attempts to notify the owners of the Island Princess, rolled over on the side of the road and finds them, 65 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

still in bed, brutally murdered…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: THOMAS BRYANT received his education at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. While studying political science, he began a love affair with books and discovered a passion for writing. Coming from humble beginnings with economic demands, he took an internship in the service industry as a heavy-duty diesel mechanic, which left him little time for books or writing.

He sought challenges, including baseball, football and wrestling as a young man and loved speed on the water in a flat bottom race boat called BORN to be WILD. Two weeks before he entered Arizona Bail Enforcement Academy to become a licensed Bounty Hunter, he was involved in a near fatal crash.

Disabled and facing his toughest challenge, he returned to his first love of poetry and found a whole new world as a novelist, authoring the Sammy Page thriller series; including the romantic thriller, ‘Passionate Plea,’ and soon-to-bereleased, ‘Mental Revenge.’ He currently resides in the Ozarks

of

Missouri

in

the

USA.

Author's

website:

www.sammypage.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorthomasbryant and Twitter: www.twitter.com/ThomasABryant 66 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

__________________________________________________________________ ____________________

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Fictional Dramatic, Suspenseful Novels

By NANETTE M. BUCHANAN Skeletons beyond the Closed Door Gossip Line And Bonded Betrayal

About Bonded Betrayal: There’s a cliché that states one should not date their best friend. Whatever the reasons, the fear of losing a friendship or not finding true love; most use this cliché as a golden rule. Six friends from McKinley High reunite for their ten year class reunion.

The group was put on a pedestal, both Dante Jefferson and Kalliah Carter were voted ‘most likely to succeed’; Stephon Drake was voted ‘most athletic'; Miles Baker was the President of the Student Body; Cherese Taylor was the captain of the Cheerleading Squad; and Brianne Gibson was in the National Honor Society.

The memories of their past include deep rooted issues they avoided during those years of mixed experiences. Their class reunion promises to fulfill Kalliah’s need for a vacation from her job and a shaky romance, while Dante needs to explore the remnants of their relationship before making a serious commitment to another.

68 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Stephon must take his life back from the street and crime he’s become addicted to. Miles is hoping to finally tell his friends how one of them has held his heart for more than ten years. Cherese needs the support of her friends as she struggles to find her way out of a destructive marriage.

Brianne must disclose her horrible high school encounter that would change how they all feel about her and those they are now connected and committed to. The reunion rekindles their friendships, and proves their relationships with each weakness, has its own strengths.

Get Your Autographed Copy of ‘Bonded Betrayal’

BY NANETTE M. BUCHANAN; www.ipendesigns.net for purchase.

69 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

BONDED BETRAYAL BY NANETTE M. BUCHANAN On YouTube: http://youtube.com/adQMmt9t4Kw

70 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Nanette M. Buchanan’s novel, Gossip Line, is also available Get Your Copy here Today!

About Gossip Line by Nanette M. Buchanan: A new beginning is what Melinda Wells was seeking when she 71 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

left her home in Mobile, Alabama. As a journalist, her dream of writing for a large newspaper would never become a reality having the experience the Mobile Register offered. Melinda embraced the thought of moving to New York, landing her job as a journalist in Manhattan, and her new love interest Jerome Belmont, despite her father and grandmother’s warnings.

Melinda’s rise in journalism took a back seat to her growing interest in talk radio. When her southern charms secured an opportunity to host her own show in her boyfriend’s hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Melinda knew her dreams were becoming a reality. The new “Radio Diva’s” dream came with a price.

Her new lifestyle became more than what Melinda expected.

After climbing the ladder of what the industry labeled as well deserved success it all was falling apart. Gossip Line, the radio talk show that named her as the number one host on the Pennsylvania airwaves, was threatening to ruin her dreams.

Her family background that she knew little about, and her fairy tale love life was being aired on the radio one piece at a time.

Melinda needed to find the caller who knew more about her than she seemed to know about herself.

72 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

However, revealing the caller’s identity could be fatal to more than the show.

Let I Pen Designs know your opinion of the other novels by Author Nanette M. Buchanan….. ‘Family Secrets Lies & Alibis,’ the Sequel... ‘A Different Kind of Love,’ and ‘Bruised Love.’

