Champion-The Movie

Champion-The Movie 

Champion is not like the normal movies I watch. If it were not for my friend inviting me to come see it, I probably would have overlooked this movie all together. No CGI, no special effects, no blood & gore. However, it had something more. Something from the heart.

Shot in Georgia, Champion follows a racetrack driver and how his life interconnects with others. The main focus of the movie is FORGIVENESS. Everyone makes mistakes. Life is about choices. But your life does not have to be tied to that one action. You can rise above it. You can forgive and BE forgiven.

Forgiveness comes in all sorts of ways. Time helps. However, sometimes it takes more. In Champion, we learn that forgiveness is not just for the person that harmed you. But to forgive someone, frees yourself.

Life is too short to hold grudges, to live with regret, and to keep bitterness in your heart.

I had a depressing morning and I cried through much of the film. Very few movies can touch one's soul, but Champion does. It was brilliantly written and had wonderful actors, such as my friend’s son Liam Peeples. .

Take a leap of faith, and go see this movie. 

Well, it is that time of the month again!

Well it is that time of the month again. The one most women avoid discussing. You guessed it! Dying your hair.

I loathe dying my hair and would prefer (and suggest!) to leave it to the professionals but my bank account disagrees. So while on a Bread mission for the American Legion post I did some side shopping.

Now I am pretty spontaneous. I play with color a couple times a year and since it is fall why not red? Now I have done red many times in the past so picked up a box of Feria POWER RED by L’Oréal.

Now you can’t just dye your hair. You have to prepare first. So I gathered up my dark towels and cell phone and new box of joy and headed to the bathroom, where I planned to camp out for about an hour.

Most women use an old t-shirt to wear. I am the messy sort so I color in the nude. I rip open the box and dump out all these tiny little bottles and tubes into the sink. I break open the instructions and am quite surprised to find BLACK GLOVES. I carefully read the instructions and pre-set my phone timer for 25 minutes.

I try to match the bottles and such up to the horrendous drawings in the instructions. There is writing but I can’t read it without my glasses and you can’t wear glasses when you are dying your hair.

Dear L’Oréal, LARGE PRINT PLEASE.

So I put on the gloves and start my mad scientist project. Now I am familiar with hair dye. Normally when you get done mixing all of the bottles and ripping tubes open with your teeth, you get a whitish purpley or brown color. But no. This was POWER RED and it had the same color and consistency of BLOOD. So I start immersing this goop into my hair. It runs down my face and I am having Carrie flash backs. Or the Shinning perhaps. I look into the mirror and am expecting to see “Redrum.”

I do notice a bloody hand print on my neck and try to wipe it off before it too becomes permanent. SO with my head and upper body covered with red smears and goo I hit the timer on my phone. 25 minutes.

Looking around I notice my bathroom resembles a crime scene. What is a gal to do?

Take pictures of course. Now I am NOT good with selfies. My arms are not long enough. In fact I just bought a selfie stick the day before. But I am not running through the house naked and bleeding down stairs to get it.

SO 15 bad pictures later and one I could salvage, I am happy. So I sit on the toilet and play Plants vs Zombies 2 until the timer goes off.

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Hop in the shower (this is when the naked part comes in handy and you don’t have to strangle yourself trying get a t-shirt off over your goo saturated head.)

I am rinsing out my hair and glance down at the dark red bloody water around my feet. I forgot to open the drain. And I really wish I had my camera! But Alias you will have to use your imagination.

Hop out and dry off. And let me tell you when they say POWER RED, they mean POWER RED. It looks like my head is on fire.

‘Till next time…

PTSD- No Apologies Open Call for Submissions

22 Soldiers commit suicide every day.

That needs to stop.

It is our wish to share your story with others, so they know that they are not alone. I believe that PTSD is far more rampant than is projected.

Many dwell in silence. Living one day to the next.

NO APOLOGIES

For me writing is a release. I think it could help others as well. To purge your soul, free your heart and mind.

To tell your story.

NO APOLOGIES

We accept stories, poems, songs, art, photos. Anything you would like to share.

 Anonymous submissions are accepted.

Or if you need help writing, I have authors available to help.

NO APOLOGIES

Contact: 

Lemon Press Publishing

PO Box 459 Emerson, GA 30137

lemonpresspublishing@gmail.com

www.lemonpresspublishing.com

Introduction- By Lynn Hubbard

Some memories stay with us forever. I used to live in New Jersey. There wasn’t much self-sacrifice at our school. In junior high we had a guest speaker. The entire school was herded into the auditorium to hear him speak. There was much chatter ad mayhem as we fumbled for seats next to our friends. Once more or less settled, the Principal introduced to us a man.

He was different from the typical stiff tied puppet that was usually announced. This guy was not perfect, he had scars. This fact in itself caught our attention.

