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Late Summer Days
Cruising Down Highway 89
Can transport you to more Vintage Days.
Next time you go, take a bit of cash and hunt for peaches.
Oh, how a Utah peach drips down your face with deliciousness.
Fair warning:
If you eat a Willard, Perry, or Brigham City Peach, you will never be the same!
Enjoy a story about love in Wild Places
“Wild Places”
Visit: reddawnpublishers.com/shortstories/
Visit our Fiction/Short Story page to read our latest:
Enjoy a story about love in Wild Places.
The Sun in the Fall
Have you noticed how the SUN feels so warm and comforting in The FALL? Does it suggest that no matter how many times we stumble and fall, we can always get up again and journey on to our destination?
“A Lift For the Spirit in These Difficult Days.”
I wanted to write something to lift people’s spirits in these difficult days. Visit our Journey’s page to read this uplifting message.
Find the link on our home page or visit: https://reddawnpublishers.com/journeys-2/
HYDRANGEAS BLOOM IN MY FORGOTTEN PLACES
I’ve moved a lot. I’ve lived in more than 34 places!
In almost every house I’ve lived in as an adult,
I’ve planted Hydrangeas.
It makes me happy to think about
all those beautiful plants
blooming in a place
I could not stay.
ARE YOU IN A BOX?
Come visit our JOURNEY’S page to read the latest article:
“Are You In A Box?”
IN HIGH SCHOOL, I was humiliated before the entire school. I was running for Sophomore Class Secretary, and my opponent made a cruel joke about me in her campaign speech.
She had one of the “popular” boys in school hold a tape measure up to her as she began her speech. She said that her opponent didn’t “measure up”. As I was inches taller than she was, I didn’t understand what she meant until her friend held the measuring tape around her bust line.
He leaned into the microphone and said, “Her opponent definitely doesn’t measure up!” Everyone in the auditorium knew exactly what he meant.
The roar of laughter from the entire student body still rings in my ears. After such a public moment of humiliation, you might think my social standing at East Side High School would have remained in the dumps, but I was rescued from total social annihilation by a knight in shining armor.
Hop over to our Journey’s Page to read more about my knight in shining armor.
#BLACK LIVES MATTER!
A River of Love
Visit the poetry page for our latest poem.
Get there fast by clicking the link button on the home page.
2-26-2019
“Rekindled”
Visit the poetry page for our latest poem.
Get there fast by clicking the link button on the home page.
I’m sorry to have neglected my blog during this last year. But sometimes, we have to go into survival mode when the pain goes too deep.
New and exciting things will be coming to RedDawn this year, with the publication of our first book!
Be on the lookout for more information.
In the meantime, you might want to check out the new poem on the poetry page underneath the fiction heading. It’s titled, “Rekindled.”
Sometimes, it takes a bit of fresh air to rekindle a waning fire.
2-28-2018
In this image, I love the way Grandpa and Dad show Junior the way. I too have been shown the way–studying with many great professors at Brigham Young University and Cal State Los Angeles. I’ve also been mentored by some great friends, like Gail Smith, Rufus ZaeJoDaeus, Jean Paul Parrish, and last but not least my wonderful sister Lisa Sofia Robinson. Their guidance in technique and their inspirational spirits have brought me to this place. Sometimes, I think we’re all like little kids looking for those kind hearts, who will lead the way.
“IN OUR FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS”
2-26-2018
I’ve been busy writing and painting. Two novels ready for the editors. Whoo Hoo!
I’m taking off some time to work on some paintings. This one takes us to the Northern Rockies. A storm bears down upon the scene; and yet, a warm ray of sun breaks through the chill. It’s the rays of light that keep us going through difficult times. Even on a stormy day peace may be found.
“WEATHERING THE STORM”
Email for purchase information: reddawnpublishers@gmail.com
7-26-2017
BRAVE SOULS
Twice in my life, brush fires have come within yards of my backyard.
Any man or woman who is ready to take on fire walks tall in my book.
Many thanks to these BRAVE SOULS.
05-19-2017
CHERRY BLOSSOMS
Is there Anything more Lovely than a Row of Cherry Blossoms?
When I was a little girl I lived for a time in a country home.
