Category Archives: Uncategorized

Created to Serve

Posted on July 15, 2014 by caverns of my mind

We all have our ideas of what we want to do, and God has His ideas of what He has called us to do.  These are not always the same ideas.

I’ve felt for some time now that God wanted me to serve Him in some sort of mission/ministry project (preferably in the area of fighting human trafficking or rehab for the survivors).  And I was right…except for what that mission/ministry was going to be.  My heart has been prepared for loving “the least of these” and I’ve learned about sacrifice over the last four years. I let go of what I felt was holing me back and have been waiting for a year now for God to “reveal my path” as ministry-type people like to say.  I’m co-leading a short-term mission trip to Guatemala in three weeks, and I’ve been on a few of these trips before, so I figured when it became a full-time gig, I’d be ready.

Now I know God’s calling in my life, “my path,” so to speak, at least for now, and it isn’t what I was expecting.

I have suddenly found myself in the position as a caretaker of a four-year-old girl who is not incorrect in believing she is a princess, because she’s a child of the King of kings. She’s not an orphan in the traditional sense as she does still have a mother who loves her, but for now, and we do not know how much longer, my husband and I are filling in.  We knew it was the right thing to do, and I knew God had put us in the place we needed to be in so that we could take her in, but I still didn’t realize this was the ministry He had called us to do, the path He chose for us until I read chapter 29 in The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.  The first line written by Warren in the chapter simply reads, “You were put on earth to make a contribution.” Our purpose is not just to suck up everything around us and what others give us, but to make a contribution, a difference…to DO SOMETHING. Ephesians 2:10 says, “[God] has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.” Wow. This means God prepared me to be a part of raising my sweet little grand niece. He knew she would need me and chose me for this very special ministry. He also chose my husband to be part of all this. According to Romans 8:28, “…God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them,” and so it is now evident that all the pieces have come together as they have for this purpose.

I feel blessed that God chose us for this important mission/ministry of being Linnea’s caretakers, for however long it turns out to be.  But I’m human, and I have my low moments where I feel God should have picked people who are more experienced than we are, and I worry I’ll never have time to get all my previous responsibilities taken care of now because a little girl takes up a lot of time and attention. I think about all the things I want to be able to provide for her, and look at our budget with tears in my eyes. I selfishly long to have time to read and write again, and I feel a bit like I’ve already lost who I am, my identity.

And then I remember that God has it all under control because He planned this and chose us.  The only experience we need is knowing how to love and how to pray. I’ll find my balance of time management; it’s only week two, and I didn’t have time to prepare, so it just might take a little while. Yes, she takes up time, but it’s time well spent and I love it. God always has and always will provide for our needs. Just as I will learn to manage the time I need for accomplishing the mundane parts of life’s responsibilities, I will begin to learn how I can carve out time for reading and writing, because writing is a gift God gave me, and He wants me to be able to use it.

These are a few of my favorite things

These are a few of my favorite things

If any of my readers are believing, praying people, please keep us in mind when you do pray. I know the highs and lows will continue, as that’s part of life, but we’ll need encouragement and wisdom for sure.

 

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It’s a Girl!

Posted on July 8, 2014 by caverns of my mind

I didn’t have a baby, but I am finding myself suddenly in a mommy role. That is my explanation of why I haven’t been and probably won’t be posting much new material here for a while.  I may just share some old stories and poems until I work out a routine that allows me time to write again.

It’s a sudden life change, and where most people have 9 months to prepare for a child, my husband and I had exactly 9 days. I won’t go into the details of what has brought my adorable 4-year-old grandniece (remember, that doesn’t mean I am old!) to live with us, except to say that we will will be taking care of and raising her for a period while her mom works to make a better life. I’m actually quite proud of her right now, because sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest thing, but I guess that is the same for Robert and I at this point too.

We certainly shocked many people with the sudden addition to our household (including the dogs who are really trying to figure out why this small person makes weird noises) because we have lived child-free for 14 years of marriage and had declared it was the life for us.

But sometimes…life happens, and you feel called to do something that seems crazy, because you NOW know God has been preparing you for it (even though I still feel wildly UNprepared), and because she’s family, and because she needs a safe and loving home, and even though you have little experience in these sorts of things, you just know it’s what you’re supposed to do.

Ugh- I’m rambling.

This is my world now, for an indefinite time.  What a challenge we have before us, but we’ll learn.  The weirdest part so far is people in stores assuming I’m her mommy.  I’ve never been a mommy figure to anyone but a couple silly dogs.  And now I suddenly have a pink room in my house. Sigh.

Dylan looks about as freaked out as I am, but he also loves her, and so do I.

Dylan looks about as freaked out as I am, but he also loves her, and so do I.

 

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TBT: The Peach

Posted on July 3, 2014 by caverns of my mind

I wrote this short story when I was 14:

peach

The Peach
 
By: Terree L. Klaes
 
Jamie and Rick raced along the river’s edge. The grass was lush and green. The blossoming flowers were giving off their sweet spring scent, which tickled their noses and made them laugh in their childish way. It was that time of year when everybody forgets their responsibilities and puts their minds on the great outdoors.
 
