NATIONAL GARFIELD THE CAT DAY

 Jim Davis' Tabby Cat

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-garfield-the-cat-day-june-19

On this day in 1978, the first publication of the award-winning comic GARFIELD was released.

I have always been a cat lady and Garfield has always been a favorite.  I don't need a special day to celebrate either, but since there is one...  let's party!

My plans: get into some Garfield-themed jammies, grab a coffee, a great book, cuddle in my snuggle blanket, and eat lasagna until I'm so full I have no choice but to nap.
Sounds puuurrrrrfect!

BOOK IDEAS:

FUN GIFTS FOR GARFIELD LOVERS LIKE ME:

Cat Lover BOOKS & Gifts

THE KILLER ON THE HEATH's Cassie Newbold

 MEET MY CHARACTER

http://mybook.to/TKOTH

1.   Tell us about your story:

o   What is the name of your book?

·   The Killer on theHeath

o   What genre is it?

·   Paranormal thriller

o   When and where is your tale set?

·   Present day, south of England

2.   Who are you?

o   What is your name?

·   Cassie Newbold

o   Are you a fictional or historical character?

·   Fictional

o   What’s your role in the story – are you the protagonist or a supporting character?

·   Protagonist

o   Are you a human, animal, alien, robot, or something completely different?

·   Human

o   Do you consider yourself to be good, bad, or indifferent?  Would others agree with this assessment – why, or why not?

·   I’m a good person. I try to do good. I am an instrument for people to talk to their family or friends who have passed over to the other side, so others tend to like me because I put their mind at rest.

3.   What do we need to know about you?

o   What is your personal goal?  I mean, what do you ultimately want?

·   To keep a balance in my life and not to let my gift rule everything I do.

o   What is standing in your way?  What conflict(s) do you face?

·   Myself mainly. I am my own worst enemy. Ghosts are around us all the time - they constantly want to talk. When I touch something, I can be flooded with those who have gone before. I have to turn that off, pack it away, and not let it rule everything I do. When I was younger, I didn’t know how to control my gift, but with the help of my brother, Seb, and a special psychiatrist, I, now, know how to filter out the things I don’t want to know.

o   Why is this goal important to you?  What’s your motivation?

·   When I was a teenager, I was in a very dark place because I couldn’t understand why I saw, heard, and felt things others don’t. It sent me to the brink of despair. I don’t want to go there again. This is important for me and helps me lead a healthier and happier life.

o   If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be, and why?

·   I often act on impulse, especially when I know I shouldn’t or have been warned not to. Sometimes, I just can’t help myself. Sometimes, this gets me into trouble, and leaves me wishing that I had done what I was told in the first place!

4.   How do I get a copy of your book?

o   Is it available now, or when can we expect to see it released?

·   It is available for preorder on Amazon at http://mybook.to/TKOTH

SEMPER SUPRA: "Always Above"

 The First Friday In May:
NATIONAL SPACE DAY

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-space-day-first-friday-in-may/

It's National Space Day - a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the brave, intelligent, and determined men and women who made it possible for our species to go from terrestrial beings to extra-terrestrial ones.  This is a time to encourage STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in our young so that they can continue the work of the pioneers.  I, personally, find this to be more exciting since we now have a Space Force.

I've always been fascinated by space and history.  Futurism is intriguing, as well, though incredibly subjective LOL  As I enjoy this observance, I encourage my fellow bibliophiles to check out the following books - they are the stories of people much smart than I, for sure!

NATIONAL GREAT POETRY READING DAY

APRIL 28th IS ALL ABOUT GREAT POEMS 

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-great-poetry-reading-day-april-28/

There's a ton of great poetry out there, but I decided that, this year, I would share one of my own.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.