Skeletons Beyond the Closed Door…

About Skeletons beyond the Closed Door by Nanette M. Buchanan: 73 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Brian and Sage Drakeford were living their life as a loving couple and devoted parents until Sage caught her husband cheating. Seven years after their divorce, Sage Monroe Drakeford finds it hard to love again. As skeletons from her husband’s past resurface, Brian desperately wants to remain a part of his family’s life.

After meeting a client who expresses his feelings for her and his knowledge of her husband’s secrets, Sage fights to ignore her emotional attachment. It is apparent Brian has moved on and jealousy becomes a reason for Sage to consider dating. Just as she decides Brian is not worth her putting her life on hold, his indiscretions become more than she is willing to accept.

Sage is caught between ruining Brian’s relationships with family, business and friends, and moving on with a new love, and forgetting the past. Sage’s decision and Brian’s choices will change their lives forever.

All Are Available to Order on Nanette’s Website “I Pen Designs.net” at: www.ipendesigns.net or www.myspace.com/ipendesigns Also stay in contact with the author by checking out her “WHAT'S HAPPENING” page at: http://www.ipendesigns.net/

74 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: An Author with New Drama, Page after Page…

NANETTE M. BUCHANAN was born, raised, and educated in Newark, New Jersey, USA. After graduating from Arts High School in Newark, she attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It was then that she first set her pen to pad; written expressions of her love for poetry. She is a proud mother, wife and grandmother, now residing in Somerset, New Jersey, and employed with the State of New Jersey as a Sergeant in the Department of Corrections.

Her pad to pen accomplishments include three volumes of poetry; “Thoughts,” “Thoughts & Reflections,” and “Quiet Times;” five yet to be published children stories as well as several unpublished novels. Nanette’s first published work and debut novel was “Family Secrets….Lies & Alibis”.

Since then the publication of the sequel, “A Different Kind of Love” and the release of

her first volume of

poetry,

“Thoughts” an e-book hit the market. In October of 2009, Nanette’s murder mystery, “Bruised Love” followed by “Skeletons beyond the Closed Door” which was released in August of 2010. At the start of the summer in 2011, her latest novel “Gossip Line” made its debut. Her preferred genre’ is romantic fiction, but readers will attest to the fact that they all have suspense, mystery and a dramatic twist.

75 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

It is her goal to become a successful author without limits; writing and producing plays that feature her poems as well as adaptations of her novels on the “big screen” are in her future.

Nanette is deeply committed to promoting literacy. She is an intricate part of “The Author’s Den” a group of authors, poets and performing artists who are promoting their talents and raising funds to support Literary and the Performing Arts

within

communities.

The

author

is

personal appearances, chats and signings.

76 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

available

for

Fiction Novels

By ROSE ANNA SCHOENE Absolutely the Last Resort Where Are You? And But! I’ve Always Loved You But! I’ve Always Loved You, Rose Anna Schoene’s third book, is about stunning Jessie who is raped at twelve and bears a son who is then taken from her. As she grows up she is repulsed by men until she meets devastatingly handsome André, who offers her a forbidden love amidst magical, romantic Rome.

Jessie’s

loyal

friend

Debbie

is

always

there

for

her;

steadfastly aiding her in her lifelong quest to find the son she gave birth to at thirteen and her quest to find that one true love. Will Jessie succumb to André’s charm? Will she ever find her son?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ROSE ANNA SCHOENE is a native New Yorker who made her writing debut with ‘Absolutely the Last Resort,’ a charming and nostalgic family-oriented book, which fictionalizes many 77 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

of the author’s personal experiences owning a resort in the Catskill Mountains of New York for over 30 years. This book reflects just one aspect of the author’s life and creative talents, and introduces us to her artistic and comedic nature.

She has a writing style that is both entertaining and uplifting which reflects Rose Anna’s true writing persona; yet she proves the versatility of her literary scope with her second novel, ‘Where Are You?,’ which offers a serious, dramatic and paranormal-love storyline, and her third novel, ‘But! I’ve Always Loved You.’ Where Are You?, Rose Anna’s second book, is about Dr. Joy Evans and Dr. Dean Judson, who collide in the corridors of St. John’s Hospital—their introduction is the beginning of a torrid and tender love. Two weeks later, they are married and in six months they relocate to the state of Pennsylvania, where Dean takes over the practice of a retiring doctor and feels that his ambitions have been fulfilled. But when Joy does not return from a quick errand to the store and her car is later found, Dr. Dean Judson’s entire life takes a plunge into despair. Then strangely, Dean begins seeing Joy, or what he perceives to be Joy. In the early hours of the morning, he is awakened from his sleep and sees Joy at the foot of his bed. She seems to glide around and then vanishes. Is he dreaming? Is he hallucinating? Is she a spirit 78 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

or is he going mad…?

