C ONTENTS 4 Editors Message
30 Katy Poenaru
7 Award
36 A War of Hearts
8 About Valentine
38 25 Romantic words
10 Recognition
42 Pieces of Me
12 Romance Calendar
46 35 Chat-up Lines
14 DAFFNIBLOG
49 The Boy who cried Nerf
16 Why we fall in Love
52 Kazz’s book review
18 PuddleDuck Cards
56 Halfway Up A Mountain
20 Destiny's Way
60 Illusional Reality
22 Gennaro Martusciello
66 Love affirmations
24 Romantic Island
70 Brigitte Giunta
Getaway’s 28 The LIST
Photography 72 ICONIC
A message from our editor Welcome to this, the first edition of CQI Magazine for the year 2018. Fittingly, as February the fourteenth is considered the most romantic day of the year, this edition of CQI is titled A New Year of Romance. I hope it is also the start of a year of good fortune and proves to be the year you realise your own dreams, forge ahead with plans for the future as well as being the year in which you find your true love. In this edition, CQI brings you some amazing artwork, fantastic books, wonderful stories, touching poetry and some of the most loved 'Our Tunes' of all time. Take your time to browse through and to read the tales, listen to the music and take a good look at those fantastic images and, of course, choose the books you will read over the next few weeks. Don't forget to subscribe to CQI, its free and we have some excellent editions coming your way through the rest of this year. In May CQI is action packed with our 'Crime Wave' and the August edition brings us 'A Summer of Sound' our first music-filled special edition. Keep a lookout for CQI's annual publications too. Later this month, 'The LIST' is released, a catalogue jam-packed with brilliant books commended and recommended by established literary sources, these are CQI's must-reads for 2018. Another must not miss publication is 'The Gift Collection', this is a guide to year-round giving. The Gift Guide is an excellent source of inspiration and ideas for her, for him, for the kids, friends, family and neighbours, The Gift Collection is full of the wonderful, from crafted artisan goods, handmade greetings and occasion cards from Puddle Duck to unusual and luxury gifts through to tech and gadgets and you really would love to treat yourself to, rather than give away! Whatever the occasion, birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, engagements, weddings, new baby, new home or simply to say thank you or I love you, The Gift Collection from CQI can help you choose that special, thoughtful and unforgettable present. Subscribe to CQI today, don't miss out on what promises to be an astounding year. Have a great 2018. Paul Editor in Chief
Full Moon Valentine https://dorothy-berry-lound.pixels.com/collections/love
Thank YOU
You may have noticed the badge on the front cover of this, the first edition of CQI in 2108. It’s not everyday you get an accolade like this one, so we were ‘over the moon’ to receive it. Thank you to all who contributed to CQI over the past four
years and a special, big thanks to Karen, Josh, and Dorothy for believing enough to become regular contributors. This award belongs to you as much as it belongs to CQI. However, the biggest thanks must be reserved to those of you who read CQI Magazine each month, all fifty thousand of you in those ninety countries around the globe. Without
you this would not have happened at all. Here is wishing you all a happy, prosperous and peaceful 2018. Thank you, Paul.
February seems the perfect month to welcome a New Year of Romance into our lives. The bitter cold of the winter is fast fading and the start of spring is but a few weeks away. Not forgetting, of course, this February is the month of love, the fourteenth being St. Valentine's day.
But just how much do you really know about St. Valentine or all those Valentines? 1. The St. Valentine who inspired the holiday may have been two different men. Officially recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, St. Valentine is known to be a real person who died around A.D. 270. However, his true identity was questioned as early as A.D. 496 by Pope Gelasius I, who referred to the martyr and his acts as “being known only to God.” One account from the 1400s describes Valentine as a temple priest who was beheaded near Rome by the emperor Claudius II for helping Christian couples wed. A different account claims Valentine was the Bishop of Terni, also martyred by Claudius II on the outskirts of Rome. Because of the similarities of these accounts, it’s thought they may refer to the same person. Enough confusion surrounds the true identity of St. Valentine that the Catholic Church discontinued liturgical veneration of him in 1969, though his name remains on its list of
officially recognized saints. 2. In all, there are about a dozen St. Valentines, plus a pope. The saint we celebrate on Valentine’s Day is known officially as St. Valentine of Rome in order to differentiate him from the dozen or so other Valentines on the list. Because “Valentinus”—from the Latin word for worthy, strong or powerful—was a popular moniker between the second and eighth centuries A.D., several martyrs over the centuries have carried this name. The official Roman Catholic roster of saints shows about a dozen who were named Valentine or some variation thereof. The most recently beatified Valentine is St. Valentine BerrioOchoa, a Spaniard of the Dominican order who travelled to Vietnam, where he served as bishop until his beheading in 1861. Pope John Paul II canonized Berrio-Ochoa in 1988. There was even a Pope Valentine, though little is known about him except that he served a mere 40 days around A.D. 827. 3. Valentine is the patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy, among many other things. Saints are certainly expected to keep busy in the afterlife. Their holy duties include interceding in earthly affairs and entertaining petitions from living souls. In this respect, St. Valentine has wide-ranging spiritual responsibilities. People call on him to watch over the lives of lovers, of course, but also for interventions regarding beekeeping and epilepsy, as well as the plague, fainting and travelling. As you might expect, he’s also the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages.
4. You can find Valentine’s skull in Rome. The flower-adorned skull of St. Valentine is on display in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. In the early 1800s, the excavation of a catacomb near Rome yielded skeletal remains and other relics now associated with St. Valentine. As is customary, these bits and pieces of the late saint’s body have subsequently been distributed to reliquaries around the world. You’ll find other bits of St. Valentine’s skeleton on display in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland, England and France.
5. Chaucer may have invented Valentine’s Day. The medieval English poet Geoffrey Chaucer often took liberties with history, placing his poetic characters into fictitious historical contexts that he represented as real. No record exists of romantic celebrations on Valentine’s Day prior to a poem Chaucer wrote around 1375. In his work “Parliament of Foules,” he links a tradition of courtly love with the celebration of St. Valentine’s feast
day–an association that didn’t exist until after his poem received widespread attention. The poem refers to February 14 as the day birds (and humans) come together to find a mate. When Chaucer wrote, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate,” he may have invented the holiday we know today.
6. You can celebrate Valentine’s Day several times a year. Because of the abundance of St. Valentines on the Roman Catholic roster, you can choose to celebrate the saint multiple times each year. Besides February 14, you might decide to celebrate St. Valentine of Viterbo on November 3. Or maybe you want to get a jump on the traditional Valentine celebration by feting St. Valentine of Raetia on January 7. Women might choose to honour the only female St. Valentine (Valentina), a virgin martyred in Palestine on July 25, A.D. 308. The Eastern Orthodox Church officially celebrates St. Valentine twice, once as an elder of the church on July 6 and once as a martyr on July 30.
I t i s ni c e to b e r eco g ni s e d
Hi Paul, :-)
Thank you CQI Magazine. You helped us raise $50,000 this year for ocean charities. Save Our Oceans aims to donate a significant sum to ocean charities each year and, with your purchases on our store, you helped us achieve our goal of donating $50,000 to different organizations. You're awesome! Here are a few of the organizations which we've helped to support this year, either financially or by promoting their work in other ways.
TURTLE ISLAND RESTORATION NETWORK A longstanding ocean protection organization, this important non-profit advocates for changes in public policies and educates and mobilizes citizens around important ocean causes (not just about turtles).