Beside us was an overgrown cherry orchard–lovely and neglected–
The perfect place for a girl and her dog to have an adventure.
It was the most romantic place I knew.
It lit a spark within my girlish imagination.
It will always be one of the most magical places that exist in my head.
For it’s been chopped down, and is no longer there,
But it lingers within my memory.
04-10-2017
A Breath of Spring
After a long and death brushing illness,
It’s so great to feel a renewal of health.
How fitting it should arrive with the spring!
11-02/2016
A TOUCH OF GOLD
FOR YOUR DAY
I love the fall
when winter stays
a whisper away,
and the days arrive
all crisp and bright.
10-19-2016
Want to thank The League of Utah Writers
for the kind encouragement,
in bestowing this award for my short story,
“The Union”
If you want to check out the tale,
it’s on the fiction/short stories page.
Hope you enjoy!
7/22/2016
I HAD A VISION OF
THE SHAPE OF THE UNIVERSE
Come visit our “Journeys” page
to read the latest article on The Universe!
6/23/2016
JUNE GLOOM?
How is it that June “Gloom” can be so beautiful?
Here are a few images of a Rainy Day in The Rockies.
5/26/2016
THE FINAL EPISODE IS HERE!
FREE SERIAL-MERIDIAN ROAD-SEASON TWO
PRIVATE PROPERTY
Also, if you enjoyed the short story, “The Union”, you may enjoy reading the revised version. Shout out to the League of Utah Writers, who encouraged me in this rewrite. Thanks guys!
3/9/2016
Home For Christmas
I have to thank all those who have hung in there with Series Two of “Meridian Road”. . .
The wait has been long, and the episode is short, but hope you enjoy!
11/24/2015
WHY I WRITE:
It’s a wave of words crashing in my brain.
I write them down, so I can feel
the rush of riding on top of the surge.
11/12/2015
Why does everything taste sweeter
When it’s on the street
Or eaten ripe in fresh air?
11/11/2015
I love Seattle!
The trees and the buildings
draw my gaze toward the sky.
The sun is more precious there.
You run outside and
join your neighbors in the cul-de-sac
when it deigns to peek
its head around the clouds.
10/12/2015
DIVINE WEEDS
Isn’t it amazing how a little sun
can make a mere weed
become a thing of beauty?
10/5/2015
THE GOLDEN FALL
In the Fall the Earth
turns golden for an hour.
Gold gleams in all its glory,
and then it falls.
9/30/2015
ON GETTING LOST
I love getting lost in
A Field of Flowers . . .
It helps me remember
that sunshine can warm me,
and the scents of botanicals
snatch me up in life.
7/20/2015
WILD PLACES
Sometimes, it seems
Mother Nature
has scissors for hands.
I love the quiet, balanced
Beauty in these
Wild Desert Places.
7/13/2015
SUNSET
Every Sunset holds a
Promise of Peace
6/8/2015
LAYERS
Experiencing a loss can sometimes present layers of emotions. Like the bark on a tree trunk, I can have a multitude of feelings and thoughts wrapping rings around my heart and mind. My Growth depends on the Living Water. Without the Living Water I will decline into decay.
Christ is the Living Water. The Holy Spirit beams the Light of truth and understanding, bringing growth unto my soul. These two deities offer the source of my nourishment. The words of their holy prophets reveal God’s love for me. Digesting these sacred words gives a comforting respite for my soul.
Christ’s Love is the Balm that will
Keep my Broken Heart
from Breaking Down.
5/30/2015
RIBBONS OF MAJESTY
I Love to see
The Ribbons of Majesty,
which exist just beyond
the commonplace.
5/28/2015
BEATEN BY STORMS
Do you ever feel a bit
beaten by life’s storms?
Don’t worry!
You are still a thing of Beauty!
5/21/2015
SOUND LOGIC
Sound Logic is a
Ribbon of Reason in
the Deserts of Thought.
5/5/2015
HIGH PLACES
I Dream of High Places.
4/11/2015
BIRD OF PARADISE
This flower stops me in my tracks.
It’s a reminder to slow down.
Flowers are amazing!
4/7/2015
DESERT BLOSSOMS
Has a hidden heartache left
you feeling all prickles and thorns?