All three (3) of Rose Anna’s books are available to purchase on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Seaburn Media Group.com or on her author page: http://www.thecatsmeowforwritersreaders.com/to-fictionnovels-by-author-rose-anna-schoene.html Ordering Info for Rose Anna Schoene’s books: Absolutely the Last Resort by Rose Anna Schoene Publisher: Seaburn Media Group Publication Date: 2003 ISBN #: 1592320600; 144 pages Price: $14.95 Where Are You? By Rose Anna Schoene Publisher: Seaburn Media Group Publication Date: 2006 ISBN #: 1592320090; 124 pages Price: $14.95 But! I’ve Always Loved You by Rose Anna Schoene Publisher: Seaburn Media Group Publication Date: 2010 ISBN #: 1592322530; 169 pages Price: $14.95 79 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

__________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________

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A Fiction Medical Thriller

By SANDRA L. HOYNACKI On Call The quaint town of Morganville seemed like the perfect setting for Jenny Warren to begin her career as a nurse.

Complete with little mom-and-pop shops and a dog park.

Morganville was the picture-perfect suburb. Jenny, however, would soon learn that looks can be deceiving!

When she and fellow nurse, Kathy, suspect the increase in area accidents and sudden rise in organ donations couldn’t possibly be coincidental, they find themselves tangled up in a web of lies, deception, and murder.

What the young women discover beyond the operating room doors is beyond anything that their minds could have ever imagined…a plot so sinister and so far-reaching that it spans the globe, and forces them to run for their lives.

SANDRA HOYNACKI retired from her nursing job to care for her mother who had Alzheimer’s. She has since become an avid writer, and has already won several contests for her 81 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

poems and was once invited to read at a Poet’s Convention in Washington, DC. Sandra is the author of two books of poetry: “Purple Latches” and “Whispers from the Ledge.”

“On

Call”

is

her

first

fiction

novel

and

the

sequel,

“Encryption’s Wrath,” another medical technological thriller, will debut soon.

Ordering Info for Sandra Hoynacki’s novel, On Call: On Call by Sandra Hoynacki Publisher: Createspace Publication Date: September 2009 ISBN #: 9781479155088 Price: [Print-edition] $20.98; [Ebook-edition] $6.00.

254 pages, and can be purchased through Sandra’s author website: www.SandraHoynacki.com, through Barnes & Noble.com or wherever books are sold.

************ ALSO BY SANDRA HOYNACKI! A Book of Poetry and A Book of Poetry and Short Stories Purple Latches And 82 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Whispers from the Ledge Review of Purple Latches: ****** “I'm familiar with the exemplary life author Sandra Hoynacki leads; her book Purple Latches includes some of the most beautiful poetry your eyes shall ever read and witness.

The words of imagery and artwork shall instill within you an uplifted spirit like none I've ever read in my fifty-eight years on earth. Each poem opens ones physical senses and starts a movie in the minds eyes where you can leave at the end with the most dynamic thoughts ever perceived in ones written words of truth and mystery.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone in need of a life changing experience or for the benefit of a walk down memory lane. It is an honor and privilege to know the Author Sandra Hoynacki, and the sacrifices she makes toward humanity on a daily basis. Thanks for this opportunity to review her book.”

Drawn from real-life experiences and creative visions, these collections of poems and short stories by Sandra Hoynacki will inspire, surprise and entertain the most discerning 83 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

reader.

Ordering Info for Sandra Hoynacki’s books “Purple Latches” and “Whispers from the Ledge”: Purple Latches by Sandra Hoynacki Publisher: Lulu Press Publication Date: June 2007 ISBN #: 9781430322931 Price: [Print-edition] $19.50; [EBook-downloadable edition] $12.00 158 pages, and can be purchased at: Sandra Hoynacki.com, Lulu Press, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, or wherever books are sold.

Whispers from the Ledge by Sandra Hoynacki Publisher: Lulu Press Publication Date: December 2008 ISBN #: 9780557029044 Price: [Print-edition]: $15.17; Not yet available in EBook edition.

148 pages, and can be purchased at: Sandra Hoynacki.com, Lulu Press, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, or wherever books are sold.