As Jamie and Rick reached town, they looked back at the beauty and pleasantness of the colorful field and the long, silvery river. Slowly, they walked along what every town has, a Main Street. They passed all of the Victorian-style homes with their bright gardens and neatly mowed lawns. The older couples rocking on their porch swings waved and gave the two children happy smiles. Jamie and Rick smiled back, as their mother had taught them for good manners.
 
            At last Jamie and Rick had reached the home of the elderly Mrs. Peach. It was a fitting name, as she was a bright and cheerful woman with a peachy complexion. The only things to give away her old age were her thinning gray hair and a slump to her walk. Mrs. Peach was the one Jamie and Rick went to visit every day after school, and of course, during the summer. They brought her everlasting happiness, and in return she made them cookies, cupcakes, or brownies every day. This had been Jamie’s last day of fifth grade, and Rick’s last of third. They had both been anxious to tell Mrs. Peach all about their last day and why their smiles seemed to sing songs of all good things.
 
            As always, Mrs. Peach led the kids into her cozy white and baby blue kitchen to the breakfast nook for their treats. They both wanted to talk at the same time, which made Mrs. Peach laugh about their enthusiasm. It was like any other day at Mrs. Peach’s apricot-colored house with the white picket fence. She talked of her two children whom she missed very much. They didn’t visit her often. “Michael and Allison have such busy schedules. I wouldn’t want to be a burden to either of them,” she always said.
 
            She talked about how much joy a grandchild would bring her. Jamie thought it would be a sweet and polite gesture if she and Rick called Mrs. Peach ‘Grandmother’. Mrs. Peach loved the idea and had to give them each a kiss on their foreheads.
 
One odd day when Jamie and Rick went off through the field to visit Mrs. Peach, they arrived to see a tall man with a shiny bald spot on top of his head step out from his car and walk up the front lawn to the large oak door. This strange man didn’t knock; he just walked right in! Jamie and Rick both thought it would be best to come back later, but their childish curiosity led them up to the full length porch, decorated with its many different plants.
 
The door was left open, so Jamie and Rick made no hesitation of entering, it being, they felt, a way of invitation. Just as they had stepped into the brilliant, happy living-room, the balding man appeared, and walking right behind him was Mrs. Peach. They both carried suitcases. When Mrs. Peach glanced down at Jamie and Rick, she smiled, but the man kept his lips in a straight narrow line, using his eyes to give them a semi-cold look. Mrs. Peach put down her suitcase and reached out to hug them both to her sides. Then she bent down to plant soft kisses on the tops of their heads where their light brown hair was neatly combed.
 
“Dear children,” Mrs. Peach said. “I will not be living here anymore. As of today, I will be living at Willow Groves Nursing Home. It is just outside town, so it is not a far walk from your home. You can still visit me every day. You will, won’t you?”
 
“Yes, Mrs. Peach. Of course we will. But why are you moving there?” asked Jamie innocently.
 
“Well children, Michael has decided I am getting too feeble to live on my own in this house, and he thinks it best if I am taken care of 24 hours a day. Not that I agree, but maybe he does have a point. I am having more trouble getting around. As long as you two come visit me often, I’m sure it will be all right. I love both of you as if you really were my grandchildren.”
 
“Oh, we love you too, Grandmother. We will come every day. You’ll never get lonely.” Jamie reached out to hug Mrs. Peach, and Rick joined too. Then Jamie glanced up to see Michael staring at them as if he were witnessing something repulsive. She couldn’t help but stare at the man who was taking Mrs. Peach away from her beautiful apricot-colored home, decorated with pastels on the inside to make her days cheery and joyful. It wasn’t fair not to visit even once in three years, and then take her off to a place where she would surely become aware of her age, give up all of her youthful chatter, and wallow in a pool of unhappiness so that she would have no freedom.
 
Mrs. Peach gave Jamie and Rick each another kiss. Then she picked her suitcase up and walked out the front door, followed by Michael, who turned back to tell them to leave his house instantly. He gave a quick glare, and then was out the door helping Mrs. Peach into the car.
 
“His house! Does he mean he’s going to live in Mrs. Peach’ house? He just can’t. He’ll ruin it,” Jamie said miserably as she and Rick shuffled out of the house, turning to look at all of the special touches Mrs. Peach had put into her home, like the birdfeeders in the front lawn, and the floral door knocker. Michael was truly an evil man to do something so terrible to his own mother, who had so much heart to give if he would just let her. Jamie hated the thought of visiting Mrs. Peach in that terrible, lonely place with so many unhealthy old people. Nevertheless, she had promised that she and Rick would visit.
 
That summer Jamie and Rick learned a lot about what being given and denied love could do to a person. They learned a lesson never to be forgotten.
 