THE OCEAN CLEANUP This non-profit is doing the unheard of: engineering a solution to the enormous problem of plastics polluting our oceans. They're building an innovative trash-catching device which follows the tides in the most polluted patches of the world's oceans. You can watch a fascinating TED-like talk here by their young founder.
Coral Restoration Foundation This non-profit is tackling the issue of our dying coral reefs in a creative way: by growing more coral. The foundation grows declining coral species in underwater nurseries and then replants them in dying coral reefs using an innovative "tree" structure. Watch an amazing short video about them here!
GREENPEACE These guys are everywhere—and doing amazing grassroots work on important ocean issues (among other environmental causes). We like that they take the fight everywhere and are not afraid to take on any government or corporation.
I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU https://dorothy-berry-lound.pixels.com/collections/love
Its not too late to get your
Romantic couples around the World calendar for 2018 A wonderful collection of digital collages depicting romance in
twelve cities around the world.
Created by Paul White, using a mix of sketches, photographs and paintings to give a light-hearted look at love from Paris and London, to New York and Quebec before crossing the oceans to Sydney and beyond. Colourful, bright and amusing this calendar will bring joy throughout the year. Calvendo calendars always look beautiful on your wall because we produce them locally with premium paper and sophisticated spiral binding, ensuring easy turning of pages and flat hanging against the wall. A protective transparent plastic cover sheet provides added stability. Treat yourself to a Calvendo calendar and you get something that looks better all year round.
http://amzn.to/2AvCh69
Taken from DAFFNIBLOG December 12, 2017 "This is the only time I feel alive" https://daffniblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/12/nose-deep/
Right now, I feel like I’m everyone all at
thing glows gold and rays of sunshine wrap
once. They finish my sentences. I finish theirs
around me. He is the beginning and the end.
and since we’re in two different conversa-
His mouth against mine is like eating a snow
tions it doesn’t usually make any sense. The
cone and a ghost pepper at the same time.
weight of my sleep is amazing, but it makes
To be honest, I’m terrible at writing this love
me feel fat and ugly. It’s heavy because one
shit. I fucking love this guy. His mind his
minute I’m fully aware, next, I’m trying to
hands his smelly shits. The way he can make
figure out why my mice have turned to little
me hate him and love him all over again in
kittens. And that it’s time to set them free.
point zero three seconds. It’s madness. The
Then when I open my eyes I realize I’ve fall-
hatter's tea party doesn’t even compare but
en asleep and my mice are still mice. When
the loss of senses while nose deep in love,
he places the palm of his hand on my cheek,
that’s the key. Don’t ask to what though, I
that palm that I’ve missed so much, every-
couldn’t tell you.
WOODEN HEART https://dorothy-berry-lound.pixels.com/collections/love
WHY WE FALL IN LOVE:
THE PARADOXICAL PSYCHOLOGY OF ROMANCE Adrienne Rich, in contemplating how love refines our truths, wrote: “An honourable human relationship — that is, one in which two people have the right to use the word ‘love’ — is a process, delicate, violent, often terrifying to both persons involved, a process of refining the truths they can tell each other.” But among the dualities that lend love both its electricity and its exasperation — the interplay of thrill and terror, desire and disappointment, longing and anticipatory loss — is also the fact that our pathway to this mutually refining truth must pass through a necessary fiction: We fall in love not just with a person wholly external to us but with a fantasy of how that person can fill what is missing from our interior lives.”
Artwork © Paul White 2017
Psychoanalyst Adam
Phillips
addresses this central paradox with uncommon clarity and elegance in
Missing Out: In Praise of the Unlived Life. All love stories are frustration stories… To fall in love is to be reminded of a frustration that you didn’t know you had (of one’s formative frustrations, and of one’s attempted selfcures for them); you wanted someone, you felt deprived of something, and then it seems to be there. And what is renewed in that experience is an intensity of frustration, and an intensity of satisfaction. It is as if, oddly, you were waiting for someone, but you didn’t know who they were until they arrived. Whether or not you were aware that there was something missing in your life, you will be when you meet the person you want. What psychoanalysis will add to this love story is that the person you fall in love with really is the man or woman of your dreams; that you have dreamed them up before you met them; not out of nothing — nothing comes of nothing — but out of prior experience, both real and wished for. You recognize them with such certainty because you already, in a certain sense, know them; and because you have quite literally been expecting them, you feel as though you have known them for ever, and yet, at the same time, they are quite foreign to you. They are familiar foreign bodies. This duality of the familiar and the foreign is mirrored in the osmotic relationship
between presence and absence, with which every infatuated lover is intimately acquainted — that parallel intensity of longing for our lover’s presence and anguishing in her absence. However much you have been wanting and hoping and dreaming of meeting the person of your dreams, it is only when you meet them that you will start missing them. It seems that the presence of an object is required to make its absence felt (or to make the absence of something felt). A kind of longing may have preceded their arrival, but you must meet in order to feel the full force of your frustration in their absence. Falling in love, finding your passion, are attempts to locate, to picture, to represent what you unconsciously feel frustrated about, and by.
http://amzn.to/2AqINGn
Show someone how much you care with a bespoke, handcrafted card from
Puddleduck cards. Each card, personally created by Gimima herself, adds that special thoughtful touch to giving.
Puddleduck cards are perfect for Valentine's day, an Anniversary, a loved ones Birthday or simply to say
http://gemimapuddleduck.com/
Destiny's Way Destiny can show the way home...if it can navigate the shadows of Fate. Brian’s love for Marité burns like an eternal flame, but his PTSDdriven demons convince him she’s better off with someone— anyone—but him. Marité nurtures one fragile hope for reconciliation, but Fate could destroy it before it has a chance to draw its first breath
Marité closed the door. A gasp, heavy and pained, rushed past her lips. The scent… His scent lingers. Brian had left his ethereal presence behind, sparking a multitude of images: a night of first love and discovery, a morning of unrestrained passion and intimacy, moments of utter surrender rolled in succession. Her stomach tightened with the impulse to weep, and she pressed a stifling palm to her lips. Did you expect to find answers, resolution? No…she’d only wanted to relive a little. Have one last taste. Repeat the experience, kiss him, touch him again, if only in her thoughts, before she said goodbye. But with every passing second, this insane exercise was becoming impossible to
sustain. The pale threads of the half-moon illuminated Brian’s room, and wherever she looked, she found him, the brilliant gaze, the sunny smile, the unforgettable vows: “You are my heart. My soul belongs to you.” Tears stung her eyes. Frustration and a sense of futility churned together on a road to anger, a rebellion against her masochistic impulse. Stubbornly, she stepped to the bed, ran a fingertip along the soft bedspread, and froze. There, scant feet ahead, hanging innocently on the back of the chair, Brian’s cane remained forgotten. Marité bolted out of the room. If the door shut with a loud slam and woke up the entire house, she couldn’t have cared less.
Reviews Destiny's Way is a story that brilliantly highlights the power of love, a story with a strong conflict centred on characters that are beautifully explored. <<< >>> I will say though that the story is compelling, and you are rooting for all the characters from the first lines. <<< >>>
Love comes in many forms, from an obsessive lover to a worried parent to a fated soulmate. <<< >>> Yay for Brian and Marite's story!! I have to say that their book dealt with alot of hurt, jealousy, misconceptions, betrayal and most of all Love! Even though it took a while to get them back to not feeling angry all the time, I loved the journey!