__________________________________________________________________ 84 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

__________________________________________________________________

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A Fiction Romance Novel

By ROSALEE WILSON One Priceless Treasure About One Priceless Treasure by Rosalee Wilson: Brad Thompson moves from his home in Florida to Boston Massachusetts with his family -- who are pursuing a new Business venture. Brad doesn’t know the extent to how His life is going to change until he meets Connie.

She is every man’s dream girl and he feels special that he becomes her choice. But due to unforeseen circumstances, his dreams begin to crumble and he doesn't know if he can put them back together again.

What drives him away is a misunderstanding but how will he get Connie back, and will he? After years of pain and agony, they reunite once again. If only he had taken the phone call that particular night, their lives could have been happy and years of loneliness could have been avoided.

A sweet romance that everyone can relate too who has ever been in love; remembering that awesome feeling of that first crush! Laughter and tears, this book is a must read and will definitely touch your heart.

86 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Author Rosalee Wilson’s latest book is a must-read romance!

Hurry!

Get Your Copy of “One Priceless Treasure by Rosalee Wilson” Today!

(Ordering info next page…)

Ordering Info for “One Priceless Treasure”: One Priceless Treasure by Rosalee Wilson Publisher: Lulu Press Publication Date: 2011 ISBN #: 978-1-257-86522-2 Price: $5.99 EBook-downloadable [PDF]; $20.98 for Printedition [Hardcover].

ALSO BY ROSALEE WILSON! A Children’s Book

By ROSALEE WILSON A Mushy Mouse Tale

87 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

This is your chance to meet Mushy, the most lovable mouse you will ever meet!

Mushy Mouse is a mouse looking for love and a family to call his own. He struggles with self-confidence and the idea of someone loving a fat mouse like him. But Mushy and an Indian mouse named Feathertail form a bond that will last a lifetime.

With excitement and adventure, “A Mushy Mouse Tale” by Rosalee Wilson will touch your heart forever. A must read!

Mrs. Wilson is an avid writer with an imagination that ignites a spark in children everywhere. She is available for speaking engagements and interviews.

Hurry! Go to www.lulu.com and order your copy of “A Mushy 88 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Mouse Tale by Rosalee Wilson” today!

================================================== ===================

89 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

A Fiction Paranormal Romantic Novel A Nonfiction Book of Survival

By CAROL ROACH Storytime Tapestry Ezine’s Founder & Publisher (www.StorytimeTapestryEzine.com)

Angels Watching Over Me And

Picking Up the Pieces: One Woman’s Journey CAROL ROACH, a graduate of both Concordia University, with a bachelor’s in psychology, and a graduate of McGill University with a master’s degree in counselling psychology, knows people as much as she knows the struggles of the poor and disenchanted.

90 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

She is truly the champion of the underdog. Carol’s signature writing is about poverty and the ability to rise above it. She strives to give women and men a voice through the written word. Her writing is poignant and inspirational. Ms. Roach also publishes a daily online ezine, Storytime Tapestry, where she encourages everyone to “let their true heart sing” through the words they write.

Her new book ‘Angels Watching Over Me’ is rich with character while it underlines the issues of survival in one of Montreal’s poorest districts, St. Henri. Carol herself grew up in this area of the city.

What a Prominent Amazon Reviewer wrote about Carol Roach’s novel: ****** “In this wonderful work by gifted author and publisher Carol Roach we meet a very special girl named Carissa.

Carissa’s life has been anything but easy. She had known the scorn of poverty; the battle of rejection, the sorrow of death. However, Carissa has a quality that hinges almost on the supernatural; her faith and assurance in a God who is more than enough. We are taken through the life of Carissa from her youth in a small rural community and her family to her final victory as a woman who never compromised despite the hardships such decisions would bring. Her life stood as a testimony.

91 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

This is a deep heartfelt read; one that shows the strength and courage of the human spirit despite at times cruel circumstances and unfair situations. The author definitely draws you into the very heart of Carissa; merging you with the fight and strength that she possesses during her entire life. Her unselfish love is the main attribute that shone out to me and one that I think author Carol Roach did an exceptional job at portraying.

If you want to read a story of the heart, this one is for you. A compelling story of a woman, a time and a future where one can actually say, ‘everything turned out all right.’ It might have happened much later than we as the reader may have wanted, but perhaps that is exactly how life for most of us plays out. Well done Ms. Roach!”

