Ophthello (Book) - 10/25/2017 11:10:07 AM
Can you please elaborate more on what caused your sense of confusion in the first part of the book? Was it the process of jumping from the background story to support the paranormal basis of the story, into the main character's story?
Ophthello (Book) - 10/24/2017 4:48:15 PM
I had a very difficult time getting into the book and it was honestly a bit confusing at first. once I got into it, it became interesting.
The Attic (Book) - 11/30/2010 1:58:40 PM
Melva,
Congratulations on your new book. May it sell well.
Thurman
Libby's Ashes (Book) - 10/6/2010 9:39:14 AM
Melva Henderson's Libbys Ashes is a book well worth reading. I had no idea that I would enjoy reading the book as much I did. Her characters are believeable and she allows you to see their personalities and the workings of their minds as they interact with each other in interesting ways. There are a variety of unexpected twists and turns in the story as her characters experience unforseen events. The central focus of her story is the undying love of an elderly man for his recently deceased wife, Libby. Oscar had made the promise to her that he would scatter her ashes in the area where they had shared so much of themselves with each other. They had spent much time in the mountains and forest, enjoying the lakes and the streams and drinking in the joys of nature. Keeping his promise was Oscars all consuming purpose. The outcome of the collective experiences of her cast of characters is both sad and also uplifting as Melva with great sensitivity shows the low and high points of human existence.
Thurman L Faison
Thoughts (Short Story) - 9/5/2018 2:42:31 AM
A "thoughtful" poem. So often, thoughts can be fleeting. If you're a writer you need to jot them down before they escape the mind.
Pets (Short Story) - 2/10/2018 10:40:08 AM
I really enjoyed this, my wife and I have four dogs, a cat and birds that have adopted us, the love abounds in our home as well
Pets (Short Story) - 2/7/2018 5:17:03 AM
Pets enrich our lives so much
enjoyed the read
Pets (Short Story) - 2/5/2018 7:55:16 AM
You certainly have a wonderful recollection and amazing stories about the animals that have "owned you" over the years. Tiffany sounds more like a cat than a dog, using up so many lives. Pets certainly are like children with their own idiosyncrasies and unique behavior, just like children in the family. And they can be as endearing.
As I read you made me think about the pets in my life. There's a picture I have of my twin brother and I at about four or five with each of us holding identical black cats. While I remember our little rat terrier, Rags, very well, I don't remember any cats that we had that age. My mother didn't like cats until a kitten, also called Blackie, appeared when my younger twin brothers wanted to, "Can we keep it!" Of course mom did, and many cats that followed him.
My own experience with my adopted Pomeranian, Jazz, is posted here under, Jazz's Death. He was a wonderful little buddy. So easy to train. And seemed to know what I wanted, simply by my asking.
Ron
Pets (Short Story) - 2/5/2018 1:56:10 AM
I enjoyed reading your story as one of my cats naps in her perch by the window.
No Looking Back (Short Story) - 1/23/2018 8:12:47 AM
Heart wrenching, indeed! How someone can be so cruel to their own children is beyond me. I am fortunate to have a mother, still alive at 93, while she's had problems with her only daughter, taking care of her now, has treated us all with equal love.
I'm surprised your mother lasted so long. I'm told that we can survive only about four days without water and three weeks without food. So she probably was drinking some and eating something. One of my greatest fears is pressure sores. I have already had the start of some from bad wheelchair seat cushions. I have had to be turned in bed for 25 years. I'm supposed to be turned every half hour, but my caregivers often go three hours if I sleep that long.
I was told that my great uncle died because he stopped eating. But he was 98 and probably just tired of living.
Ron
No Looking Back (Short Story) - 1/23/2018 7:57:30 AM
very sad indeed
No Looking Back (Short Story) - 1/23/2018 2:43:13 AM
Your heart wrenching story was a hard pill to swallow.