I originally published this piece in my book SOUL SEARCHING (Published September 12th 2014):

Crystal Tears
written by J.M. Northup

Silky soft rose petals fall
Like the tears from my eyes
I remember all those whispers
I remember all those lies

Pain and Anger,
that’s what’s left
You left me
like a damsel in distress

You were wild
You were free
Love filled my eyes
So you used me

You told me you loved me,
but you didn’t care
You kissed my lips,
ran your fingers through my hair

You held me close
You made me believe
Then you got up
And slammed the door on me

The tears that once
filled my eyes
They had fallen
and crystalized

So I hold in my hands
A gift to you
Crystal Tears
And my memory too

Despise and hate
are all I see
Because you took
my love from me

Talk Like Shakespeare Celebration

NATIONAL TALK LIKE SHAKESPEARE DAY
April 23

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-talk-like-shakespeare-day-april-23/

National Talk Like Shakespeare Day occurs on William Shakespeare's birthday, April 23.  This is the day most commonly celebrated as his birth (1564) and, ironically, noted as the date of his death in 1616.  Though it is more widely known that he lived during the Elizabethan Era (1558 to 1603), Shakespeare, also, saw much of the Jacobean Era (1603 to 1625). According to Shakespeare-online.com: "Shakespeare used a metrical pattern consisting of lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter, called blank verse. His plays were composed using blank verse, although there are passages in all the plays that deviate from the norm and are composed of other forms of poetry and/or simple prose."  They, also, state that his language is Early Modern English.  You can learn more about writers from the Early Modern English Period HERE.

Here are some great books in Early Modern English as well as some Shakespeare classics:

Holiday-Related Books From February 2021

 February Holidays Can Be Found HERE

Each Month, Karen J. Mossman and I cover various holidays (at random) in our newsletter and on our Norns Triad Publications blog.  It is a fun way to bring awareness and to connect great books with readers during relevant times of the year.

Here are a few from February 2021:

NEW COVERS

 TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

We, at Norns Triad Publications, strive to continually provide the highest quality products to our readers.  Therefore, we are always working to improve things.  One way to do that is updating covers and blurbs based on reader feedback.

Recently, we updated two of our titles:

         
UNIVERSAL                  UNIVERSAL

What do you like?  Is there anything we should do different?

Please leave your comments below.

THANK YOU!

Holiday-Related Books From March

 March Holidays Can Be Found HERE

Each Month, Karen J. Mossman and I cover various holidays (at random) in our newsletter and on our Norns Triad Publications blog.  It is a fun way to bring awareness and to connect great books with readers during relevant times of the year.

Here are a few from March 2021:

Happy National Native American Heritage Day

 I HONOR MY HERITAGE

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-native-american-heritage-day-day-after-thanksgiving/

November is Native American Heritage Month.  Today - November 27, 2020 - is National Native American Heritage Day.  It's a time to celebrate the many cultures and traditions of the Native Americans across the American continents.  When we can truly appreciate the heritage of the true founders of our nations, and those of whom many of us are descendants.  

Josie, Jodi, and Julie (all around the same age)
https://nornstriad.com/2020/09/13/native-american-day-indigenous-peoples-day/

My Great-great-grandmother, Josie, was a Cherokee medicine woman.

Her son (my Great-grandfather), and his sons after him, were military men – warriors. They served their communities and gave to their people while they, also, farmed the land.

My sister and I continue the work of our linage.  Jodi is a registered nurse (RN).  I was a certified nursing assistant and have served in the United States Air Force.

Our nation is as strong as our people (we are all brothers and sisters) and as healthy as our land (to which we are tethered).   This is what I was taught and how I believe.

There are many myths and legends I love.  However, one that has always spoken to me on a personal level is the belief that we give a piece of our soul to those we connect with... those we love.  It is said we feel pain when someone passes from this world to the next because a piece of them remains with us here while a part of us goes with them there.  Finally, when more of us has moved into the other world, that is when we die and move on.  No matter what ones religion is or isn't, I like to believe we are bound together... to one another and to nature.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SERVE 

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/veterans-day-november-11/

There are many ways to serve your people... your country, community, and family.  For an elite group of U.S citizens (less than 1%), we opt to join the military.  This means that we literally GIVE OURSELVES to our country in defense of the freedoms promised to our people.  Yep, we GIVE UP RIGHTS when we take our oath, submitting to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).  And, in some cases, we SURRENDER OUR LIVES.

To all those who have, are, or will serve for freedom...  I thank you.
I am honored to be counted among you.

And, to the families and civilian support members, who make it possible for service men and women focus on their work, thank you for serving on the home front.  It is a team effort and cannot be done without you.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY!