--Shirley Johnson, Senior Reviewer for MidWest Book Review ************ Ordering Info to for “Angels Watching Over Me”: Angels Watching Over Me by Carol Roach Publisher: Janelle McCarthy (Lulu Press) Publication Date: March 2007 ISBN #: 978-1-4303-2003-6 92 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

244 pages, and can be purchased at Lulu Press, Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. Or you can order it at your local bookstore.

Price: [Paperback print] $16.10; [Download] $5.00 __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________

93 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

A Book of Emotive & Inspiring Poetry; a Book of Short Stories, and a Book Series of Inspirational Quotes

By TRISHA MARTIN My Naked Mind: An Intimate Collection of Poetry Fed Up Woman Trisha’s Treasures: Gems of Inspiration And Spirit of the Hawk: Mental Flight (Book 1)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: TRISHA MARTIN is a published author, poet, entrepreneur, blogger, and talk radio show host. Her book publications include “My Naked Mind: An Intimate Collection of Poetry” [April

2005],

“Fed

Up

Woman”

[May

2011],

“Trisha’s

Treasures: Gems of Inspiration” [May 2011], and “Spirit of the Hawk: Mental Flight” [2012].

Having “Fed Up Woman” published was like closing the book on a chapter of her life that ended a long time ago, Trisha reflects. With two of her four children now grown, she plans on spending much more time giving her fans what they want more of. You can visit Trisha over at: Trisha's World 94 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Reviews for “My Naked Mind: An Intimate Collection of Poetry”: ***** “The words contained within the pages of author, poet and entrepreneur TRISHA MARTIN’S book are filled with compelling, deep, emotional and inspirational poems that readers should be able to identify with. Each poem is written with clarity as the author pours her heart and soul into her writing. If you're a poetry lover who likes reading personal works of others, this book of poetry is a must-read!” **** “I have never read poetry so vividly written, taking me on a continuous journey from emotion to emotion!”

Ordering Info for “My Naked Mind,” “Fed Up Woman,” “Trisha’s Treasures,” and “Spirit of The Hawk: Mental Flight:” My Naked Mind: An Intimate Collection of Poetry

By Trisha Martin Publisher: Publish America Publication date: April 2005 ISBN #: 1413744540 84 pages; Price: $14.95

95 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Fed Up Woman by Trisha Martin Publisher: Publish America Publication Date: May 2011 ISBN #: 978-1-4560-4946-1 64 pages; Price: $16.95 Trisha’s Treasures: Gems of Inspiration by Trisha Martin Publisher: Blurb.com Publication date: May 2011 Price: (Paperback-edition) $13.95; (Hardcover, dusk jacketedition) $29.95

Spirit of the Hawk: Mental Flight by Trisha Martin Publisher: Blurb.com Publication Date: May 2012 89 pages; Price: (Paperback-edition) $22.30 __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

A Fiction Novel; a Book of Essays, and Books of Short Stories

By BARBARA DEMING Aunt Lutie’s Blue Moon Café 96 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Pink Poodle Pie (Other Tales of How Women Get Even) Growing Up Barefoot in the South [Essays of a Southern Writer] And The Quilt Maker

“Aunt Lutie's Blue Moon Café by Barbara Deming” was released in early 2013!

And the Characters from the Blue Moon Café (as well as the author) are talking to folks at: http://auntlutie.blogspot.com Come join us! Check out the author at: www.barbaramimsdeming.com Author, Instructor, Speaker, and Owner of the Workshop "I Can Write. Can You?" which promotes writing for fun, mental health, and publication for both children and adults.

“Pink Poodle Pie (Other Tales of How Women Get Even)”

By Barbara Deming has been released!

All those stories are just "yapping" to be read by all of you.

This is what my editor calls "mid-life chick-lit." I say it is a blueprint of how we gals can get even with those cheating males in our lives, or dream of what we wished had happened to such guys in our past.

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If you've ever been cheated on, dumped, or mentally/physically violated by a yahoo in any way, this is a must read for you. You will grin, gasp--maybe even give an "Atta girl!" yell at the antics of these strong women.

Yours Truly, Barbara Deming; offers nineteen women, many like us, who write their own ending to the stories of an important time in their lives.

You can find "Pink Poodle Pie" at iUniverse.com, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Books-in-a-Million.com, or receive an autographed copy of the soft-cover edition by sending your check for $16 (includes media postage-mailing) to: Barbara Deming, 1175 La Moree Rd. #68, San Marcos, CA 92078. She welcomes questions, discussions and comments at mailto:demingwrites@att.net Happy Reading! --Barb.