In the Dragon's Breath (Short Story) - 1/14/2018 8:16:58 AM
For those answers you'll have to read the book Ron! :-)
In the Dragon's Breath (Short Story) - 1/14/2018 8:12:21 AM
Very intense. In fact, so intense that it makes me wonder how it was survivable. How the horse survived when Doni was having so much trouble even with the Nomex cover. If her exposed hands were burned, I believe Shiloh and Ginger were badly burned, too.
Makes me wonder why she waited so long to leave. I realize those firestorms move very fast, but getting out of the way of them can be done in most cases with enough warning.
Ron
In the Dragon's Breath (Short Story) - 1/14/2018 6:34:02 AM
exciting and dramatic in the way you have penned this
In the Dragon's Breath (Short Story) - 1/14/2018 2:43:58 AM
A riveting segment filled with realistic description.
In the Dragon's Breath (Short Story) - 1/13/2018 7:40:55 PM
Well written. Applause.
My fear of drowning is almost as great as smoke inhalation. Either way, you can't breathe.
Keep writing.
The Forest Ablaze! (Short Story) - 1/13/2018 12:52:28 PM
Your are right Ron! That's another mistake I didn't catch. Striped instead of stripped. Thank you! I also agree that tank rather than receptacle is a better choice of words. Even though it is already published, I will make those corrections.
The Pratt & Whitney jets are affixed to the wing for boost, exactly.
“Neptune has been operating the P2V air tankers for 24 years. Many pilots and warbird fans enjoy flying, seeing, or hearing the aircraft and the throaty roar of its two 18-cylinder radial engines. When extra power is needed during takeoff or after a 2,000-gallon drop to climb out of a canyon it can enlist the help of two small jet engines farther out on the wings.” (Fireaviation.com)
The Forest Ablaze! (Short Story) - 1/13/2018 11:23:36 AM
You sure built in a lot of adventure… And danger into this portion of the story.
I know it's already published, but a couple of things bother me. I prefer just to use tank rather than receptacle for the retardant. I know the Lockheed P2V has radial Curtis Wright engines, but doesn't have added Pratt & Whitney jet engines? Are they only for "boosting" takeoffs?
Finally, I think it is striped rather than stripped… ;-)
Ron
The Forest Ablaze! (Short Story) - 1/13/2018 7:59:13 AM
I wait for the next one
Up, Up, and away! (Short Story) - 1/11/2018 10:29:53 AM
It appears from your note at the end that taking Libby's ashes on a balloon flight will turn into a harrowing adventure. Probably because of the bad landing or landing in an inaccessible place that requires them to work together to get out of it.
Your descriptions both fleshed out the characters a bit and describe the balloon's operation and ascent quite well. There were some repeating of certain words that could've been avoided and some over description of simple movement, but otherwise, we could have been riding along.
I've never flown in a gondola like that, so I didn't know they had seats and seatbelts around the perimeter of the gondola. As it has been explained to me, at different altitudes, the wind may be flowing in different directions, enabling some ability to steer by going to these levels.
Ron
Up, Up, and away! (Short Story) - 1/11/2018 1:45:24 AM
I drifted during your flight...
Breakthrough (Short Story) - 1/9/2018 8:50:11 AM
From your long list of books and the vivid descriptions in this chapter, it is obvious that you are an accomplished writer. You didn't state any comment about the story, so I had to go back to the Maggie Trilogy brief descriptions to get a framework from where this chapter came from. That was a big help to me.
From that reading, I gather that this is Maggie at her lowest point. While the chapter would seem to indicate that she possibly would die from cold, lack of water, or starve to death, logically in that order, the title, Breakthrough, was that the shock of her condition brought her out of her amnesia so that she could begin rebuild her life.
If I was a reader of many books, which I am not, I would certainly read your trilogy as a result of this chapter. I will not promise to read any of them now. I've promised too many others here already.