Then he began to speak, and we listened to his story. 

He had been injured in Vietnam. He was on a patrol boat on a river. The air was thick with smog and the river was even filthier. He stood on deck keeping watch, An enemy boat approached and fighting commenced. A phosphorus grenade exploded in his hand and ignited him. . He was thrown free from the vessel, and into the oil filled river. The river burned and so did he.

He ducked under the water to escape the flames, but the water was so polluted they would not extinguish. He started to sink, yet the fire still burned. He burned all the way down, and all the way back up as he swam for the surface.

Even then he had a zest for life. It would have been easy to just give in and be engulfed. But he wasn’t done yet.

Guided by the flames above, he broke through gasping for air.  He was pulled back onto the boat and the flames were beat out.

I can’t imagine the agonizing pain he must have went through just to live. But live he did. He recuperated, slowly. And fate brought him to my school. 

By now the room was silent. Each lost in their own thoughts. And then he started to yell. To yell about how we are wasting our lives. Lives that we have, due to the sacrifices of our soldiers.

It was at this point in time that the staff started to evacuate us from the room. They escorted us out and I could still hear him shouting out his message.

For us to Live.

That we have a purpose.

And then we were rushed down the hallways, and back to our safe little rooms.

Then it happened.

The teacher apologized to us.

FOR HIM.

I was pissed then, and I’m still pissed now.

So this book is being written for him. And for anyone who needs to be reminded that they have a purpose. 

That they need to live.

Living is so much more than just surviving.

Surviving is the easy part. 

Living is hard, but oh so worth the effort.

No Apologies.

www.lynnhubbard.com

Welcome Spring!

Welcome Spring

As a romance writer, I contemplate love a lot. It’s my job. 

In paper world it is easy to spot the hero. In real life not so much.

Everyone has a façade. Sometimes you have to dig down deep to find the real person inside. Sometimes they are even more beautiful, but sometimes they are blackened souls.

Every relationship is a risk. You risk losing a bit of yourself, or even your heart. Hearts are terrible sensitive things and are easily bruised or broken.

Too many people give up too much of themselves, and are left empty when it is over. Life is the eternal test with no right or wrong answer. It just is.

I am older and wiser than I used to be. I’m not as trusting, but I am trustworthy.

Relationships are not all about Love. They are about honesty, loyalty, companionship, passion, and fun. And should be a combination of such.

A good analogy is my dog. When I get home from work, my 50lb dog is ecstatic! She is so happy to see me. EVERY SINGLE DAY. That is the kind of relationship I want.

When a relationship is going south, you are not happy to see that person. They become an annoyance. And then dread. If you dread seeing your special someone it is time to move on. Seasons change and so do we.

People change. It is inevitable and not all relationships last. 

And your heart breaks. And you feel dead inside.

Like winter.

And like winter, coldness creeps in, and you lose hope. 

You doubt yourself. And everyone else.

But after winter comes spring. Spring is a time for change. To step out from the darkness and lift your face to the light. A warm breeze caresses your skin, and you realize that you are still alive.  

Welcome Spring!!

Spring Sale find love for .99!

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Dog Ears

Dog Ears

No no no. 

Not puppies. I’m talking about books.

It’s the things that make librarians and teachers cringe.

But I can’t help myself. I’m a flapper.

After every section I read I turn down a corner to mark my place.

Yes, yes, I know it is detrimental to the book. But it is MY book. And I like to use it as a guide, to mark my spot and see how far I have come. A milestone (or timeline of sorts) of my journey through the pages.

Each flip marks a section in which I had to return to real life. Some crisis or another like sleep, work, etc. Those pesky things that ruin our reading.

I like to read with no distractions. Very difficult these days. But, I read when I can. And when I need to stop.

 I Flip.

Yes, yes of course I have bookmarks! I love bookmarks, I collect bookmarks. But bookmarks are fallible. A book cascading from a sleepy hand to the floor and bam! Your place is lost. And much fumbling and searching ensues.

With dog ears, you can simply find your last point and move forward. It cuts out the chance of peeking too far ahead and ruining everything!

Plus, bookmarks are glorious things! They come in all shapes and sizes and wondrous colors. 

Why would you want to hide them in a book? 

Man Vs. Chocolate, Your Choice

Men are like a box of chocolates

Chocolate is just confusing you're not quite sure what you are getting.

I've spent some time recently trying to contemplate the minds of man. I have decided that there is no sense to make of it. They say what they don’t mean, and do what they won’t say.

 It is enough to drive one mad! After much conversation with friends I have decided that like life, men are also like chocolate.

 You can’t judge them by their fancy wrapping, or flashy tag lines. Nope, the only way of is judge for yourself. 

Sure you can start by finding an an attractive package. However the inside may be bitter. Some are a bit nutty, which is fine if you like nuts. But most women like a combination, nuts and caramel perhaps? 