--"Pink Poodle Pie (Other Tales of How Women Get Even)" has been released! Buy it at Amazon.com, iUniverse.com, autographed copy from the author --"The Quilt Maker" and "Growing up Barefoot in the South" can be purchased at Amazon.com. Autographed copy from author.-98 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

--Check out: http://barbswritetree.blogspot.com

__________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________

A Memoir Novel

By FRANCES ACESTA-SCANDARITO Brooklyn and Beyond

The Author Frances Acesta-Scandarito says about her book: “I was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1929. How I went from humble beginnings to a life of education, adventure and travel is what this book is all about.” After graduating high school, Frances worked in a Manhattan bank in their Foreign 99 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Currency Department. When Frances and her family moved to Florida, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree at FAU and was a Nova University Master’s Degree recipient in the field of education. She has had the good fortune to work in both the banking

and

educational

areas,

and

experienced

the

wonders of life through family gatherings and travel.

Ordering Info for “Brooklyn and Beyond”: BROOKLYN AND BEYOND BY FRANCES ACESTASCANDARITO Publisher: Infinity Publishing Publication Date: March 1, 2013 ISBN-10: 0741481200 ISBN-13: 978-0741481207 108 pages, and can be purchased at: Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Infinity Publishing, or wherever books are sold.

Price: [Paperback print] $23.95; [Kindle edition] $9.95

__________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________

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A Book of Poetry and Short Stories

By ROSANNE CATALANO The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers’ Founder & Publisher (www.thecatsmeowforwritersreaders.com)

Mirrored Images Author, Founder and Publisher Rosanne Catalano (RC Kayla), is pleased to introduce her book Mirrored Images, which is a 101 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

quick read at 165 pages! It is a book containing the author’s collection of short stories and poems (some fiction, some fact) written for your reading enjoyment and for those who love guessing games!

“Mirrored Images” by Rosanne Catalano begins with a poem about, and dedication to, her late father and still-livingmother and goes into a short story about an experience with bullying in the eighth grade of school to being saved by a guardian angel when the story character was in her mid30’s. An interesting read in which you, the reader, may want to guess which of her stories are fact or fiction…

Reviews for ‘Mirrored Images’ by Rosanne Catalano:

******

“I purchased a copy of Rosanne Catalano’s book, Mirrored Images, and this short collection of short stories (you will have to try real hard to decide which are fact or fiction), articles and poetry, both touched my heart and made me smile. Rosanne’s book Mirrored Images is truly a great read!”

“It touched me because of the love shown for her parents, God, and her husband. It touched me because I was the kid with glasses who was bullied and picked on and I could feel Rosanne's pain when it happened to her. It touched me because I have lost my parents and her tribute to her father, and mother, brought back all of the good times and love I 102 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

had with/for my own parents.

It touched me because Rosanne, as I feel so many of us are but never put it into words so eloquently, is a survivor. I believe we all have guardian angels and Mirrored Images proves it to all who will listen. No one but angels could have saved her from bullies in junior high school, have looked over her until she found the perfect mate, and still guide her to this day in her writing craft.”

“These are stories we should not only want to read, enjoy reading, but they are stories we all need to hear. I get a glimpse of the love and courage that Rosanne shows, and shares, in her magazine--and our most welcome online correspondence.”

“Rosanne is writing a continuation of Mirrored Images titled Escape and Redemption. I can't wait to read that! But first, my readers, you must read Mirrored Images.”

--Barbara Deming; Author, Writing Instructor, Publisher, and Blogger.

***** “I read Rosanne Catalano’s book Mirrored Images and I love it!!! She had somewhat of a hard life in some areas and a good one in others. The author had a lot of heartache, with the loss of friends early in her life, and the ridicule and horrendous behaviors of other kids when she was in junior high school.

“Though it sounds like she had a most wonderful Dad and Grandmother too; her grandmother reminded me so much of my own Grandmother who passed away last year! I enjoyed very much reading all of her different short stories and the 103 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

poems she included. I really loved reading about her little cheese episode in ‘Christmas With Grandma,’ and her little sneaky trek to the store thinking she could hurriedly fix what she had EATEN…LOL!!!! I LOVED IT--------- And I can still see Rosanne so clearly eating all of the cheese!!!!”