Ron
Breakthrough (Short Story) - 1/9/2018 3:05:22 AM
so well described with fine imagery
Breakthrough (Short Story) - 1/9/2018 2:22:55 AM
Your story about Maggie is filled with vivid imagery.
Tasks Undone (Short Story) - 1/8/2018 8:14:30 AM
This article, not story, speaks to the procrastinators of this world. I believe there's a difference between procrastinators who may eventually get to the task and finish it and those that start things without any intention of ever finishing. They are the messiest of all.
Probably the most damaging are those that don't finish school. Followed by those who have expensive projects (build a boat, start a business, frame off renovation of a car, etc.) and then never finish, leaving the mess for someone else to complete or junk.
I personally have books that I have started and probably won't complete. But, anything physical that I have set out to do, I have completed in record time in my life. My doctorate, design and build a house, learn how to make a website, and many other projects.
Ron
Tasks Undone (Short Story) - 1/8/2018 1:25:58 AM
You're far more tolerant than I'd ever be! I commend your attitude.
Mischief (Short Story) - 12/9/2017 2:23:23 AM
Best wishes with 'Mischief'...
Mischief (Short Story) - 12/8/2017 7:41:25 AM
Ron, a raccoon can and has been trained as a pet. They are clever critters. They have been known to pick the locks on their cages, and the antics in my book are true to the animal's character.
https://www.amazon.com/Mischief-Reigns-Melva-J-Henderson/dp/1456496247/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1512751668&sr=8-1&keywords=mischief+reigns%2C+melva+henderson
Learning to Let it Go (Article) - 2/1/2018 11:10:58 AM
I can see why your husband would blame himself. But I'm so glad that you all recovered from your burns, especially you and your daughter. When I was young, we had tragedies, too, like the time we went on a picnic and dad rolled the car over with two families inside including two babies. Fortunately, although we all rolled around inside the car with no seatbelts, only a friend broke her arm.
It appears that you may have suffered somewhat, too, otherwise why would you write as, "Ramblings of a Madwoman?" ;-)
After I was paralyzed in surgery, I kept my spirits up, let go of any negative thoughts and was determined to succeed as a, "normal," person without a disability. But as the years passed, I gradually lost function, and found that more and more I was being turned away for being "unable." Finally, I decided to become active in disability issues. It is now interesting to see that I have succeeded well in my life and lived longer than many of my 20-year-old contemporaries who could no longer consider me being a part of their circles after I was paralyzed.
Ron
Learning to Let it Go (Article) - 1/31/2018 3:35:33 PM
Wow! That is a tough situation to deal with.I can't say I would be much different. At least you have been a good wife for telling him to let it go. It would be terrible if he already felt bad and the family still blamed him. Keeping busy and active with church activities and helping others who are less fortunate seems to help keep our minds off our own woes. We all have our regrets but there may be a blessing in the curse.
Peace, love, and blessings to you and your family. John Mihael
Nature Entertaining Me (Article) - 1/31/2018 1:41:55 AM
I enjoyed your article. Now I know geese are not just annoying when they quack!
Nature Entertaining Me (Article) - 1/30/2018 4:30:09 PM
Ron,
We have a multitude of different birds that inhabit our area. Being so near the large pond, we have a variety of waterfowl; Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, the smaller Green Heron, Black Crowned Night Heron, American Bittern, Ring Necked Duck and a variety of other ducks, including mallards and Teals. We often see eagles as well as osprey. The most colorful birds we see at the feeder are the Rufus Sided Towhee, Tanager, House Finch, various colors of Grosbeak, and of course the rascal blue jay (not the Stellar Jay). We often see a variety of birds that migrate through, such as Orioles. We have a variety of birds from sparrows, Oregon Junco, wrens, finch, Western Blue bird, Lazuli Bunting, and of course several varieties of hummingbirds. The Redwing Black Birds sing from the maple tree in our back yard and that sends our little terrier into a barking frenzy; I think she assumes they are laughing at her. The Yellow-billed Magpie also gets her going as do the abundance of buzzards that fly overhead. We also have wild turkey in abundance. We have a local herd of resident deer, years ago there were 37 in the herd but I can imagine the herd has multiplied since we took count. One doe in particular gave birth to twins on our property each spring before we fenced. Another doe throws twins each year, one of normal coloration and one an albino. As a result we have a number of albino; all different in various shades from champagne to white of various ages. We also have fox, coyote, raccoon, opossum, porcupine, and an occasional bear and mountain lion. Living in a rural area allows to commune with nature and I love it.