Find your Destiny here
M Ho voglia di volare sento la mia gioia che cresce sollevarsi insieme ai miei pensieri leggera è la mia anima che riconosco
dentro alcune parole quelle parole che mi sostengono sull'orlo dell'amore vorrei toccare il cielo con le labbra per posare i miei baci sopra le stelle liberare i legacci della volontà per aprire il mio cuore come una vela al vento di quelle parole. Portami a vedere il mondo tieni le tue mani dentro le mie in modo che non possa cadere. vorrei spingermi oltre i miei limiti io che non sono un gabbiano che vola nel cielo ma sono solo una donna che vuole imparare a volare quando c'è qualcuno che le sa parlare sono solo una donna corteggiata dal desiderio, in equilibrio su di un sogno e le tue parole sono le nuvole sulle quali voglio volare.
http:// poesiaesogni.blogspot.it/
sono solo una donna che ha voglia di volare, senza paura di osare. senza paura di cadere..
Š Diritti Riservati Gennaro Martusciello 2018
I want to fly I feel my joy growing rise up with my thoughts light is my soul that I recognize in some words those words that support me on the edge of love I would like to touch the sky with my lips to place my kisses over the stars free the bonds of the will to open my heart like a sail in the wind of those words. Take me to see the world keep your hands inside mine so that it can not fall. I would like to push myself beyond my limits I am not a seagull
flying in the sky but I'm just a woman who wants to learn how to fly when there is someone who can talk to her I'm just a woman courted by desire, balanced on a dream
and your words are clouds on which I want to fly. I'm just a woman who has want to fly, without fear of daring. without fear of falling ..
Romantic Islan Whether you are looking for a St. Valentines break, planning your Honeymoon or an Anniversary escape there is nothing better than an idyllic island, your special somewhere to hide away from the world upon.
Here is a selection of three wonderful island destinations suggested by Wild Geese Travel, the independent travellers blog.
https://wildgeesetravel.wordpress.com/
nd Getaways BONAIRE
only concern will be how to spend each new day..
The island of Bonaire lies 30 miles from Curacao, 50 miles north of Venezuela, 86 miles east of Aruba, outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt. Bonaire is 38,6 km long by 4,8 – 8 km wide.
Bonaire continues to be recognized as one of the top destinations worldwide for its sustainable tourism. For the 24th consecutive year Bonaire was recognized as the number one Shore Diving Destinations.
In 1499, (possibly September 6th) Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci arrived in Bonaire and claimed Bonaire for the Spaniards. By 1636, after having been to Bonaire before, the Dutch took possession of the Island. During the period of 1799 - 1816, sometimes referred to as the “time of confusion” the Island was occupied off and on by various countries and individuals.
You will feel Bonaire’s magic wash over you from the moment you arrive and as you become attuned to Bonaire’s unhurried pace. There is a peaceful ambiance of daily life, without the hassle of traffic lights, hustle and bustle, or normal, day-to-day worries. Your
Bonaire has a long history of nature preservation and was one of the first Caribbean islands to collaborate with the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) to conserve our reefs. By commencing a program for cultivating new corals, specifically the stag horn and Elkhorn corals, Bonaire will be able to preserve the reef’s genetic diversity.
Delve into the wonderful activities the island offers, both terrestrial and marine, which makes Bonaire a unique destination. Explore, enjoy, become a part of Bonaire.
ARUBA
Lesser Antilles are the Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao and Bonaire.
Aruba is one of the Lesser Antilles islands located in the Southern Caribbean Sea. The island is located
miles off the coast of Venezuela and
The islands located north of the Venezuelan coast or called the Leeward Antilles. Aruba is part of this island group together with Curacao and Bonaire and a few islands of Venezuela such as Margarita Island.
on clear days it is possible to see Venezuela from the south-eastern
Perfect for honeymoon travel, Aruba hosts
side of the island.
restaurants that give you a private dinner with your feet in the warm sand or water.
The Lesser Antilles are several islands
extending in an arc from Puerto Rico to the north-eastern coast of South America. Some of the islands that are part of the
Try tandem parasailing or have a romantic horseback ride on the beach. Drive up to the California Lighthouse to enjoy scenic vistas while staying cosy in your car.
LANAI Lanai is a one-of-a-kind paradise, nicknamed “The Private Isle.” Originally an island-wide pineapple plantation, Lanai now is known for its quiet beauty and luxurious five-star resorts.
It sits a mere nine miles from the coast of
You’ll need four-wheel drive to travel on the
Maui, yet Lanai seems otherworldly, a
unpaved roads, but nature abounds. Early
throwback to how Hawaii once was. The
morning or sunset walks or bike rides in the
sparsely populated, 141-square-mile island
Garden of the Gods will leave you both
only has about 30 miles of paved roads and
breathless from the myriad colours and long
one gas station, and the landscape spans
shadows of its rock formations.
from desert-like terrain to a stunning
You may even get a chance to swim with
coastline that’s home to a protected marine
wild dolphins in the bay.
preserve.
There are few gifts as historically and as traditionally associated with love than the giving of a book. Whether it be a book of poetry or a story of morality, possibly bought to the reader by tales of knights in shining armour or the wizened wise sage teaching the wayward young, a book can rarely be surpassed as a gift of thoughtfulness and a way to show understanding and affection. A book is also a gift which keeps giving. It can be returned to time and again, shared with family, friends and lovers, even passed down from one generation to another, a heirloom to be cherished forever. CQI Magazine has bought together a collection of books ,which have been recommended and commended by literary partners and associates, to created The LIST. The LIST is a comprehensive compendium of books, written by some of the best indie authors on the planet. Chose from children’s books and sci-fi, from poetry and romance to thrilling tales and heartfelt revelations of ones personal life. Whatever type of book you are searching for, The LIST should be your first point of reference, a point you may never need to go beyond.
Even then, should you still be looking to find a great author to follow, or ‘your next favourite read’, The LIST can still help by pointing you to Electric Eclectic Novelettes, excellent shorter introductory stories from a range of indie authors. Each Electric Eclectic book gives you a taste of that writers style and narrative so you can easily find the your perfect next read.
Click here to read The LIST
Katy Po Katy, known by some of us as Kate Mantis, is a wonderful writer of touching stories and poetry. Katy has written much of her work in Romanian and Hungarian as well as English. Here she shares with us a touching and hauntingly ethereal love story in two languages. I hope you fine her tale as enchanting as we did and encourage Katy to take her first steps into indie authorship.
The Golden Bird Spinning diligently on its path, the planet turned its cheeks towards the sun and a new season spread on the surface. As winter was fading away with the last melting icicle, spring opened her wings of flowers and songs upon meadows and hills. The boisterous breeze pushed aside the heavy clouds, releasing the shower of warmth and glow upon the land below. In the orchard, the trees were stretching their fingers, swaying in the wind, while the life-giving sap was bubbling in their veins. Buds were cracking on the tip of every stick and flowers were unfolding gracefully, adorning the branches. The air was thick with scents, buzzing noises and love songs. Springtime is the season of love.