In the desert, a few tears
help the cactus bloom!
3/27/2015
SUNSHINE
In case Winter’s Chill is
holding onto your Soul,
Here is a bit of Sunshine and
a Honey Bee to warm your Heart.
3/26/2015
FACEBOOK FRIENDS
Welcome to all NEW FRIENDS
who have found me on FACEBOOK!
I am @
facebook.com/reddawnpublishers
3/22/2015
MYSTERY
A couple days ago, I snapped this picture of a flower. I do not know what it’s called. It is a mystery to me.*
For some of us life is a mystery. Some of us have never been able to figure out what game is being played at any given time, let alone how to join in the game at the right moment and in the right way to play it well.
Truth is the only thing that has ever made any sense to me. I know that somewhere out there this flower has a scientific name, but is that the only truth about this flower? If I give it a name of my choosing, is it any less real, or any less beautiful?
Knowing the name, having that phrase opens the gates toward understanding, but that is not the end of the journey is it? Some kind of existence is deeper and richer than the truth of a simple label no matter how rich and sweet. The word it is a finite thing.
* A FRIEND informed me this is a type of MAGNOLIA blossom. She and her family call it the TULIP TREE! I love that!
3/16/2015
PUTTIN’ ON THE GREEN
Episode 2 of “MERIDIAN ROAD” (Season 2) is here!
Visit our Fiction/Serials Page
3/14/2015
TO BE A FRIEND
I have a friend, who once called me to say: “You have opened a whole new world for me! I used to choose friends based on people who were like me. If they were too different from me, I would not consider them as a potential friend. Then you came into my life, and I realized that you did not feel uncomfortable if your friends were different from you. In fact, their differences are the very things you celebrate!”
She went on to explain that she had been socializing more with people she would never have considered for friendship before she met me. She said she had learned that the world is full of many interesting people!
After all, it is our differences that make us unique!
3/8/2015
Season Two has begun!
Discover: MERIDIAN ROAD
SEASON TWO
Episode 1
MOONRISE
Visit our Fiction-Serials Page for “MOONRISE”
3/7/2015
BLUE SKIES
In case life’s storms are getting you down,
here’s a bit of blue skies to cheer you!
3/4/2015
Going through my summer photos today. Found this.
Hope you enjoy!
THE GRAND TETONS
All the mountains of the earth are amazing and grand!
But the Rockies Do Rock!
2/26/2015
FEBRUARY SURPRISE
I turn around to find Snow
has fallen in the fields
when I did not see it fall.
Don’t you love a
February surprise!
2/24/2015
The New Serial is
!!COMING SOON!!
The new serial is percolating within my mind.
One thing has been decided:
The characters in
“Meridian Road” won’t be silent!
As they keep whispering to me,
they must have more stories to tell.
For more information:
Stay tuned :–)
2/19/2015
!!Come!!
Take a peek at the new short story:
“A HOME”
2/18/2015
Mulling around some ideas to make the website better. Be on the look out for some exciting changes coming soon!
2/10/2015
ON DREAMING
Sometimes, it may seem like we are flying solo in our dreaming. That doesn’t mean the view is not amazing!
2/5/2015
DISCOVER: “SNOW MELT“
FINAL EPISODE IN “MERIDIAN ROAD”
Check out the Serials Page under the Fiction Category.
It is finished! Hoorah, hoorah! “Meridian Road” was a fun experiment. I wrote the story on the fly without an outline. One of my friends asked me to please tell her who killed Jeremy. I told her that I would know about the same time she would know. Truth was, until the second to the last episode, I had not decided who did it!
Next time, I will probably make an outline, remove some of the stress off my shoulders!
Hope you enjoyed it. Would love to have your feedback!
2/2/2015
!!!Greetings from Zion!!!
Greetings from Zion! That is what we Utahns call the place where we live.
The word “Zion” means many things to many people.
To me it means dwelling in a place where the people are of one heart and one mind.
In other words, I desire to live peacefully and to have love in my heart for my neighbors.
That is why I am sending you wonderful readers my love!
I hope you have a beautiful day!!