Jamie and Rick went to see Mrs. Peach in Willow Groves for the first time since she was dragged from her spicy-smelling home which had all the comforts she deserved. It was an interesting, yet sad place; all of the elderly people seemed to be rotting away. Most of them were by alone. The home wasn’t a complete loss though. There was entertainment in the recreation room: Scrabble, checkers, books, TV, and occasionally, live music were the choices of what to do.
 
When Jamie and Rick asked a passing nurse where they could find Mrs. Peach, the friendly-looking nurse smiled and directed them down the hallway. “She’s been very lonely the last few days. I’m so glad someone has come to visit her. She needs company. What did you say your names were?”
 
“I’m Jamie, and this is my little brother, Rick.”
 
“Oh, perfect! Mrs. Peach has been talking a great deal about you two,” the nurse said as she opened the white door which led into a small room with only a bed, a dresser, and a closet. There was only one window to let in Mrs. Peach’s beloved sunlight, only it was facing south. How could Michael lock up his own mother in a terrible place like this? Didn’t he have any feelings?
 
Every day, Jamie, Rick, and Mrs. Peach all played Scrabble and checkers in the recreation room. That was until one specific day when things went a little differently than usual.
 
It was bright and sunny. Jamie and Rick were on their way to see Mrs. Peach. They wanted to get there for lunch.
 
When they arrived, Jamie asked the friendly nurse to show them to Mrs. Peach. The nurse, who had been smiling, took on a different look; a sad, unsmiling look that made her seem almost pathetic. “All right, children. But I’m warning you now, Mrs. Peach is acting a little differently. Please don’t get too impatient or upset. She doesn’t realize… Please.”
 
Jamie and Rick turned puzzled looks at each other, and then hurried to catch up with the nurse. They reached Mrs. Peach’s room, and the nurse slowly creaked open the door to let Jamie and Rick in, then left.
 
            “Hello, Mrs. Peach. Are you ready to go play checkers?” asked Jamie.
Mrs. Peach turned to Rick. “Michael, would you please push Allison on the swing? I’d like to get a picture.”
 
“I’m Rick, not Michael! Remember?”
 
“Allison, take your brother for a walk.”
 
“Mrs. Peach, I’m not Allison, and that isn’t Michael. We are Jamie and Rick. Don’t you know us anymore?”
 
Just then the nurse arrived back at the room. “Children, I think it’s time you went home.”
 
“What’s the matter with her? Why doesn’t she know who we are?” asked Jamie.
 
“She is old and not as healthy as she used to be.”
 
“But she looks healthy. She’s not dying, is she? Please don’t tell us Mrs. Peach is dying!”
 
“Not exactly. Yes, she does look healthy, but it’s not a physical health problem. She has a mental disease which runs in older people. She has become senile. Mrs. Peach does not always see things as they really are. She sees things as the way they were. It’s sad, but I’m afraid there is little more to do for her. Children, I hate to say it, but I’m going to have to ask you not to come back again. I fear it will just hurt you to see much of her in this condition. You can write, and she’ll write back, when she is up to it. You may not agree now, but it really is the best idea for you to just leave her alone. I’m sorry.
 
“But we’re going to miss her so much!” cried Jamie.
 
“I know you will, sweety. Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of her. Now, would you like to say good-bye?
 
“Yeah.” With that, Jamie and Rick ran back to hug Mrs. Peach.
 
“I love you too Allison, honey. I love you too.”
 
Jamie and Rick wrote three letters before they got one from Mrs. Peach. Usually she called them Allison and Michael, but once in a while she remembered who they were and what they had meant to her. They wrote back and forth for almost a year before, finally, there were no returning letters.
 
Jamie went by herself on day to Willow Groves. She found the friendly nurse and asked her about Mrs. Peach. Jamie was not at all surprised to learn she had died in her sleep two months earlier. It did hurt her, though. To Jamie, Mrs. Peach really had been a grandmother.
 
That afternoon Jamie and Rick went for a walk by the river. The soft grass was still damp from the rain the day before. They entered Main Street and walked by all the fragrant flowers and green lawns. Soon they approached a familiar apricot house with the little white picket fence. The sign in the yard which had said “For Sale” now said “Sold.”
 
The front door opened and out stepped a little old lady. She was fragile-looking, with the sweetest blue eyes Jamie and Rick had ever seen. The old lady beckoned with her hands for them to come to the porch with all the well-kept plants, and have some cookies with her. They were hesitant at first, but she gave a pleading look with her beautiful, charming blue eyes, and they were faithful to her call. Jamie and Rick had so much love to give. How could they possibly deny anyone?

 

 

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TBT: To Smile Again

Posted on June 26, 2014 by caverns of my mind

I found a short story I wrote back in 2006, so I figured I’d share it for my Throw Back Thursday.

To Smile Again

By: Terree L. Klaes
Oct 2006

 

“You used to know how to smile.”

“You used to know how to make me smile.” The remark pierced straight through Rick’s normally thick skin, and he turned his eyes down, no longer able to look at Nina’s despondent face. What seemed like hours passed with nothing but the sound of distant water dripping from the bathroom faucet on the other side of the cockroach infested apartment.