“CONGRATULATIONS TO ROSANNE CATALANO all the way around! I will get her next book soon...I like this book’s title by the way, and the picture of Rosanne on the back cover; she looks so relaxed.”

--Sandra L Hoynacki; Author, Poet and Nurse.

****

“Rosanne Catalano’s book, Mirrored Images, was a

delightful read! I LOVED IT!!!! IF the abuse at school and all was about her, Rosanne has become a beautiful person and woman. I'm so glad she now has a wonderful spouse and her life is filled with love.”

--Carol Dee Meeks; Writer and Poet.

Rosanne Catalano’s next book, Escape and Redemption, will be a continuation of Mirrored Images as her first crime fiction novel.

Escape & Redemption by Rosanne Catalano Coming Soon!

Synopsis of “Escape & Redemption:” Rachelle Norris is escaping a painful past. She lands in the 104 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

State of Delaware and meets Marie Glück, a homeless woman whom Rachelle saves from dying of a heart attack, changing Marie Glück’s life forever.

Both Rachelle Norris and Marie Glück are redeemed after opening up a small business and fighting for it against those who practice imminent domain takeovers and murder.

Remember, Mirrored Images by Rosanne Catalano is available to purchase for $6.00 in Nook edition, $13.20 for the paperback edition, and $5.00 for the Kindle edition!

Be sure to pick up your copy of “Mirrored Images” today at Lulu Press, BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, or at Rosanne’s website: Author Rosanne Catalano / The Cat's Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine Ordering Info for “Mirrored Images”: Mirrored Images by Rosanne Catalano Publisher: Jane W. (Lulu Press) Publication Date: January 2007; Revised 2013 ISBN-10: 978-1-304-66346-7 ISBN-13: 978-1-257-40573-2 Price: [Print-edition] $13.20; [Nook-edition] $6.00; [Kindleedition] $5.00; 165 pages, and can be purchased at Lulu Press, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com or at Welcome to 105 | January-March 2015 The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

Author Rosanne Catalano's Official Site AND the 2nd Home of The Cat's Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine

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LETTERS TO THE PUBLISHER: If you have a question, would like to make a suggestion on something you would like to see in this magazine, or just want to tell us about an article, poem or story you have read here, send an email to The Publisher’s Box™ and let us know your thoughts, questions, news or anything else you want to talk with us about. The Publisher will be sure to respond in a timely manner.

TO SUBMIT YOUR WRITING: Send your short stories, poetry, flash fiction, essays, haikus, story articles (nonfiction short stories) and/or helpful articles, but please do follow the Submission Guidelines set forth. To read the Submission Guidelines click on this link, then click back here and send your submission(s) to “Submissions”. Remember, submissions must be sent within the body of your Submit Form! Do not send submissions as an attachment. And please do provide a resource box and / or author bio along with your work.

Every single submission is read and will be responded to within four months. Thank you and keep on writing!

HOW SOME ARE SUPPORTING THE CAT’S MEOW FOR WRITERS & READERS MAGAZINE: In

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businesses and literary magazines such as Amazon.com, First Writer.com, Filbert Publishing, Angie’s DIARY (#1 Online Magazine for Professional and Aspiring Writers), How-To Corp, and many others that are also on the Helpful Sites For You page of the author’s literary magazine website. When purchasing products through these links, it helps support The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers and keep your subscription free! Thank you for your support throughout the years.

The Cat’s Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine is dedicated to: Rachel Renée Carmine (“Carman”) Catalano Anna (“Ann”) Inzinna-Pollicino-Catalano Harold (“Clint”) Welch Pauline Mullé-Infranco Joseph Infranco Direct URL: www.thecatsmeowforwritersreaders.com Copyright Kayla):

©

2004-2015

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Rosanne &

Catalano-Umland

Author.

ISSN

#:

(RC

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Queens, NY 11379. All rights reserved. All copyrights remain with the respective creators of material in this magazine and on the site (the publisher has no enduring rights over future printings and/or publications except her own work).

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into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic,

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The views expressed in the stories, poetry, essays, articles, and other writings included in this magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of this magazine or its publisher.

The Cat's Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine®™ Is an independently-owned and operated literary magazine supported by readers like you, and by grants and corporate sponsorships from various organizations and companies; some of which are listed on the "Helpful Sites for You" page of Rosanne Catalano’s website.

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