"Huh, what a noise" grumbled the old apple tree, hiding in his shady corner. "Love, love, love is all I hear all day long. I’m getting sick of it" he groaned, snapping his ageing, barren arms. "What’s wrong with him?" asked in a tiny voice the young plum tree. "Why is he cursing and mumbling? It’s such a beautiful season." "Oh, let him be, my friend" chuckled the cherry tree. "He’s all sour, ever since the tempest broke his branches and left him almost crippled. His heart is full of bitterness and he’s not even blossoming anymore. With only a handful of leaves and no beauty, all the birds have left him, so it’s no surprise he hates love songs. Forget about him. Let’s stretch a bit more into the sunlight. It feels so good."
oenaru https://katemantis.wordpress.com “Poor guy…” thought the young plum tree, glancing furtively to the stern neighbour in the corner. Then, with a small sigh, he turned his delicate branches towards the sun and closed his eyes, dreamingly. "What a jerk, mumbled the apple tree. Why would I need love? It’s nothing but pain and illusion. Look at the young master of the garden: he’s a total mess since his sweetheart deserted him." Groaning, he turned his face away from the jolly youths of the orchard. With a heart heavy of painful solitude, even his sap was turning more and more bitter with every spring. He felt useless and ugly.
But up in the skies, the world was bright, the rejuvenating energies were oozing from every inch of Nature. More and more singing birds were flocking into the garden, while the trees and bushes were
opening their arms, inviting the chirpy, cheerful travellers to settle. The golden bird was coming from a great distance and by now, he was exhausted by the voyage. He took a like to the neat little garden with its blossoming orchard of lean and graceful trees. This bird was like no other. His body was covered by silky, golden feathers, he had black wings and ruby red beak. His eyes were shining like stars. The moment he made his appearance in the sky, all eyes turned to him. Even the wind halted its rush, his whistle turning to a hum. As the golden bird was circling above the garden, the trees were stretching and leaning towards him, pleading: "Come, come to me, beautiful bird. Look how strong my branches are. Look how fine and thick my canopy is. I’ll protect you from heat and I’ll rock you gently to sleep, just come and stay with me."
But the golden bird kept flying up and down, looking for something. He circled and circled until he noticed a lone tree in the corner. It was tall and strong, and despite its bareness, it felt trustworthy. So, the golden bird took a sharp turn and landed on the highest branch. "Good morning, my friend," he said in a soft voice. Shaken off his dream, the apple tree opened his eyes in amazement.
"May I stay here on your branches/" continued the bird. "I promise not to disturb your peace, but I’m so tired after my voyage and in your strong arms I feel safe." "Stay. Stay as long as you wish." whispered the tree, choking on its sudden burst of emotions. He was so happy, he could laugh and cry at the same time. If only he would be human. But he was an old apple tree, so he took a deep breath, and in a moment of elation, his sap burst through his body, rushing towards the tip of its branches and sticks, exploding into a symphony of glossy, green leaves and heavy bunches of pink
and white flowers. Perched on the tip of a branch, the golden bird was singing his song of love, while the tree was listening to it, smiling in the sunlight. From the window of his cottage, a young man with dreamy eyes was following the glorious metamorphosis of the apple tree and a new hope moved into his heart. He jumped to his feet and left the house whistling happily. He crossed the path to the gates and stopped for a moment under the apple tree. "Thank you, my friend," he whispered, gently caressing the tall trunk. Maybe there is love for me too out there. I just must find my own golden bird. He walked through the gate and turned towards the village, his mind set on those velvety brown eyes he had seen the other day looking at him so warmly, lovingly. Up in the tree, the song of the golden bird was spiralling into the sky, a hymn of love and new beginnings…
END Artwork “Girl with Bird” by Paul White https://paulznewpostbox.wixsite.com/artworks
Az aranymadár A bolygó szaporán perdűlt az útján , új meg új arcot ford ȋtva a nap felé. Lent a főldön, a tél las san visszavonult magassan fekvő határai mögé és a világ újra felszabadultan l élegzett. Mire az utolsó jégcsap is elolvadott, a kö n n y ű l é p t ű t a v a s z b e s zö k ke n t a ke r t b e .
c s e r e s z n y e f a , m e g r á z v a v i r á g zó fürtjeit. Mióta a vihar letőrte ágait, m e g ké r g e s e d e t t a s z í v e ! N e m bontott többé virágot és meg a m a d a r a k i s e l ke r ű l t é k ! E zé r t m o r o g ö r ö kö s e n h a s z e r e l e m r ő l s zó l a d a l . A ke r t é s z m á r r é g k i a k a r t a v á g a t n i , d e a g a zd á n k n e m h a g y t a . A z t mondta, van még reményseg számára, bár én nem nagyon h i s ze m . M e g c s o n t o s o d o t t r o s s z ke d v e z a f i c kó ! N i n c s m i t t a n u l n o d t ő l e !
F r i s s , b o h ó s zé l t o l t a f ű r g é n j o b b r a és balra a sz ürke felhők h adát é s a t i s z t a ké k é g b o l t f e l ő l , a n a p ú j r a melengetően mosolygott a világra. A ke r t b e n a f á k b o l d o g a n nyújtoztak az aranyló fény ben, m i kö z b e n e r e i k b e n g u r g u l á z v a t ő r t f e l f e l é a z é l t e t ő n e d v. A l e v e g ő megtelt méh zümmögéssel és l e p ke s z á r n y v i l l a n á s s a l , m a j d l a s s a n ké n t f e l c s e n d ű l t a m a d a r a k d a l a , kö r b e j á r v a a ke r t e t .
„Oh, szegény! ”-gondolta magában a szilvafa. De hamar túltette magát a s a j n á l a t o n e s k i t á r t a zö l d e l ő k a r j a i t a napsugár felé.
A t a v a s z d a l a a s ze r e l e m r ő l s zó l t . Csak éppen nem mindenki őrvendett ennek.
E l f o j t v a e g y ke s e r ű s ó h a j t , a z a l m a f a b e h ú n y t a a s ze m é t e s elfordúlt az ifjabb fáktol. Szíve belesajdúlt a magányba és még az é l t e t ő n e d v i s m e g ke s e r e d e t t e r e i b e n . M á r r é g e l m e n t a ke d v e a tavaszi bohózattól.
-Eh, micsoda ricsaj! -dohogott az ö r e g a l m a f a a ke r t e g y i k a r n y é ko s s a r k á b a n . S ze r e l e m , s ze r e l e m ! Egyebett sem hallok egész nap! mormogta,megropogtatva időtől ké r g e s k a r j a i t . - H á t e n n e k m e g m i b a j a ? - ké r d e z t e c s o d á l ko z v a a z i f j ú s z i l v a f a . - N e t ö r ö d j v e l e , ö c s kö s ! - n e v e t g é l t a
- O s t o b a s zó s z á t y á r ! - m o r g o t t m a g á b a n a z a l m a f a . M i n e k n e ke m a s ze r e l e m ? C s a k kö n n y é s f á j d a l o m a jutalma, semmi egyébb. Látom én a g a zd á n k a t , m i t t e t t v e l e e z a z á t ko zo t t s ze r e l e m ! O n m a g a á r n y a m i ó t a e l h a g y t a a ke d v e s e !
De fent a magas ban, a világ s z i p ó r k a zo t t a f r i s s n a p f é n y b e n é s a z ú j é l e t d i a d a l a v i s z h a n g zo t t minden dalban. Újabb es újabb é n e ke s e k é r ke z t e k a ke r t b e , gyarapítva a hangok es dallamok számát.