1/31/2015
GREAT WHITE THRONE
Visited Zion’s National Park on an absolutely perfect 60 degree, January day. Oh, it was marvelous! As the day was waning, I stopped to snap a photo of THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.
Sweetheart was walking the little white bundle of fluff and joy, our Bijon. As I was taking the pics, something whispered, “Wait ten minutes.” I listened, and in those ten minutes the haze on the mountain dissipated. That’s when I snapped this cool pic.
It pays to listen to quiet whisperings!
12/28/2014
FUZZ & FUN
The Love of a Dog is one part Fuzz & nine parts Fun!
Our darling dog was sick this week. Reminded us how precious he is to us. Life is so fleeting. I must enjoy the ride!
Christmas spent with family: everyone picked an activity. My favorite day was the day we sat around listening to vintage LP’s and playing board games. A blast from the past! We were giggling and having the best time. My niece walked in the house and believed we were the very picture of a happy family. In the best of times, and even in the worst of times, Families are Wonderful! The love we share is beyond description. It is a love we have built together with a thousand choices to love and put each other’s happiness above our own selfish interests. There is nothing sweeter on this earth that the companionship of family and beloved friends. I thank God for the greatness of His wisdom. That is was in His design that we are ordered by families. It has sometimes seemed like a battle to build a happy home. Sometimes, it felt that I would surely loose the fight. But this week was a red-letter week.
The memory of the joy we shared is a precious one that I will carry with me forever.
12/14/2014
WHAT IS THAT GLORIOUS THING
BEHIND THE NOISE?
What is That Glorious Thing Behind the Noise?
On Friday night there was a beautiful sunset in Ogden. I snapped a quick pic from my car window. The patterns the telephone and electrical wires offered was so interesting. It captured my attention and caused me to give the poles and wires preeminence in the composition of the photograph I took.
Reflecting on this photo, I realize that often times in life, I am caught up by the vast amount of communications that fill my days. Between phone calls, emails, social media, the news, movies, television shows (the list goes on and on), I am inundated with information!
Sometimes, I forget to reflect upon spiritual things. The spiritual realm is always there. It is directly behind the vast amount of things with which I fill my days. It is so easy to focus all my attention on these other distractions, that I miss the glorious and beautiful display that is available for my spiritual eyes.
Father in Heaven spoke to prophets, he had these holy men write down His words. There exists a beautiful and glorious feast of spiritual information for my heart and mind. I have only to look a tiny bit farther, than I normally look to behold this glorious thing.
And then I realize, the spiritual realm has been there all the time, waiting for me to see!
12/04/2014
SITTING BY THE FIRE
It is warm here where the stories are told. It is a place to retreat for a moment or two. It is not the usual fare of flash and slight of hand. It is a warm voice whispering the parts that are too frightening to speak out loud. It is the slow and gentle sound of a story teller’s cadence as the story builds toward its climax. It is a denouement that leaves one with thoughts swirling around in one’s head.
11/29/2014
COZY DOG
Ah, the sound of the wind
on the rafters
and the dogs running fast
through the door
to escape the chill.
11/22/2014
THE EARTH IS A GIFT
Courtesy:
all-free-download.com
Coming into the holidays, we may ask ourselves, “Am I rushing into the season with no thought for the significance of what this celebrating is all about?”
The indigenous peoples of the Americas and the Polynesian Islands understood the truth: Nothing of this earth is ours. We do not own the mountains, the rivers, the trees, or the land beneath our feet. Our feet pass over the land quickly, and we leave but a shadow in our wake. It is the Great Spirit, or the God of us all, who is the master of this earth. We are simply stewards of this planet. We are its caretakers. And in the season following the harvest, in this nation of mine, we take a moment to give thanks.
We need not destroy a holiday because of ill gotten gains made by greedy leaders of the past. We need not throw away what is needful because of our fear of offending.
We may learn from the other inhabitants of this earth, past and living human beings. We need not make the same mistakes which others have made. We need not grasp for more than our share. The earth has plenty and to spare when we lay down our guns and hold out our hands to the downtrodden. We are brothers and sisters, all of us. When giving thanks it may help to embolden our hearts to remember that we have been given a great gift by our creator.
11/17/2014
ARE YOU DANCING?