“What made you decide to find me now, Rick? Did you need a last look at what you destroyed?”

“You have that backwards, Nina. You destroyed yourself, and tried to take me with you.”

“Liar! Besides, I didn’t mean that. I meant us. You destroyed us, and turned your back on me,” Nina screamed as she looked towards the small plastic baggie and mirror laying on her nightstand.

“Don’t you pin his on me. We were happy, big sister, until you started snorting that stuff up your nose every chance you got. You were supposed to take care of me, but I had to take care of you! I had to call 911 when you started convulsing on the floor because that junk had messed you up so badly!” Rick was shaking with emotion and adrenalin was running through his pure veins.

“You walked away from me when I needed you.”

“You needed me to support your habit, and I couldn’t do it anymore. I love you, Nina. Nothing will change the fact that you’re my sister, but I can’t do this anymore. You’re on a carousel, and I need to get off.”

Nina laughed. “A carousel? What’s that supposed to mean, Rick? You always have all these crazy phrases, and pretty words to explain everything,” she said as she stared with cold eyes, right into Rick’s soul. “Is that just a fancy way to say you think I’m nuts?”

“You’re not nuts. But you’re in some sort of destructive cycle,” he said as he instinctively grabbed her little, white, powdery bag and headed towards the bathroom.

Nina moved with an agility and speed which Rick had not seen from her in years. “Don’t do it! I won’t let you do it!” she screamed as she threw herself onto Rick’s back, grabbing at his hand which contained her treasure. “Let it go!”

Rick managed to twist around so he could push Nina away. She came at him again with her nails and attempted to scratch her stash from his hand this time. She was just about to bite his arm when he threw her to the floor. Nina bumped her head on the bathroom doorknob as she went down.

“Bastard! Look what you did to me,” Nina cursed as she showed Rick the blood on her hand after she reached back to touch her head. Then she glanced toward the floor and noticed a familiar white dust coating the area in front of the bathroom door. Already, two small crimson drops had landed in the center of the mess from the deepest of the four parallel scratches Nina had left on Rick’s forearm.

Nina flopped herself forward onto her hands and knees. She began scooping the cocaine into a little pile with her hands, smearing the blood into the pile, making a pasty glob.

As Rick watched this desperate move from his sister, he felt queasy. As he took a large step over her to enter the hallway, he dropped the little plastic bag on the floor in front of her, knowing she wanted her fix bad enough to scoop every last bit of the blood stained powder back into that bag. He couldn’t look at Nina now. Very quietly, Rick said, “I just came by to say goodbye, Nina, and give you one last chance for me to help you.”

“Obviously, I don’t need your help, Rick!”

“Yeah, obviously.”

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. I hope you die over there in Iraq!”

onebloom.com

Found pic at onebloom.com through Google images

“I’m sure you do, Nina,” Rick whispered as he walked briskly to the door. He suddenly couldn’t get out of that apartment fast enough. He rushed down the stairs, taking two at a time.

“Where are you going, Rick?” Nina quizzed as she leaned over the railing in front of her apartment door, looking down at Rick who was already two flights below her. He only had one more flight to go before he was out of this place, and out of Nina’s life. He didn’t want to stop, but he couldn’t help himself. His steps slowed and then halted. Rick glanced up towards Nina.

“Nina, I’m through with all of this. I hope you figure things out and get help. But I can’t baby-sit you anymore. I won’t even be here.”

“I know. I know you’re right. And I know that you hate me. And I don’t even blame you, Rick. I’m so messed up. I don’t really hope you die. I want to die.” Something dangled from her right hand as she blew Rick a kiss. “I want you to take this with you. Wear it.” With that she dropped the object over the balcony. As Rick held out his hand, the chain from the necklace slipped over two of his fingers. Hanging from the chain was a locket that had belonged to their mother years ago. Inside were side by side pictures of Nina and Rick. “Please wear it Rick. While you’re gone, I promise I’ll check myself into a clinic. This was rock-bottom today. I can’t go on like this. I know that.”

Without saying a word, Rick slipped the chain over his head, and gave the locket a kiss before he tucked it out of sight and into his fatigues. “I’ll see you in six months, Nina,” he said as he strode the rest of the way down the stairs and out the door at the bottom onto the busy street.

Six months later, just in time for Nina to check out of the clinic, she received a necklace from Rick. His dog tags.

 

 

 

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My Words as Weapons: Time for some good news

Posted on June 25, 2014 by caverns of my mind

Since I just launched my second book, my blog has been heavily concentrated in author related content, meaning I’ve neglected my other purpose of spreading awareness about human trafficking.   Sometimes getting caught up in the mire of that topic can become a heavy weight, and I just wanted to think happier thoughts for a while.

Here we are, smack in the middle of the 2014 World Cup. I enjoy soccer and have been watching quite a few of the games, trying not to think about the implications of so many men gathered in one place for a month long sporting event in a country that is already one of the worst as far as the sex trade on human trafficking is concerned. So I thought I might write about this, but then I remembered that I covered that concept already back at the time of the Super Bowl, and I thought, Maybe I could bring some happy news once.