Nature Entertaining Me (Article) - 1/30/2018 7:52:29 AM
We have different birds in our bird feeder than you. One pair of Cardinals that come momentarily and then leave and one, sometimes two, bluejays that are the greedy ones. But mostly we have a pack of messy sparrows and have had exotics like parakeets and whydahs (Africa), finches and warblers. We also get wrens and our resident mockingbird that seem disinterested in the birdfeeder. Finally, one squirrel that can't reach the feeder, because if he could, he would eat all of the seeds.
Our yard is St. Augustine grass that survives the summer and part of the winter quite well. But our birdfeeder and the birds have replanted the entire yard in a variety of grasses that do well in different seasons.
We had a rookery of cattle egrets (India) that occupied some vacant, wooded lots a block away, creating an influx of much wildlife, including black bottomed whistling ducks that visited my yard with their ducklings twice one summer… See these videos.
http://ronhullauthor.com/streams/Territorial-Cardinal-11-29-03.m4v
http://ronhullauthor.com/streams/cattleegretsbroadband.mov
http://ronhullauthor.com/streams/Possum-Babies-4-17-07.m4v
Yes, nature can be very entertaining! I wish we had your birds as well.
Ron
When Comes Justice (Article) - 1/22/2018 12:39:23 PM
Yes, trying to get this case reopened by using your article as an op-ed certainly does sound like one way to go. You could also try to contact crime magazines, websites, etc., even Court TV if it is still on the air, to see if they would publish your article and help take up the investigation. Even hiring a private investigator might help.
The distance you are from where the crime was committed is certainly a problem. I had a theft from my car in a snow bank only 100 miles from where I lived at the time. I had a way to help the local police locate a car that I suspected driven by a very suspicious individual. The car was new and I thought checking out the local Chevrolet dealerships might help me find the guy. But from where I was living I couldn't follow through.
Another concern is, if he does have some kind of pull, is that he will get out of prison and commit other crimes. Last week a prominent couple here in Houston were murdered in their home. The three robber assailants executed them but were caught by surveillance cameras. The lead murderer, had been sentenced to 30 years in prison, but was paroled in 3 years four months ago.
Ron
When Comes Justice (Article) - 1/21/2018 5:44:06 PM
Your story is so well written that I got chills reading it. Truth is, good always triumphs over evil. I agree with the fact that your nephew's murderer will have to account for his actions one day, even if not until the hereafter. To that end, he WILL NOT go Scott free as he will have to answer to his Maker. In as much as forgiveness frees the forgiver, first and foremost, it must be incredibly difficult for your family, but forgiving does not require forgetting.
Your account of what happened in the justice system is also haunting. Unfortunately it happens all too often as courts fail to deliver justice and investigators walk away from cases for various reasons. I have the sense that you are correct about the murderers last name being influential. Perhaps sharing this article directly with the local justice system or as an op-ed may lead to reopening his case...
Your writing is truly engaging and provides the reader with a mystery that needs to be solved and resolved. Well done!
Stirring the Hornets Nest (Article) - 1/15/2018 8:43:10 AM
First, I like that name of the character, Secorski, actually sounds like a producer or director. Based on his character, perhaps you should have called him Sickorsky. The casting couch is probably more a reality than a figment of fictional titillation. On the other side, I believe many women have used sex to move ahead in their careers. It was rumored that our former president of the University, fired and indicted for misuse of funds, worked her way through the board members to get ahead. In one meeting I was in with her she sat to my left and put her hand on my left thigh affectionately.