If Poetry = Music, then writing Fantasy is like inviting someone to dance.
I once had a Scottish friend explain how a young man in Scotland asks a young woman to dance.
Young Man: “Are you dancing?”
Young Woman: “Are you asking?
Young Man: “I’m asking!”
Young Woman: “Then I’m dancing!”
Love it!
So, my friends, I’m asking: “Are You Dancing?”
10/31/2014
AUTUMN FALLING
A nasty cold sets in as the cold sets in, and I blow my nose at the seasons! As the greyness grows I feel even more cozy here by my fire. Tis the season for reading great books and baking goodies! I love October in its brilliance and color, and I try not to shudder as November breaths down my neck. November, the greyest month of the year here in the Mountains, sends me diving headfirst into the world of great fantasy novels and traditions of eating delectable foods. I am growing to love November more every year.
10/28/2014
OUR GARDENS
In the quiet beauty of a garden, we may see the imprint of a master gardener. It is a visionary man who designs it, and a humble man who gets his hands dirty, planting the seeds or saplings and dunging the earth to help the plants begin to grow. Hopefully, the God of heaven sends down sunshine and rain so that the plants may take root, and then the fortunate man may at last enjoy the fruits of these various labors. While these fruits of a physical garden may feed our physical bodies, each man and woman has an eternal soul, which is in need of a place to grow.
In our hearts and minds we may plant the seeds of our dreams and visions, but it takes getting our spiritual hands dirty before our hopes or visions of the eternities may begin to be planted. Life itself will offer the fertilizer that feeds the soil of our spirits.
Without seeking for spiritual knowledge, which descends as the dew from heaven, we cannot expect our spiritual lives to take root. Only with a mixture of time, labor, and sincere seeking for heavenly light and truth will we be able to bear fruit. And when at last if we are able to partake of God’s Love, this becomes a spiritual fruit. It is sweet and delightful to the taste.
Without being well fed we may fall victim to more than one death on this earth. For as there is a death of the body, there may be also a death to our spirits. Yes, it takes effort to grow our spiritual gardens, but the results may be a thing of real beauty! And when we sit back to enjoy the fruits of this harvest we will have our Lord and Master to thank or to praise for the overriding vision to design the miraculous outcome of our particular spiritual garden. This is a process that will last a lifetime. This is a process that will eventually increase our spiritual power! Ours is a small plot within the Master’s Garden, but if we grasp on tightly, we may swing heavenward on the vines of our prayers!!!
10/24/2014
OUR DREAMS
Sometimes, when we reach for our dreams, the universe plants a replacement in our lap. We stare at this impostorous thing and say to the powers in heaven, “Is this it? It this the best that I am getting?” Then we think, Maybe this is all that I deserve? If I were more, I would surely have earned more. As we begin to look at this thing in our hand a little more closely, we wonder, Could this imperfect thing be the answer I have been waiting for all along?
10/15/2014
MAKING HISTORY
Today I read about a man who spent his life as a historian. What a fascinating way to spend your life! History was one of the majors I had for a while in college. (Long story…)
It seems we can learn a lot about human nature when we look into the past. Looking into our family history is an amazing way to discover ourselves. When I searched through mine I found both saints, scoundrels, kings and paupers. I found it rather amazing that it may be a matter of a generation or two before the wealth of a kingdom may be squandered. And to think I can do that in an hour or two at a shopping mall!
Money and Kingdoms come and go like the tides, but if we are willing to learn them, impressive lessons from the past stick to us like glue.
My ancestry is filled with writers, judges, clergymen, queens, kings, and coal miners! Many were men and women who were not afraid to stand up and let their voices be heard. It seems this is the one constant that has carried through my lineage.
One of my direct ancestors was a Scotsman named Sir William Wallace, or Brave Heart as some have nicknamed him. Three generations up from me, on that same familial line, I bump into a mountain man, Daniel Webster Jones, the author of “Forty Years Among the Indians”. He has an amazing story too. If you can get your hands on a copy of his book, well, Louis L’amour, the famous novelist, said it was the best source material he ever found on the old American West. I’ve read it. Great-Great-Granddad did not mince words. He and I, along with countless other ancestors, have something in common. We are not afraid to speak our mind, come what may.