A gyümölcsfák és a magasabb bokrok kihúzták magukat, megrezegtették zöldelő koronájukat es áhítattal várták az énekesmadarakat. Az arany madár körbenézett a kertben. Hosszú útrol jött, már nagyon fáradt volt es szeretet volna megpihenni. Tetszett neki a csinos kis kert, a takaros házikó és a karcsú, virágzo gyümölcsfák tómege. Mikózben őket szemlélgette, a fák is felfigyeltek az új jövevényre. Ilyen madarat még nem láttak! Kecses testét aranyló tollak borították, szárnyai éj-feketék és a csőre pipacs-piros. A fák sorra kiegyenesedtek, ráncba szedtek ágaikat es friss-zöld leveleiket, lepergettek néhany selyem szirmot hogy önmagukra vonjak a figyelmét. -Jőjj hozzám, kedves madár! –kiáltották egymás szavába vágva. Nézd, milyen kényelmesek az ágaim, milyen sűrű az árnyam. Megvédlek esőtől, forróságtol, elringatom kicsinyeidet, csak telepedj meg nálam! Az aranymadar feljebb röppent és szótlanul körbe cikázta a kertet. A fák szépek voltak mind, de valahogy egyik sem vonzotta igazán, mígnem... A kert sarkában állt egy magányos almafa. Viharvert ágai makacson nyúltak az ég felé, az erős tönkje meg sem moccant a tavaszi szélben. Még nem bontott virágot és levelei is ritkásan zöldelltek itt-ott. De volt valami ennek a fának a tartásában ami megkapta a madár szívét és néhány gyors szárnycsapással letelepedett az almafa
legmagasabb ágán! A fa megdermedt a csodálkozástól. -Megpihenhetek nálad, kedves fa?-kérdezte az aranymadar, búgó hangon. Igérem nem zavarom majd békédet, de nagyon belefáradtam útamban! Ugy erzém, karjaidban biztonságban leszek, ha megengeded! -Maradj, maradj csak, barátom!-rebegte az almafa meghatottan. Légy vendégem! Melegség öntötte el az alamafa szívét és a vastag kéreg mely eddig körűlvette, pillanatok alatt lepattant. Egyszerre sírni és kacagni támadt volna kedve, ha ember lett volna! De ő csak egy egyszerű almafa volt, ezért örömében teljesen kizöldűlt és hosszú évek után, az almafa virágba borúlt. A legmasabb ágán pedig, felcsendűlt az aranymadár szerelmet hívó dala! Az almafa mosolygova halgatta, arcát a fény felé fordítva. A szerelem varázsa visszatért a szívébe. A háziko ablakábol egy almodozó szemű fiatalember figyelte az almafa diadalát és lelkében új remény csillant fel. Kilépett a házbol és mélyet szippantott a friss, tavaszi levegőből. Rugalmas léptekkel végighaladt az úton, majd megállt egy pillanatra az almafa alatt. Fennt, az ágak közt az új madár cikornyás dala betőltötte a kertet.
A War Of HEARTS
You will love this story of three troubled souls caught in a tangled we Logan is poison and Kristen knows it. She has developed a hatred for his decadent increasingly risqué lifestyle. Yet every time she tells herself she’s done, she never is. His hypnotic power over her draws her back like an addiction. Logan’s tenuous grip on reality is crumbling. He feels like he is reaching out for an elusive source of fulfilment. Sometimes he finds it in deviant sex, alcohol and drugs. Other times there is only darkness. Rich, powerful, handsome, he could have anyone he desires. But he’s obsessed with Kristen and will not let her go. Is Jake the answer?
Jake is a struggling artist with a powerful determination to follow his dream. But he is another beautiful mess. On a quest to find happiness and rebuild his life, he longs to escape the shadows of his past. But first he must defeat the unrelenting nightmares in his head. When fate brings Kristen and Jake together, it rattles their worlds. Love is not in their plans that day in Central Park, but there is no going back. Jake would die for Kristen’s love. Logan would kill for it. When jealousy and explosive passion erupt into dark obsession, vengeance is all that is
It was 9:00 p.m. Being alone for two hours had allowed her to fantasize about Jake a bit longer, without being propelled back to reality. Her mind and body were beginning to shut down, exhausted by the emotional stress of the day. Before too long, she began to doze off. All of a sudden, she was jolted awake by the sound of the front door opening. Hitting the mute button on the T.V., she tried to concentrate on the muffled voices. The knife she had hidden in the night table drawer flashed through her mind—it was close enough if she needed it. Burying her head under the heavy quilt, she remained quiet and alert. "Kristen? Where are you?" Logan bellowed.
Listening intently, she could hear the sound of another man’s voice. Their footsteps were getting closer. When the door opened and light flooded the room she squeezed her eyes shut, huddling deeper under the blanket. He ripped the blanket off of her. "What are you doing under there, Krissy? Come on out and say hi to Nick.” His face was so close she could smell the mingled scent of marijuana and liquor. She blinked, her eyes making a gradual adjustment to the light. His icy blue eyes stared at her, his long, dark blonde hair tickled her nose. "Come on babe. Don't be rude!" He pulled her up, cramming his lips against hers.
eb of obsession, because everyone loves a bit of drama and intrigue.
Snapping out of her trancelike state, she cringed, holding back. "What is he doing here?" She blinked repeatedly, trying to bring the unfamiliar man lingering in the bedroom doorway into focus
It doesn’t end here The startling cliff hanger leads into book two ‘A Sea of Smoke.’
Because where there is love, there is also pain, jealousy and dark obsession. And sometimes, vengeance is the only answer.
http://amzn.to/2EaGBEW
25 Romantic words which
but we thin CQI
has compiled love and dating-themed vocabulary drawn from sources as varied as
Tagalog, Dutch, and Inuit. Get over your Saudade, indulge in a little Cafuné, and you’ll be Queesting in no time.
Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan, Tierra del Fuego) – This term, which holds the Guinness World Record for “most succinct word,” means “looking at each other hoping that either will offer to do something which both parties desire but are unwilling to do.”
Saudade (Portuguese) – A melancholic nostalgia for someone or something from the past.
Tuqburni (Arabic) – The literal translation is “You bury me,” referring to a love so deep you can’t imagine living life without your partner.
Bakku-shan (Japanese) – A girl who’s only attractive when she’s viewed from behind.
h do not exist in English,
nk should. Forelsket (Norwegian) – That intoxicatingly euphoric feeling you experience when you’re first falling in love.
Cafuné (Portuguese) – The act of running your fingers through your lover’s hair. Paasa (Tagalog) – “A person who leads someone on (intentionally or not). Appearing as if they are genuinely interested romantically when they aren’t.”
Onsra (Boro language of India) – That bittersweet feeling of loving for the last time — in other words, that feeling you get when you know a love won’t last.
Kummerspeck (German) – Literally translating to “grief bacon,” this delightful word refers to the less-than-delightful excess weight you gain from emotional overeating.
Onsra (Boro language of India) – That bittersweet feeling of loving for the last time — in other words, that feeling you get when you know a love won’t last.
Gretchenfrage (German) – A question asked for finding out someone’s real intentions. First dates are overflowing with Gretchenfrages.
La douleur exquise (French) – The excruciating pain that comes from wanting someone you can’t have.
Queesting (Dutch) – A whole verb dedicated to inviting a lover into your bed for some pillow talk.
Oodal (Tamil) – The fake-sulking you do after getting into a lovers’ tiff, usually over something inconsequential.
Kilig (Tagalog) – The stupid-silly rush you feel immediately after something good happens, especially when it comes to love (like after accidentally bumping into your crush.)
Cavoli riscaldati (Italian) – When you attempt to start up a failed relationship or love affair. Literally, ‘reheated cabbage.’
Buksvåger (Swedish) – What you call someone who has had sex with someone you’ve already had sex with.
Koi no yokan (Japanese) – It’s not quite love at first sight, but koi no yokan is nevertheless the feeling you get upon meeting someone that love will happen for the two of you, in time.