As for your own experience, today's concern about denied and swept under the rug incidents like yours, goes back thousands of years and it is certainly time that abuse like this ends. Your biography and many other stories revealed can only help bring about positive change. I think his own abuse will bring our pompous president down. It's taken far too long. We need to leave those good old days behind.
Ron
Stirring the Hornets Nest (Article) - 1/14/2018 3:28:26 PM
Melva Henderson's article 'Stirring the Hornet's Nest' is both poignant and well-written, and gets right to the heart of the matter of sexual harassment and sexual assault. I fully agree that the Harvey Weinsteins of this world need to be exposed and dealt with rather than society looking at their victims with contempt. Perhaps revealing these derelicts publicly will be a good deterrent for other sexual predators, acting as a safety net for potential victims.
Like Melva, I, too experienced sexual assault as a young child, something I shared in my new book, From Broken to Blest: Embracing the Healing that Awaits You. Such incidents of childhood trauma can and often do negatively affect people well into adulthood and may be the cause of depression, PTSD and some neuro-autoimmune conditions, which often go hand-in-hand. Hats off to Melva for breaking the silence, opening frank discussion on this tough topic, and helping others to heal through sharing her experiences.
Self Published Authors (Article) - 1/13/2018 1:39:17 PM
I agree with you 100%. We are all authors here. One of the primary purpose of this site is collaboration. I don't think that praise alone without correction is appropriate in the hard business of publishing work for general readership.
Like you, as I read, I note errors that writers make that would embarrass them if they knew that thousands might be reading these errors and laughing. I make them, too. We all do. Even more so when you use a voice dictation system like I do that throws in the wrong word from what I spoke. We need all the help we can get. While I was a college professor that read a lot of papers and corrected them as well as graded them, I have never been an editor or proofer. In my brief encounters with professional editors, I find that they try to turn my writing into something else more akin to their way of thinking than mine. Authors of novels have often had this problem with screenwriters and directors that change their best-selling stories into something else.
On the other hand, we can all use proofers. I have been fortunate to have someone proof for me all of my work recently. It is a godsend.
Melva, I encourage you to go ahead and help writers here write better with your keen sense of proofing. Many authors are in great need of it. I also agree with you that authors who don't like constructive criticism are full of themselves or they may be hiding from a poor English education that they don't want anyone to know about.
Ron
Fog (Poetry) - 2/2/2018 4:03:13 PM
The fog may come in on little cat feet, but I prefer your "silken thread," Melva. Your lovely poem conjures up so many images and feelings. It's absolutely splendid!
Fog (Poetry) - 1/31/2018 5:39:54 AM
A truly beautiful and enchanting piece of writing...
i shall see Fog in a new light from now onwards...
Your descriptions are so original and enigmatic...
Best wishes...
Diana...
Fog (Poetry) - 1/29/2018 2:25:13 PM
a little visit to your page and I enjoyed Thank you, never knew fog could be beautiful , but you made it so.
Fog (Poetry) - 1/26/2018 11:39:09 AM
This is beautifully written and so descriptive, thank you for sharing Melva, have a great day.
Fog (Poetry) - 1/26/2018 8:52:19 AM
A nearly epic poem to fog. Oh my! You certainly covered every little nuance of this ethereal mist that magically appears and disappears obscuring our senses while it does.
Ron
Fog (Poetry) - 1/26/2018 2:14:50 AM
A beautiful poem taking fog to an epic level in contrast to Carl Sandberg. Your Old World vibe added dimension.
Indifference (Poetry) - 1/24/2018 11:05:35 AM
I think that human nature is generally good. But people feel powerless when they see the new channeled live from the very worst that takes up more than coverage of the very best. So they may be indifferent to the large things happening in still in their own small spheres of influence help set things straight.