I have only one more thing to add, regarding you and me, and all those who will come after us: This is a great day to be making history!!
10/7/2014
LIFE IS PRECIOUS
Life is a precious thing. The days and hours I spend with loved ones are the rubies in my crowns. Life can also be fleeting. Sometimes, I want to hold on with both hands to try to slow it down. But that’s like sticking my hand out the window, and thinking I can control the speed of the moving automobile. I am happier to sit back, enjoy the wind between my fingers or toes, and flick off the occasional bug or two that smash into me.
9/27/2014
Today I lift the sword of truth. It is a flaming sword, to the dividing of both joint and marrow. It is a sword that purifies and purges the darkness from our hearts. It is a word, a phrase, a sentence that shakes the world! It comes with a burning. It whispers, it booms, but it never whimpers.
9/25/2014
Today was an auspicious day. My granddaughter came to this earth. As I chatted for the first time with her on the video chat phone, she smiled at me no less than six times! No one can tell me it was gas! I felt her beautiful spirit speaking with mine even over the internet and she recognized the sound of her nana’s voice! Does life get anymore joyous? Ahhhhhh!
9/22/2014
Technological Sea
Do you ever feel you are swimming under water in the technological sea? I am in over my head and the SEO booster sharks are circling! Back links are good and back links can destroy you . . . It is all so confusing!
How do we emerging writers survive in this new age? Will our words rise to the surface, or will they get taken out by an evil mass of seaweed, or is it SEO weed?
9/18/2014
Eye-logged
I am turning down the brightness of my screen. I have become eye-logged. I am writing and posting on the wind. Do you hear me roaring? My poor eyes cannot keep up with this pace as my spirit sours down the halls of memory. If you are tracking #reddawnpublishers.com/chronicles/happenings, the memories are spilling out like water thru a sieve. Over the years, I’ve learned well not to put a dam on the creative flow. Bear with me as I share this touch of the divine as it has been my sweetest caress. May it enwrap you in a quilt of comfort as it has done for me.
9/17/2014
Emotional Stumbling Block
My dear friends and family are trying to help me to see that the greatest stumbling block in my writing is an emotional one. I have learned a valuable lesson. The intellect can get in the way of good writing! Thanks to the help of a dear friend, just this morning, I updated the latest posting on Chronicles/Happenings/Lying to Gorgeous Toby. Holding my hand, she forced me to delve more deeply into that experience, to relive the emotions of that time.
Although using my intellect has been the favored tool to help me cope with life’s challenges over the years, as an author I must be willing to delve deeply into the feelings or emotions. Oh, but I don’t want anyone’s pity! I cry.
Then my friend kindly reminds me, “If you leave out the emotion, you won’t be telling the whole truth. And isn’t that an author’s job?” She is right.
It is simply the most excruciating part of what I do.
9/14/2014
The Fairy Born
This is a circle for all the Fairy Born. It is a place where we will let the words fly. This is a haven, or a place to talk about things most people won’t talk about. No labels here. No tight boxes to try to squeeze within. It is a place to be free–to let your imagination sore, expanding your mind to new and exciting possibilities about life. It is a place of story and contemplation, yes; but here at RedDawn Publishers, we want something more. We are asking your brain, “Would you like to dance?”
8/11/2014
ON CAVE DWELLING . . .
To those who may have been wondering where I have been:
Course corrections are an inherent part of life’s journey, and, sometimes, a redirection is enough to send us scurrying to the safety of the familiar cave. It may be an instinct hailing from our cave dwelling ancestors. Whatever the reason, Comic Con was both an excruciating and inspirational experience. I have spent these last few months madly finishing off my basement, (a literal cave-dwelling experience), and in quiet contemplation of my life goals. As a consequence, this website will be undergoing some new and exciting changes.
My house is finally approaching a semblance of order. I can’t wait to sit down and to share a tale or two with you.
4/17/2014
ANNOUNCEMENT !!!
We will be at ComicCon in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
this weekend!!!
Stop by and say hello. (Look for a very large painting of Ohlonae-The High Queen. I’ll be sitting beside it.)
We will be introducing some new and exciting projects that are in the works.
Look forward to seeing you all!