Gigil (Tagalog) – That indescribable, irresistible urge to grab or pinch something or someone super-adorable.
Iktsuarpok (Inuit) – The anticipation you feel when you’re waiting for someone to show up at your house.
Voorpret (Dutch) – That feeling of excitement you get even before an event takes place. Literally translates to “pre-fun.”
Retrouvailles (French) – Retrouvailles, or “rediscovery,” refers to the happiness you feel upon reuniting with someone after you’ve been apart for a long time.
Razbliuto (Russian) – The (usually sentimental) feeling you have toward someone you used to loved but no longer do.
Viraag (Hindi) – The emotional pain of being separated from a loved one. Fensterln (German) – When you must climb through someone’s window in order to have sex with them without their parents knowing about it.
Layogenic (Tagalog) – When someone looks attractive from far away, but, oh, they’re getting closer, oh, never mind.
When Love Bleeds Through https://dorothy-berry-lound.pixels.com/collections/love
Pieces of Me is a sexy and steamy interracial romance novel that will have readers becoming addicted to the writings of Peyton Banks. She had built her career singing the most memorable love songs that had graced the airwaves. She was Nina Hunt. Singer. Songwriter. Music Royalty—and she suffered from a broken heart.
caused a stirring in his chest that he knew he would be unable to pursue. She was his client. She needed help, but the more time they spent together, the more he knew she should be his.
Returning from her latest world tour, Nina became a recluse. The only way she knew how to get over her very public breakup with her movie star ex-boyfriend, was to put her pen to pad. Being a musical genius and star didn’t mean she was without flaws. She had fame and fortune, but it all meant nothing if she couldn’t find someone to love her despite her many imperfections.
The intense passion between Sid and Nina should be illegal. Their steam filled passion was something that songwriters dreamt about writing. They are from two different worlds, and there are those who want to do nothing but remind them of how different they are. Will their love be enough to keep the world from tearing them apart?
Sid McFarland took one look at the woman in his office and knew he was in trouble. Her bronze skin, perfect smile and sexy curves,
UK http://amzn.to/2CX6KYJ ALL other areas http://mybook.to/Pieces-of-me
Love Shines Through https://dorothy-berry-lound.pixels.com/collections/love You will find many od Dorothy Berry-Loundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artworks scattered around this issue of CQI Magazine. Her painting, Storm over Umbria, featured on the front cover of the November 2015 Edition. In this, the LOVE collection from Dorothy you will find beautiful pieces to enhance your interior decor. She is a fine art photographer and specialise in photo-painting and storytelling, using her own photographs and developing them further digitally using colours and textures. Dorothy has won several awards for her work and has featured in magazines and books. She undertakes commissions - simply follow this link to Dorothyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gallery and send me her a private message so you can chat about your requirements .
Go to the website now
A sexy encounter with a talented native artist, a broken heart, and a knight in shining armour are just the beginning in this passionate romance. Dani Stone never expected to fall in love with carver Jesse Wolf Carver. She certainly didn't foresee the results of her intense one-night stand with the sexy hunk. From the wealth of New York City to the
southern city of Knoxville, Tennessee, follow Dani as she journeys the winding path fate has laid out for her. Will she ever forget Jesse and the passion she felt in his arms? Can any man replace him in her heart? And most importantly, will her secret be revealed? This is
a story of passion, love, loss, and courage.
Carved Wooden Heart is a mixture of high
of emotions.
octane romance and a twisty adventure.
Dani is hard to outmanoeuvre and there are a few scenes of graphic intimacy which will convey a reader rapidly to steamsville.
Written In collaboration with Starla Hartless, an author I wasn’t familiar with, I was glad to find the voice kept up with the traditional clipped pace I was used to.
I found this book to be suspenseful and humorous. Dani is a character you will want to root for. A mixture of naivety and passion at the outset, she quickly learns the steely hearted man she has fallen for is not quite your traditional Romeo. The reader gets glimpses of his armoured heart with hints of extraordinary charisma that provides a knot of tension throughout the book. But any coping mechanism Dani hopes to achieve gets swiftly tossed out of the window as Jesse takes her on another rollercoaster ride
The characters are intriguing and cleverly individual, from Doug the saviour to Dani’s parents, all the way to a very believable and lovable boy called Dylan. Don’t put this book down for too long or you deprive yourself of the pleasure of unearthing the mysteries of Dani’s sometimes vulnerable and intense journey. I t has everything I have come to expect and enjoy in a Horton-Newton novel.
UK Get your copy here USA Buy here
Together on a Bridge https://dorothy-berry-lound.pixels.com/collections/love
35 (
CHEESY )
CHAT - UP LINES FOR AUTHO
1. I’d never say “Farewell” to those Arms. 2. I’d love you in all the times, including* the Time of Cholera. (*but not limited to) 3. My Heart was a Lonely Hunter ’til I met you, girl. 4. Portnoy’s Complaint was that he didn’t get to see your fine behind. 5. You may not be Miss Jean Brodie, but I can tell you’re in your Prime. 6. Girl, you raise my temperature way past Fahrenheit 451. 7. Can I have The Way of All Flesh with you? 8. I’m no Jane, but I’d Eyre on the side of saying I think you’re beautiful. 9. I’d like to end your Age of Innocence. 10. Tender is the Night you let me take you home. 11. As I Lay Dying…my biggest regret was not telling you how beautiful you are. 12. Girl, we’re the Beautiful and the Damned, you’re beautiful and I’ll be damned if you don’t let me buy you a drink. 13. If you give me yo’ number, I’ll live up to all your Great Expectations. 14. Can you help me? I’m in Search of all the Lost Time I spent checkin’ you out. 15. Girl, it would be both a Crime and a Punishment if you don’t let me take you out. 16. I’d like to Catch 22 of you. 17. Girl, you’re my great white whale, and you make my dick be mo’. 18. I’d Revisit your Brideshead anytime.
ORS AND BOOK LOVERS 19. I’d never be Misérables waking up to your face. 20. You’re the Lord of my Flies, and you can unzip them anytime.
21. If it was 1984, and I was Big Brother, I’d only watch you. 22. Hey lady, there’s nothing Second about your Sex. 23. I wanna do Wild Things wherever you Are. 24. I’d spend Tuesdays with Morrie, but baby, I’d spend every day with you. 25. Have you lost weight? Your Lightness is Unbearable, and it’s doing something to my Being. 26. The Sun isn’t the only thing around here that Also Rises. 27. Hey girl, can you say that one more time? I can’t hear you over the Sound and the Fury of my beating heart. 28. My love for you is Infinite, and I do not Jest.
29. I know For Whom the Bell Tolls, so why don’t you call me sometime? 30. Are you Five People? ’Cause I just met you, and I’m in Heaven. 31. Hey girl, don’t be The Stranger. 32. I want to take your body to Wuthering Heights. 33. We Need to Talk About Kevin. I’m Kevin, can I buy you a drink? 34. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues if you won’t give them your number, boy. 35. If you’d let me, baby, I’d Middlemarch you right on down the aisle.y
CQI Magazine is constantly and consistently looking out for new and raw talent from any creative discipline. We openly encourage people to show their works, tell the world about their abilities, skills and creativeness.