Ron
The Quilt (Poetry) - 1/23/2018 8:47:25 PM
As seasons change, nature replaces one pattern with the next. Winter's quilt is warm with fringes. I can see the patterns in my mind.
Indifference (Poetry) - 1/23/2018 8:33:35 PM
Yes, we should all choose this option.
Indifference (Poetry) - 1/23/2018 8:04:18 AM
I choose it
Tapestry of Autumn (Poetry) - 1/21/2018 8:42:09 AM
A beautiful display of the tapestry that is autumn. So beautiful that only a photograph can really truly capture its nuance. The one color you missed is green. There is nothing like the splash of yellow from an aspen or scarlet of a maple peeking out between the green of stately white pine whose color seems to become sharper autumn turns to winter.
Ron
Tapestry of Autumn (Poetry) - 1/21/2018 7:46:03 AM
Autumn is a beautiful time of year, thank you
Serinade to a Sandpiper (Poetry) - 11/22/2017 1:51:24 PM
excellent, you have captured the essence so well
never stop writing!
m
Dew (Poetry) - 11/13/2017 7:07:58 PM
Nature rewards us with ever-changing colors and fantasies. We only to need to stop and watch and listen.
Dew (Poetry) - 11/4/2017 6:07:35 AM
A beautiful, almost reverent sight to behold.
Dew (Poetry) - 11/4/2017 2:11:30 AM
my fav of early dew comes when the cold drives little spiders to ground and the orb weavers leave their gorgeous bedazzle webs out along the pasture fence
DIAMONDS they are!!
Never stop writing!
m
Dew (Poetry) - 11/2/2017 7:24:44 AM
beautifully said, I love the early morning while the dew is still there
Dew (Poetry) - 11/2/2017 5:49:37 AM
There is hardly anything more pleasant than dew. And your poem celebrates that. Whole species rely on dew as their only source of water.
Ron
Dew (Poetry) - 11/1/2017 5:14:00 PM
I like walking barefoot on grass wet with dew, and I love dew on a spider's web. It really brings out the beauty and intricacies of the web's design.
Dew (Poetry) - 11/1/2017 12:42:07 PM
Just beautiful. I can taste and feel the dew. Than you!
The Quilt (Poetry) - 10/30/2017 2:53:57 PM
enjoyed the read
i like the lyrical quality of your poem
Never stop Writing!!
m
The Quilt (Poetry) - 10/29/2017 10:18:20 PM
Your poem gives one a warm feeling of the time of the seasons. It was worth more than one go around. For if one reads it more than once it makes smiles for miles around. Well done!
The Quilt (Poetry) - 10/29/2017 8:27:04 PM
The perpetual motion of the seasons and what they tell us in this fine poem.
The Quilt (Poetry) - 10/29/2017 4:15:51 AM
What a beautiful way to describe the seasons! One of the best I've ever read. You have a real way with words.
Ron
Serinade to a Sandpiper (Poetry) - 9/27/2017 8:33:44 PM
Loved the poem and I love the bird too. It's amazing how they dash away so fast when the water gets a little too close. Thank you for sharing!
Serinade to a Sandpiper (Poetry) - 9/26/2017 8:53:53 AM
You have captured that dance so well in this silly little poem. Actually, that bobbing is probably very productive as a sandpiper catches his delicate lunch from the cascading waves. Probably small animals like plankton that we can even see but the bird's sharp eyes and quick action easily find and catch.
I particularly like how they seem to race the waves on their very fast feet.
Ron
Serinade to a Sandpiper (Poetry) - 9/25/2017 9:02:49 AM
Heh.Heh This poem made me think of The Big Bopper of "Chantilly Lace" frame . . . I visualized him bobbing up and down . . .
https://youtu.be/4b-by5e4saI