Chocolate comes in all sizes colors and flavors. And I love nuts, but pretty much anything covered in chocolate works for me. Some candies are wrapped up in a cup and you choose one thinking you will find your favorite. You take a bite, marshmallow cream. Not bad, but not what you were looking for. 

So you move onto the next one, and soon all the good ones are taken. The ones left have no discernible lumps or markings. Do you take a chance? You have been burned before. Your mouth waters, your stomach rumbles. Yes, one more chance. You select one and take a bite. 

Jelly filled. 

Yuck. 

Spit or swallow? 

Being the lady you are, you swallow it down, and toss the rest. 

Try another or give up? 

Who am I kidding? It’s CHOCOLATE. 

I’m sure there is a chocolate, nut, caramel, toffee, nougat, crispy, coconut filled one somewhere.

What is your favorite sweet? 

Devoted, New book by Emery Skye. Don't miss it!

Cowboys, Sex, and Zombies

*NO NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT ANYONE. 

Cowboys, Sex, and Zombies

I just returned from the 31^st Roy Rogers Festival in Portsmouth Ohio. I’m feeling a bit jet legged, even though we drove and it’s in the same time zone.

Traveling by car is rough especially when you’re stuck in the back seat next to a guitar and a B-Western look a like!

Cindy Smith, Poker Alice, Fuzzy Q Jones, Lynn Hubbard

However getting there is the half the fun! We stopped off for numerous photo and potty breaks. I picked up some souvenirs in Renfro Valley, KY. Fuzzy discovered what a corn cob was used for and I bought Frank some blue balls marbles.

I’ve been to many Western Festival’s but this was my first trip to visit Roy. The closer we got to Ohio the more, the real world slipped away behind us. Cindy even lost cell phone coverage the entire week.

Now some people don’t believe in Cowboy World. And I feel sorry for those that don’t. Cowboy World is a wondrous place where you can hang out with Tonto and the Lone Ranger. Get a hug from Gabby Hayes or Lash Larue.

Gabby Hayes

Now these names may not mean much to some, but to western fans, their hearts beat a little faster. I am still learning names and meeting new folks. 

Dan Haggerty

You never know WHO you will meet in Cowboy World. For instance GRIZZLY ADAMS, Dan Haggerty has a heart of pure gold, and collected for the Angel Flight Charity. He was joined by Russ McCubbins, a Hollywood staple, and Darby Hinton rumored to be the President of Texas (Texas Rising 2015).

Fuzzy, Steve the Ice Cream Man, Scott Haggard, Dustin Lowery, Cindy Smith, Jim Damron

Even just hanging out in our hotel we ran into Scott Haggard, Merle Haggard’s son! Scott was performing at the Ohio Opry House and was forced willingly came up to Frank’s room and sang a few songs. Cindy grabbed anyone with a cowboy hat to join us.

Frank Palas, The Concrete Cowboy

We took a break and snuck off to the cemetery with Cowboy Jim. No better place to find history. Jim showed us the resting place for Roy’s relatives, a somber experience that touched even the coldest of hearts.

At dinner one evening I sat with Jim, Don, Poker Alice and Jeremy Ambler. Jeremy is also an actor, he has played several zombies including the Popular “The Walking Dead" series. He kept us entertained with his zombie poses and details of his latest film. Child of God.

Jeremy Ambler

Child of God was adapted from a book and contains death and necrophilia. Not everyone was as enthused as I was. Perhaps because we were eating at the time? Poor Poker Alice will remember that conversation for the rest of her life. Having worked in medical for many years, blood, guts and gore does not bother me. Real or fake.

To say the least, I was very intrigued. As I am, about anything involving sex. That is my job after all. To transport people back in time, to the Old West. Mix in some history with brave women and strong men. Of course my books aren’t all about sex. They have romance, humor, shootin', killin', and justice! Something for everyone! In fact I did have a lot of cowboys buying copies this trip!

Russ McCubbin,  Jim Evans, Cindy Smith

The musical performances were wonderful. I really enjoyed how Cindy and Fuzzy stretched the truth abit about our trip to Texas. I mean, they did make it back alive right? And I’m sure with some therapy they will be able to move on.

Jon Patterson, Dodie Rogers, Jane Lilly

Dodie Rogers (Roy and Dale Rogers Daughter) and family were a pleasure as always. Her husband, Jon Patterson, kept us on track and entertained throughout the Festival. Jon and Jim Evans played well into the night, along with Cindy Smith and Greg Kish with his little guitar. It was a phenomenal night!

Jim Damron, Cindy Smith, Don Ellis (Photo By Eva Dodridge Robbins)

I also discovered my affinity for mudslides.

But alas, Cowboy World does not last forever. And as it slowly fades from my memory, I’m marking my calendar for next year!

Happy Trails!

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