CQI prides itself on its international standards and publishes written work in a variety of languages. Last year, 2017, CQI featured written works in Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, Urdu, Yoruba and Romanian. This year, 2018, we shall endeavour to continue attracting such features, stories and poetry in many languages. Whatever language(s) you speak, CQI shall always be pleased to hear from
you. Dual language, English plus your mother tongue, helps our readers who may not be familiar with your own language understand your word and work. Please contact us at CQinternational@mail.com and/or for more information
The Boy
Who Cried Nerf Nicholas Nguyen is a young man with a passion who we may well be hearing a lot more of in the future.
My Name is Nicholas Nguyen. I am 18 this February. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I am passionate about poetry. Poetry is my hobby at present, but I would love to become a professional poet so, I can earn money doing something I love. My goal with all of my poems is to put things into a perspective everybody can understand. One thing to mention is I am autistic. I hope my work encourages young writers like me to find what they truly love and go for it.
Hold Me Close Don't let me be a dream Let me be a memory; With life as short as it seems,
That is definitely our adversary.
Don't let me be a silhouette Instead make me a figure; Someone you can touch like a bracelet, Someone you can have in your mind like a picture.
Don't be my worst nightmare Be my sweetest loving dream; Love me even when I'm not there, Because I'll see the sparkle in your eyes that gleam.
And don't be afraid to hold me close Dance with me as if I'm the one who'll set you free; Pull me in with your gaze and ignore those,
Image Š Paul White 2017
I'm No Different
Invictus (Speech/Poem) In turn we turn against the tide,
Stuck in this life
From life till death I ride.
Full of people who have disabilities;
For those I love and count on forever,
For our talents are to strive,
We stay and fight along side each other.
And our future is what matters truly. Once brothers in binds, Imagine a perspective so different
Now we are the eyes for the blind.
Where you see everything including the big picture;
Laying down our lives for others,
Letting people know that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re resilient,
We fight till the flames of the enemy smother's.
Getting smarter as the rules gets stricter. With hatred comes mistakes, As you continue living on this earth so big People are more than just people; Mentally blind until it finally clicks, And suddenly your mind is as sharp as a needle.
But controlled hatred helps the emotion that are fake. While others are buried in the field of the dead, Though we are alive our minds were scarred instead.
When was the world ever perfect It would be different if it was;
Though our brothers withered and suffered the pain,
Without differences we wouldn't see their aspect,
We are all going through the same.
Of a life that began as a huge fuzz.
But we all must carry on, The same devastating path till dawn.
Until death I will wait for the day, And beg the heavens to stay.
Kazz’s book review February is the month of love with Valentine’s Day right in the middle. For me February has always been about love. I met my husband in on 2nd, I married him on the 23rd and my children were born on 15th. I hasten to add that none of that happened in the same year!
I’m very lucky to have a romantic husband, well, a once a year romantic husband. We met in 1978, and every Valentine’s Day he buys me flowers, 6 red and 6 white carnations to commemorate our first date – a Manchester United football game! I hope your other half does something nice for you and if you want to share your stories, I’ll featuring them on my Magic of Stories website. Just fill in the contact me form.
You can link up with me here:
Website: magiofstories.net Amazon – author.to/KM Twitter - https://twitter.com/KarenJMoss Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/karenjmossmanauthor/
UNSEVERED Genre: Romance Description A gripping story of love found, lost, and rediscovered in a magical way. Jewel has met the man of her dreams … the one person with whom she’s meant to spend
eternity.
Harley
is
charming,
charismatic, and although he can’t carry a tune in a bucket, he’s the most gorgeous man she has ever laid eyes upon— especially in his U.S. Air Force uniform. Just days after the couple returns from their honeymoon, Harley is called to active duty in the Middle East. Jewel is heartbroken but determined to adapt to her new life as a military spouse and support her husband. Her plan is short-lived when Harley is killed in action just days after his deployment. Unable to cope, Jewel withdraws from her family, friends, and the world around her, until Harley visits her with a message from the beyond. Will Jewel surrender to the dark side to be with her true love, or will she discover that sometimes people are put in our paths for reasons beyond our understanding? Is it a Series? No How easy is it to read? Very.
Kazz’s Review Unsevered
of
I’d been meaning to read this for a while as was sitting on my kindle. However, I was scrolling through my To Read folder and came across it again. I liked it because it is sheer romance, from love lost to love gained. Jewel lives in a beautiful house by the ocean with her husband, a handsome Marine. When he is killed in action she has to learn to live and to love again. Of course, it isn’t as straightforward as that we follow Jewel through her despair. I won’t give away the storyline although as you read you will guess her husband’s gift long before Jewel’s does! I love how her husband returned to talk and guide her. In situations like this, it’s sometimes not easy separating what’s real and what’s not. Grief is a terrible thing, but one everyone goes through at some point in their lives. The author handles is it well. I also loved Jewel’s friends and family because they who rallied round and were there for her. Kindness and comfort is key to this book. So if you are looking for a nice romance to cheer you up – once you get over the grieving with her, you will certainly enjoy this one.
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unsevered-Traci-Sanders-ebook/dp/B014FWLMQ4
Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Unsevered-Traci-Sanders-ebook/dp/B014FWLMQ4
The Tide and Time series is three themed short story collections. Each book has an element of water and all the stories feature romance.
The Missing tells of missing people and those left behind. It can be devastating when family or a friend vanishes. In this book, we look at some of the high profile real-life missing stories, as well as 6 fictional tales. Amanda, who starts a new life in Scotland only to find her past has caught up with her. Ellie, searching for a brother never dreaming of the truth sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about to discover. When a body of a child turns up in a derelict house, Carl must visit his past and the women he once loved. As police investigate a missing person, they interview her friends and family. Mary-Jo goes missing and Shelby returns to their hometown to try and discover who
murdered her best friend.
Amazon - myBook.to/KMTime
Halfway
Our Do repor
The Feast of San Valentino Do you remember receiving your first Valentine’s card? I do. I was at infant’s school and eight year’s old. But where does Valentine’s Day come from? Well do you know, one of my favourite Valentine stories suggests it originated in Italy.
Saint Valentine History likes martyrdom stories and the martyrdom of Saint Valentine of Terni certainly provides a romantic twist, commemorated on 14 February. He was imprisoned in Rome for providing help to persecuted Christians as well as performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry. Legend has it he performed a miracle while in prison, healing the sight of the daughter of his gaoler. Some say that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed ‘Your Valentine’. But Italy has other stories about romantic love, not least the adventurer Giacomo Casanova.
y Up A Mountain
r regular columnist orothy Berry-Lound rts from Umbria, Italy.
B O UN D TO G ET HER h t t p s : / / d o r o t h y - b e r r y - l o u n d . p i x e l s . c o m /a r t/ b o u n d + t o g e t h e r
Casanova Casanova came from Venice in Italy and really earned the title ‘womanizer’ through his very many affairs. In his very early career (according to his own accounts) he wrote love letters on behalf of a Cardinal. Casanova was also a heavy gambler. After a failed love affair and various scandals he went on a Grand Tour of Europe but his sexual escapades continued.
In 1775, Casanova was arrested for, amongst other things, committing an affront to moral decency. He escaped from prison, a great tale of derring-do, and thirty years later he wrote a book about that experience called ‘Story of My Flight’. Amazingly, he lived to be 73 years old. You can read all about his fascinating and eventful life in his own words in his book ‘Histoire De Ma Vie’ (Story of My Life).
Sex and Longevity? Perhaps Casenova was on the right track. There is a small village in Southern Italy, Acciaroli, which boasts 700 residents, more than one in ten of whom are over 100 years old! Yes, they eat a healthy Mediterranean diet. But the American cardiologist leading a research project into the phenomenon, highlighted one other important point. “Sexual activity among the elderly appears to be rampant,” Maisal said. “Maybe living long has something to do with that, it’s probably the good air and joie de vivre”. Born in Sardinia in Southern Italy, “the grandmother of Italy” and Europe’s oldest living person at 115 years has another theory on longevity. She swears by eating chocolate. No wonder Valentine’s Day (San Valentino) in Italy is big business!
LOVE IN VENICE https://dorothy-berry-lound.pixels.com/art/love+in+venice
A BOUT DOROTHY Dorothy Berry-Lound is an award winning artist, visual storyteller and writer/blogger. You can follow Dorothyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blog and her latest art work at her website
http://dorothyberryloundart.com.
Illusional Reality, a romantic fantasy. from Karina Kantas
Nobody expects to stare death in the face only to find out your entire life is a lie. Rescued by Salco, marketing executive Becky finds herself in an unknown magical world filled with happy people that try to forget their land is on the brink of destruction. Becky will soon learn that her arrival is no accident. If learning that she is Thya, the heir of the enchanting land isn’t enough, she’s then told that an Oracle prophesied that she will save the gentle Tsinians from slavery and domination by Darthorn, the Warlord of Senx.
It is at a festival where she is introduced to the Tsinian council and her kinsmen, that she learns the whole truth. The council are so certain that a union between Darthorn’s son, Kovon and Thya will create peace between the two lands.
‘Romance, Magic, Action… Illusional Reality has it all.’ Emily Woodmansee
However, Darthorn has plans for Tsinia as does Kovon for Thya and neither are good. Although her future has been planned and if she is to save Tsinia she must marry Kovon, Thya gives her heart to another. A love that is forbidden and dangerous.
Illusional Reality is a story about hope, courage, love and sacrifice. ‘This story is unique. No typical fantasy stereotyping.’
Exclusive Interview with Becky Hi Becky, can you just tell our readers what your relationship status is on Facebook. I’m single. I’ve dated of course. My friends set me up with a disastrous blind date but that’s a tale for another time. Do you believe in Mr Right? Yes, I believe there is such thing as true love and that your soul mate is out there somewhere. But the world is a big place, you may never find one another, so you take what you can get. I’m not interested in meeting anyone and settling down. I like things the way they are.
What is love to you? “What is love? Love hurts. When you’re full of happiness you feel as though you could burst. With every smile, every time you hold hands, every warm and gentle touch can leave you melting. You want to stay cuddled together, warm, safe. How could you be so lucky to have found each other. But you worry that it can be taken away just as quickly as it was given to you. Treasure every moment of love and happiness as it may not last and if you’re one of the lucky ones it can last an eternity.” You sound as though you have experienced love? “Only in my dreams.”
Can you elaborate? “It’s going to sound silly but I have these dreams where I’m with a man and I can feel his love and devotion to me. It’s like a warmth flowing through my body. I trust him completely and know he is the one. But I never see his face. So yes, I believe the man that will complete me is out there, somewhere. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us Becky.
P r a i s e f o r I l l u s i o n a l R e a l i t y. ‘The journey this character takes is unique in its own right if i was in the movie bizz, this would be one I’d option in a heartbeat! ‘What a delightfully touching love story! Our author entwined our world with a fantasy one with action, magic and of course, love.’ ‘This enchanting world mesmerized me and I really enjoyed reading this amazing story.’
‘It is unlike any other i have ever read and i was instantly drawn into the world of this book from the very start.’ You can read more reviews and learn about the magical fantasy here. https://urbanhype101.wordpress.com/reviews
So are you ready to step out of reality and into an illusion?
Illusional Reality – romantic fantasy suitable for YA/NA https://books2read.com/u/3newE9 Amazon bit.ly/IRCOM -Kindle http://bit.ly/IRpaperback AZ.com -Paperback
Illusional Reality, The Quest…
The concluding edition Due for release summer 2018
An E l e ct r i c E c le c t i c novelette make the perfect, thoughtful and loving gift to give on Valentines dayâ&#x20AC;Ś. And any other day of the year. With a whole host of great indie authors to choose from and many genres, you will be spoiled for choice. So why not download a whole batch of stories in one go? You can read Electric Eclectic books on any device, anywhere, anytime, so wherever you are Electric Eclectic makes it even better. Visit the
E l ec tr i c E c le c t i c W e bs i t e
S ELF - AFFIRMATIONS FOR A HAPPY REL ATIONSHIP
No matter how intense love starts, after a certain amount of time, the “honeymoon” wears off. Thankfully, that energy can transform into other things – a deeper love, appreciation and respect, more understanding and less conflict, and more oneness and less separateness.
We’re not taught classes on character qualities and ideals, love and relationships, or even conscious communication, so it’s no wonder why so many fail at relationships and marriage.
There are, however, many ways to sustain a loving relationship, saying and actions and sets the proper intention to have a lasting, harmonio
affirmations reminds us to take responsibility for our thoughts, feelings
us relationship.
READ AFFIRMATIONS >>>>>
The grass is never greener on the other side; it’s greener where I water and tend to it. My partner is a reflection of me. I accept responsibility for my actions and make right my wrongs. I am forgiving. I will never give up on love. Energy spent loving is never a loss. My love is unconditional. I am worthy of love and deserve to be loved unconditionally. I treat my partner the way I want to be treated. I attract exactly what I need in my relationship. I express love in various forms.
I am open to love in all forms. I am open, free and joyful. My partner loves and appreciates me. I feel safe and protected by my partner. I have a twinkle in my eye for my partner. No one is perfect, including me. I listen to understand and not to “win.”
If someone pushes my buttons, they are still MY buttons – personal issues I need to tend to. No one ever wins in an argument. I remain in balance with my emotions. I am honest, trustworthy and truthful. I am trusting in my relationship. I accept my partner’s flaws and always leave room for growth. I support my partner’s dreams. I avoid blaming and pointing the finger. I speak only kind words about my partner. I speak my truth without blame or shame. I stand firm and grounded in love. Love emanates from my very being and affects all around me. No one can hurt me, for I am the only one that can hurt myself. I think positively of my partner.
I encourage my partner to reach for the stars. I let go of all grudges and resentment. I don’t bring up old wounds (unless to heal them). I cannot change anyone else, I can only change myself. Happiness starts within.
I T.H.I.N.K. before I speak: T- is it true? H- is it honest? I- is it inspiring? N- is it necessary? K- is it kind?
I was born in Le Mans, France but have lived in Ontario, Canada for over 20 years. I am a Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Photographer specialising in capturing all the amazing and wonderful which Ontario has to offer. https://www.facebook.com/BrigitteGiuntaImages and/or
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/0IH7FE
A ll enq u iri es to brigittegiuntaimaes@gmail.com
All images copyright ŠBrigitte Giunta Images
A wonderful and thoughtful gift for the music lover In your life ICONIâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Legends of music immortalised in art, is an exclusive, perfect bound, full colour, glossy, illustrated, hardcover book which will grace any coffee table or bookshelf. ICONIC is an artistic masterpiece of quality, reflecting the greatness and talents of those portrayed inside. Each amazing artist has their image along with a biography of their life and times. The king of rock, Elvis Presley is here, along with Billie Holiday, Buddy Holly, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and many more. These images are exclusive to ICONIC and will not be published anywhere else, making this book totally unique and a collectors joy.
This book is not for sale on Amazon or any bookstore.
It is only available from the author,
HERE