And so, this time I share, not my own words as weapons, but an encouraging story that shows that if people, groups, governments work together, we can free people.

This is one link that came to me through my subscription to the Trafficking Report offered by traffickinghope.org

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/23/fbi-trafficking-sex-children/11271829/

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You Can [should] Never Go Back

Posted on June 24, 2014 by caverns of my mind
Some people say you can never go back. I can’t imagine why anybody would want to anyway. Still, there are ties in our lives that will bind us forever to our pasts, and I just knew I could never completely sever mine.
 
I was twelve when I moved to that dreadful little town. Out of all the places we could have moved to, my parents chose an obscure town tucked in the foothills of Virginia. It wasn’t really a bad town. It just wasn’t me. I had dreamt of a city to live in, or at least a suburb where I could peddle my bike up and down the road and go for walks around the neighborhood with my friends, up and down the sidewalk. What did I get? A house five miles outside of a town that seemed no bigger to me than a small village as seen only on TV… you know, the weird freaky towns on the Syfy network. I was born and raised in California, only to experience the biggest culture shock of my entire existence.
 
We got rid of my bike. There would be no smooth surfaces for riding where we moved. And forget sidewalks. When the roads aren’t even paved, what’s the use of a sidewalk? Nothing but gravel and steep hills from that point on. How was I going to cope?

 

This comes from the opening (after my prologue- or disclaimer) of my first book about Drew Hotchner (Memoirs of an Ordinary Girl: The Middle-ish Ages), a girl who just happens to be a version of me, and so as my husband and I drove towards Front Royal, Virginia on our vacation a bit over a week ago, these were the lines running through my head.

Trivia- Florntayor, the name of the town in my book, is actually made up of the scrambled letters from Front Royal, the town where I actually did live.

Trivia- Florntayor, the name of the town in my book, is actually made up of the scrambled letters from Front Royal, the town where I actually did live.

 

Writing these books means reliving my past to some degree.  Sure, the books are fictitious, yet based on some truth, some actual people, and some real places and events.

There must have been something about that little store and bad weather and adventure, because once we got out of there with our Fudge Rounds and sodas, ominous clouds formed on the horizon. Nothing was going to stop us though. We were having a picnic! So onward we continued. “So, what do we do if it rains?” Emily asked us.
 
“It won’t rain. And if it does, so what? We’ll just have to get wet,” Adrienne teased her sister. Shortly after, we found a secluded place under the trees, on an empty lot by the river. We spread our food around and began snacking.
 
Sitting on a fallen tree limb, I felt something wet hit my nose. “Uh, I think it’s starting to sprinkle.”
 
“Yeah, I felt it too,” Emily agreed.
 
“A little bit of drizzle won’t hurt you,” Adrienne replied.
 
“No, but a whole bunch of drizzle might,” I yelled as the rain suddenly tore through the sky and began to fall in sheets. The tree covering was of little help, as the rain only hit harder once it had a chance to collect on one leaf before it dropped in heaps. Frantically, we picked up all we could and started running. Adrienne was wearing her prized leather jacket and didn’t want it to get ruined in the rain, so she turned it inside out and wore it home like that. As it turned out, we later discovered that we had left behind the crackers nobody wanted, and every time we visited that spot thereafter, there they were, though the box faded over time from exposure to the weather. It became a silly inside joke.
-Memoirs of an Ordinary Girl: The Middle-ish Ages
 
Several references are made in each book to this little store. I was a bit surprised to see it still exists, but not so surprised that it rained when we got there.

Several references are made in each book to this little store. I was a bit surprised to see it still exists, but not so surprised that it rained when we got there.


Another discovery I made on this trip was that where there had once only been five houses on my old road, with only three of them actually inhabited by humans, there is now a total of ten houses, and all but one appear to be lived in. The most dilapidated of all was finally gone.

My first encounter happened while walking to the bus stop one morning. Since it was fall and an early morning, fog hung suspended in the air along and across the road. Two rarely visited and quite run down summer homes sat on my road, their dead eyes of windows staring at one another from either side. One of these houses, the faded and sickly yellow one, probably should have been condemned as I’m sure other than the rodents and snakes that lived in it, the shell of a house was unsafe for much else.
 
But on this morning a strange creaking sounded from behind the should-be-condemned house, and some angry squirrels chittered and ran in all directions. I heard a slam and saw the shadowy figure of a boy slinking up the hill from the rear of the house, wading through the thick fog. He reached the edge of the road just as I was passing that spot. He was about a foot shorter than me, and though I’m bad at guessing ages, I figured he was a sixth grader or so. He avoided eye contact with me, picked up his Star Trek decorated backbag and began to practically goose step down the road in front of me.
 
What the heck had this weird kid been doing in that house? And why was his hair cut like Spock’s?
-Memoirs of an Ordinary Girl: Fresh-meat Year
 
I do not think this house met the same fate I wrote for it towards the end of my book, but it is certainly now gone.

I do not think this house met the same fate I wrote for it towards the end of my book, but it is certainly now gone.

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Elle Klass As Snow Falls Tour 2014

Posted on June 23, 2014 by caverns of my mind

as snow falls banner

Elle Klass is on tour, and she’s stopping here today!

(Be sure to enter to win a free autographed copy at the bottom of the post)

Elle Klass Bio:

lisa hair

Elle was born into this world in Redwood City, California and spent her childhood growing up in the fabulous San Francisco Bay Area. She is an avid San Francisco Forty Niners fan. She has raised two beautiful daughters, and currently resides in Florida. For fun she reads, spends time at the beach, travels, and enjoys time with her favorite friends, and family. She is a night-owl known to be a hermit during rainy days, as she has a love for sun, and is mostly found poolside over the hot, humid summer months.

As Snow Falls

snow falls

It is the 20th century in California and the main character, a woman, has lived her life to the fullest. Nestled in her favorite spot during a snow storm she recalls the events of her life from her earliest memories of resisting birth and losing that futile battle to finding her true love and their beautiful family. There are monkey wrenches thrown in at every turn as she struggles to find her place; demonic teachers, cliquish students, her nightmare job, a love lost, and an earthquake that threatens her family. Life continues to dismay her until she can’t take it anymore and sets off on a journey. She is a lost soul with no destination, a wandering heart until something happens, something so incredible she could have never imagined it! Through her harrowing and dark story she finds light, justice and true love. She is a humble and lovable character who is quite ordinarily extraordinary. Her story is anyone’s story.

Excerpt:

Jacob had grown into a very handsome young man. The girls adored him. He was quite a lady’s man from an early age. Having an older sister, he was used to the attention he received from her and her friends. They always thought he was adorable, and they mooned all over him. When he was twelve, one of Natalie’s friends, a cute blond girl with bright blue eyes, fair skin, and rosy cheeks, had the biggest crush on him. He had a crush on her as well. He wasn’t shy around girls at all, and when they flirted with him he flirted back. Anyway, Nikki found him and the girl kissing in the backyard one Saturday afternoon. As Reese tells it, Nikki went white as a sheet, her eyes rolled up into her head, and she almost fainted. He had to catch her to keep her from hitting the ground. He thought it was hilarious, but Nikki kept a very close eye on Jacob after that. I don’t think she let him out of her sight for more than thirty seconds at a time. He was a very good-looking boy and charming, and the girls couldn’t keep their hands off him. They chased him everywhere. I knew one day, when he found the right girl, she wouldn’t be chasing him. He would be chasing her.
 
My simple 5-star review for As Snow Falls:

Enjoyable. Relatable. Romantic.
As one woman looks back over the events and people of her life, the reader is made aware of the importance of love, relationships, and family. It’s interesting to see how the characters and events connect, and it is this connectivity that shows a greater plan. The story is enjoyable, relatable, and romantic- a good sort of sentimental.

Click below for a chance to win in Elle’s Rafflecopter Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Buying links:

lisaAmazon- http://www.amazon.com/As-Snow-Falls-Elle-Klass/dp/1482779706

Barnes and Noble- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/as-snow-falls-elle-klass/1116394702?ean=9781482779707

Smashwords.com- http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/345088

Youtube Trailer- http://youtu.be/VHm5FX2mqWg

Social media links-

http://thetroubledoyster.blogspot.com/

http://elleklass.weebly.com/

https://twitter.com/ElleKlass

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7216745.Elle_Klass

https://www.facebook.com/ElleKlass

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More Dreams, Fantasies, Nightmares and Visions

Posted on June 16, 2014 by caverns of my mind

This Facebook author event will be here soon and we’re gearing up for it.  Here are two more of the authors who will be there: Marcha Fox and Elle Klass

Marcha Fox

Book she will be featuring: A Psilent Place Below

silent place

Book Blurb:

Finding refuge in Cyraria’s underground network of caverns to survive Opposition, it doesn’t take Dirck Brightstar long to discover these are no ordinary caves.  When he and his mother share a shocking veridical dream its clear his imprisoned father is in grave danger with immediate action required.  Following a harrowing prison break the entire family plunges into a world of intrigue as the Integrator’s hold on the planet tightens. At long last Creena makes it home only to find her family still can’t be together because her father’s now a virtual prisoner in Cira City working covertly to oppose Integration.  With the caverns located deep within enemy territory the risk of being discovered not only threatens their personal safety but assures Integrator victory if cristobalite crystals fall into enemy hands. Squabbling between Creena and Dirck resumes in short order, jeopardizing their ability to recognize yet another grave threat that leaves them reeling with regrets as this volume concludes amid technological challenges, political intrigue and culture clashes in yet another volume of high powered science fiction adventure.

marchaFor more on Marcha, follow these links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0082CW8QC 
Book Bubble: http://www.bublish.com/bubble/view/2752

Elle Klass

Books she will be featuring: As Snow Falls and Baby Girl

snow fallsbaby beginning

Book Blurb: As Snow Falls

It is the 20th century in California and the main character, a woman, has lived her life to the fullest. Nestled in her favorite spot during a snow storm she recalls the events of her life from her earliest memories of resisting birth and losing that futile battle to finding her true love and their beautiful family. There are monkey wrenches thrown in at every turn as she struggles to find her place; demonic teachers, cliquish students, her nightmare job, a love lost, and an earthquake that threatens her family. Life continues to dismay her until she can’t take it anymore and sets off on a journey. She is a lost soul with no destination, a wandering heart until something happens, something so incredible she could have never imagined it! Through her harrowing and dark story she finds light, justice and true love. She is a humble and lovable character who is quite ordinarily extraordinary. Her story is anyone’s story.

Book Blurb: Baby Girl

Follow Cleo on her epic saga which begins when she abandoned by her mom at twelve. She has no other family which she is aware of, and in order to survive she leaves her home and lives on the streets. She meets some interesting characters and gets into some amusing predicaments all in the name of survival, such as jumping trains, being chased through the woods by a crazy man with a loaded shotgun and witnessing an unspeakable crime. After a few months on the streets she runs into another group of kids, Einstein is the oldest and a leader in the group, and they form a family of sorts. For survival and money they lean towards a life a crime which inevitably breaks up their family and sends Cleo and Einstein spiraling into their own adventure. Eventually they settle into a “normal” life however their pasts can’t be hushed forever …

lisa hairFor more on Elle, follow the links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Elle-Klass/e/BooF2Y48C0/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Blog: www.thetroubledoyster.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElleKlass
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ElleKlass
 

					


	

		
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Throw Back Thursday: Research Paper Woes Part IV

	
	

		Posted on June 12, 2014 by caverns of my mind
	


	

				
I promised one more post of student quotes from the research papers I painstakingly and frustratedly graded during the last few years I taught sophomore advanced level English.


First, I thought you’d enjoy a visual of an unrelated quiz, just as a warm up to get you in the appropriate mind frame.


Wrinkle in Time quiz 
Wrinkle in Time quiz


Now for paper quotes and commentary:


“So of course children should come to Boot Camps so their lives can change and not only will yours, but also the family structure change also.” This was about sending troubled kids to intervention style boot camps.


 


Here’s a good one. In a paper about spaying/neutering pets, this sentence appeared: “Some people still give reasons as to why they should not go through with the procedure, even with all of this evidence to support why they, by all means, should.”


 


Uhhh…I thought we were talking about the pets, not the people. That does change things! Given the new light shed on the subject, maybe I should reread this paper.


 


“Lastlly [yes, student used two l’s, and one really should not even add -ly to last anyway], unclean or too clean water could decrease life expectancy in captivated whales.” Are the whales captive or captivated?


 


A thesis statement: “Think of the endless possibilities for the limitless knowledge possible to learn online school has many benefits for all students’ elementary school, middle school;, high school, and college absolutely should have the capability to attend their academic classes online.” Remember that the thesis statement sets the tone for the entire paper. Yep, the rest was pretty much just as bad and confusing to read.


 


I don’t even know what to say. “The head of Flagler county school boards along with different branches along the United States for schools online or public must make more acceptations to those who wish to enroll”


 


“As a catholic, I know it is wrong to believe in capital punishment, but also you are to treat others like you want to be treated, and if that means you are killing someone, then well why should they not be put to death.” Does this mean you should kill people if you want to be killed? I’m a bit confused on the wording.


 


For any of you out there who are against Welfare, one of my students assures me that, “Welfare also provides jobs for more people because it requires people to feel guilty that they become dependent on it and rely on it.” Apparently when one applies for government assistance there must also be proof of guilt provided.


 


“In an economy like the one today, a job sustains one’s basic needs.” I want to go back to live in whatever economy it was where people didn’t need jobs, because apparently this need of a job thing is unique to our current economy. I wouldn’t even need to grade these stupid papers if I lived in that fantasy world!


 


“If a smoker loses an arm of a leg, they might also not be able to live alone, and function on their own without the help of another person.” I don’t know how I would get through my day without my leg arms.


 


“If a smoker does not find a job, they don’t have money, no money, and they can not get what they need to survive.” Nice emphasis on NO MONEY.


 


“People who die of cancer, die slowly, and knowing that their day will soon come, but knowing exactly when. They also hope for the end to come soon, but for them, it never does. Smoking may cause death.” This is how I feel about these papers.


 


“Juveniles do a very adult-like crime…Young adults remain killing people; committing murder. Juveniles will kill their friends, strangers, and even their own family members.” Dang! I’m glad I’m leaving the high school classroom, or I could be next. It seems they’re all doing it these days. Maybe it’s peer pressure. It is so important to limit generalizations with words like “some.” If you have teens around, you are warned.


 


Research paper quote: “This takes censoring too far because in America we have the right to bare arms.” Tank tops for everyone! Rage! Rage against long sleeves!


 


The solution to all our gun issues: “The best thing to do would be to raise the prices of firearms so that for criminals to buy weapons, they have to have a lot more money than they can make, being criminals and all.” After all, criminals aren’t in it for the money or anything.


 


An example of a student trying to add to the lacking word count in a paper: “Criminals already are not following laws. That is what makes them criminals. If criminals did follow laws, they would not be much of criminals now would they? No, they would not. If they were, we would just call them people.”


 


Research paper quote of confusion: “Should the American government enforce gun control? Would crime in the united states?” Would crime in the United States (let’s capitalize that proper noun bad-boy) do what? That’s all there is about that, and it moves on.


 


And now we will just let all juveniles off the hook for whatever crimes they may commit because, “Being charged as a juvenile, let alone as an adult will serve no purpose for a minor because they will get nothing out of it,” which is a bad idea according to another recent paper that informed me all juveniles are criminals…violent criminals “with darkness in their hearts.”


 


Huh? “For example, say a minor, the age of 13, and a teen, the age of 21 [I’m lost already] were both charged with rape. The 19 year old [wait, where’d he come from?] would have to suffer a more severe consequence (an adult sentence), while the 13 year old could get out with simply serving a few years in a correction facility.”


 


Now, just to show it wasn’t all bad and the students often made me laugh on purpose, not just inadvertently through bad writing,  this was a response on a peer evaluation sheet I had my students fill out after a Julius Caesar project:


List each group member and a brief description of his/her contribution. Rate His/her contribution on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being “I wish I had worked alone,” and 10 being “I will name my first child after my awesome group member.”

Sir Lukas: 5+7/2-1×2

Austin: 20/4+18-3/2


Do I miss this?  What do you think?


 

					


	

		
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Graduation Overload

	
	

		Posted on June 9, 2014 by caverns of my mind
	


	

				
School is out for most schools in the US now, and graduations may be behind us for the year, which is probably a good thing. We can finally breathe easy. Is it just me, or do kids seem to be having graduation ceremonies at every grade these days? Preschool. Kindergarten. Sixth grade. Eighth grade. Twelfth grade. Doesn’t this sort of take away from the graduations that really matter? I picture the kids thinking the equivalent of Forrest Gump and his, “Then ah met the President…again.”


It’s not that moving up to a new grade isn’t important, but in the younger grade levels, it’s certainly more expected, in our culture anyway. It’s like saying, “Congratulations for breathing today!”  Isn’t breathing its own reward? They were probably going to pass kindergarten anyway. Legally, kids have to complete so much schooling.


Completing kindergarten is part of the process of growing up.  Sure, it’s great, but it’s not even a grade with a number yet.  Far more kindergarteners will move on in their education than people will actually complete high school.  Graduation should be about achievement.  But what else should we expect in a society that stops recognizing kids who make honor roll in ceremonies and instead rewards everyone equally? The parts of life that take hard work are being recognized less because it makes those who do not succeed feel badly about themselves.


In my opinion, Jostens and Herff Jones are the ones behind this.  It’s all about making money and much less about the achievements of the children. Sure, it’s adorable to see these little smiling faces in caps and gowns, because we’re used to those being things for older children and young adults.  It’s similar to the way I feel baby shoes are so freaking cute, especially baby Converse or Vans.


Maybe I’m just bitter though. I didn’t have any graduations until I finished twelfth grade. My sisters had both had eighth grade graduation ceremonies, but we moved long before I had my chance, and my middle school did not subscribe to the graduation idea.  I even remember my sisters getting gifts for their graduations, but since I didn’t have a ceremony and only did all the other same stuff to move up into high school, I didn’t get any presents when it was my turn. You know why?  Because it wasn’t a huge deal and nobody thought it was special because there was no ceremony beating them over the head to remind them.


I don’t know the numbers, but when I attended the graduation of the high school I taught at up until last year so I could see my former students graduate, the numbers seemed smaller than years past.  I guess this graduating class was smaller than they have been recently, but a few teachers also told me less kids had decided to attend the ceremony.  How sad!  Graduating from high school truly is a huge rite of passage, and not everyone does it, so it is special, yet more kids are choosing not to attend these days.  My theory is that they don’t see it as all that special since they’ve already done it so many times.  Can we save to special occasions for the occasions that are special so they retain their meaning and importance?


I “walked” for my high school graduation.


high school graduation


Then I worked hard for two years, while maintaining a GPA that earned me the ranking of Magna Cum Laude to earn my A.A., and I “walked again.


LFCC 1997
LFCC 1997


After completing my requirements for my B.A. and ranking as Cum Laude, I decided I had worked hard enough to go through one more ceremony. (Sadly, I cannot locate this picture) They were special, not because they were a natural progression in life, but because I had worked my butt off for something the average American does not actually achieve (please do not interpret this as elitism- not everybody chooses this path for various reasons, but I did and worked hard for my success). I just don’t want to see what is special lose its meaning.

					


	

		
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