FREE for Young Readers Week

CELEBRATE WITH A FREE eBOOK

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-young-readers-week-second-week-in-november/

The second full week in November is National Young Readers Week.  This is an observance co-founded by Pizza Hut and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress to bring awareness to reading.   It is an important way to help improve literacy.

My contribution to this celebration and to the efforts of improving literacy, I am offering my middle grade ebook, FELINE FASCINATIONS: The Adventures of Boris and Olga for FREE during National Young Readers Week.

https://mybook.to/FELINE_FASCINATIONS

READERS - It's National Mental Illness Awareness Week

 STEP INTO THE MIND OF SOMEONE ELSE

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-mental-illness-awareness-week-first-week-in-october/

National Mental Illness Awareness Week is celebrated the first full week in October. This year, that means October 4th through the 10th, which happens to be World Mental Health Day.

This topic is particular personal to me on many levels.  Not only do I struggle with clinical depression, clinical anxiety, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), but I know and care for many who deal with mental diseases and illness, as well.  Whether it stems from abuse, trauma, or a physiological change (which can happen from some viruses), mental illness is real.

They say you shouldn't judge a person until you've spent a day in their shoes... why not spend some time in their mind?  Here are some book ideas to help you do just that:

DID YOU KNOW - Little Golden Books

GIVING THE GIFT OF READING

#DidYouKnow is a Blog Series on www.jmnorthup.com and www.nornstriad.com

Little Golden Books were first available in 1942.  They were the first books published both at an affordable rate and a high-quality, making reading available in households of all economic levels.  It opened the doors to literature for children everywhere - a huge step toward world literacy.

Little Golden Books have been a huge influence on me, personally.  I grew up enjoying the stories published under this brand.  Then, when I had children and grandchildren, I shared the tales with them.  The legacy of these simple joys are not just measured in my memories, but in the collective history of planet.  These publications changed the book industry because, as historian Leonard S. Marcus was quoted to say, "Little Golden Books are a real example of the democratization of publishing."

I love the Smithsonian (in addition to literature, I love history).  One of their branches, the National Museum of American History - Behring Center, has an online exhibit about the Little Golden Books.  For those interested, you can check it out here:

I have, also, begun a blog series on both www.nornstriad.com and here - www.jmnorthup.com - using #LittleGoldenBook

Here are some of my favorites from when I was young:

Happy Birthday USAF - September 18, 1947

 PROUD TO BE AN AIRMAN

IMAGE SOURCE                                                                           

I am not a political person, but I am a patriot because I believe in freedom and diversity.  I believe in service to my country, community, and family.  However, there are many ways for people to serve, and, for me, it was by enlisting in the United States Air Force.

There isn't anything glamorous or romantic about war.  Death, suffering, cruelty...  I wish we could eradicate such things from our world, but I know that isn't reality.  So, I strive for balance, justice, forgiveness, and compassion.  I joined because 'the best defense is a good offense'.  Now, that can - and has - been interpreted in many ways, but for me, it means this: when your people are strong, healthy, and cooperative, then no one can break you down.  If you have a well trained military, then no one wants to engage with that military.  You work to be the best so that you perform with precision to save lives while completing the job quickly to end issues before they escalate.

All that said to explain why I am so proud to be a veteran, when I simply want to say happy 73rd birthday to my beloved Air Force.
And, to my first home, the 14th AS, 'once a pelican, always a pelican!'

MAYA ANGELOU - My Heart Is Full

 A PERSONAL INSPIRATION TO ME

Image Source

When I was a little girl, I didn't know her name.  I just knew her words.
I didn't know her writing... just her thoughts - her quotes.
They were so powerful for me that they have remained with me for all my life.  This amazing woman molded me without knowing me and without my knowing her.  That blows me away.  Though, I am proud to say I know who she is now that I am grown...
MAYA ANGELOU

A quote from Maya that I heard at a very young age, which has inspired me as a writer and a person, was this:

For the longest time, I could not tell you who said it, but I carried it in my heart and mind.
It was important to me.  It spoke to me.
It meant more when I learned that 93% of communication is non-verbal.

Other quotes that touched me personally and became apart of my personal belief system: