I’m happy to say that my blog is once again open for submissions! Acceptable topics for guest posts include book reviews, just about anything regarding reading and writing, short fiction, and poetry. I’m also open for book review requests if you’re interested in getting a little more traffic for your novel.
You can check out my Contact and Submissions page for more information. Please feel free to ask any questions, and I look forward to hearing from you!
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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
Needing a little guidance for the week? Then you’re in luck, because it’s Tarot Tuesday!
This week’s pull is from The Akashic Tarot by Sharon Anne Klingler and Sandra Anne Taylor. If you’re unfamiliar with them, the Akashic Records are fields of energy that contain all knowledge past and present. It’s a complex but fascinating idea. I recommend The Akashic Records Made Easy by Sandra Anne Taylor to explore it further.
If you’re interested in a reading of your own, please see the bottom of this post or come visit me on eBay.
Study the photo below and see which card calls to you (1, 2, or 3). You may want to know what the week holds for you in general, or you may have a specific question in mind. Regardless of what you want to know, let your spirit guide you on your card. You’ll find the cards and their meanings below.
Are you ready? Scroll down to find your card!
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#1 – 1 of Roses: This card is about commitment, contracts, and signing. It could represent something as bold and obvious as a romantic vow or a love from your past coming back into your life. Whether you’re looking at a romantic commitment or a business contract (such as the purchase/sale of a home, a new job, etc.), be confident in knowing that it will turn out well.
#2 – 8 of Forces: Just as lightning suddenly splits apart a tree, you’re experiencing a loss that feels sudden and drastic. The storm has been brewing for quite some time, though, and this was always going to happen. Accept this incredible force of nature and give the rain time to wash away the parts of your life you no longer need. New beginnings are always coming after loss.
#3 – 2 of Keys: The suit of Keys relates to values, wealth, success, and power. The artistry on this card is incredibly important. The man is focusing on the treasure chest in front of him that’s been broken open and everything valuable stolen, and that’s keeping him from paying attention to the one chest behind him that’s still safe. The 2 of Keys tells us not to concentrate on the losses we’ve suffered or what we don’t have but to focus on what you still have remaining. There are other opportunities out there for you.
Which card did you pick? Did it mean anything for you? I’d love to know, so feel free to leave me a comment!
Interested in a reading of your own?
You’ll receive a photo of the actual cards drawn and a thorough explanation of their meaning. The readings are done through email, so please ensure a valid email address is included with your payment!
This is for a generalized reading with a deck that calls to me. If you have a specific question or needs, please feel free to email me at ashley@ashleyomelia.com or visit me on eBay (see link below) and we can get it arranged easily. Thank you!
Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping and The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
Please note that I’m a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Please considering doing your shopping using my links to help me earn money at no cost to you.
in the rental casita a plump woman asleep, on a lumpy sofa bare feet on a red pillow despite the green ferny wallpaper this is no Matisse her unconvincing knees seem faraway from her head while her toes are off the canvas completely
there are days I’ve felt like this no Sleeping Beauty just trying to get through a hot afternoon a third trimester high school menopause too enervated to even put ice cubes in a glass of tap water
but this is bought and sold, signed hanging on the wall the artists’s name a blur beneath a painted cushion
and the day seems like a to do list I left for myself twenty years ago forgetting to even mention I love you.
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Ancestors
zodiac swam in its round above the wooden ark veiled women hid behind a mechitza of water and blood if I was a child I ran among their legs if I was a child I ran
in the Red Cafe in Kiev at the teetering round table in steam and smoke like a railway station tea served in endless glasses they are shouting again those philosophers too broke to pay but suddenly I can’t hear them sound fades, they’re ghosts and what am I?
in all of history, who can care about one girl, tired, besmirched sitting by the coals of a dying fire who can care about birch trees— there are so many…
who can care about rape about how my eyes turn a betraying green or how my fingers curl helplessly as DNA deforms my hand the double helix of Vikings, Cossacks, the Rus come down out of the cold shamanic north for bad, for worse
ancestors come if I call smelling like a snuffed candle and come if I don’t call smelling of hospital corridors and panic for the angels are too busy encouraging each blade of grass to grow reciting the alphabet but only from aleph to aleph they have not yet reached the first letter of my name
before this, a wall before that, destruction before that, an ark on the deep a raven a dove, an opinion about what survives
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Rancho de Taos
you think you have problems… windchimes kept us awake all night along with the neighbor’s barking dog and the dance music turned up loud not to mention the moon…
magpie feathers float on the air something killed and ate a bird; a cauldron, a metal rabbit, a lantern guard the storeroom of a different feeling
Taos Mountain is still snow-covered, the day after Easter I’d be careful, breeze ruffles the pages of a book about grenades and the Chinese revolution
the tiny girl like a crow can count at least up to five for how mysterious the hacienda is that always has one more bed than the number of residents.
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Miriam Sagan is the author of over thirty books of poetry, fiction, and memoir. Her most recent include Bluebeard’s Castle (Red Mountain, 2019) and A Hundred Cups of Coffee (Tres Chicas, 2019). She is a two-time winner of the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards as well as a recipient of the City of Santa Fe Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and a New Mexico Literary Arts Gratitude Award. She has been a writer in residence in four national parks, Yaddo, MacDowell, Gullkistan in Iceland, Kura Studio in Japan, and a dozen more remote and interesting places. She works with text and sculptural installation as part of the creative team Maternal Mitochondria in venues ranging from RV Parks to galleries. She founded and directed the creative writing program at Santa Fe Community College until her retirement. Her poetry was set to music for the Santa Fe Women’s Chorus, incised on stoneware for a haiku pathway, and projected as video inside an abandoned grain silo in rural Itoshima. Her blog is Miriam’s Well.
Time to shake off that case of the Mondays and get ready for Tarot Tuesday! This week’s draw is from the Animal Tarot deck by Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine. I love all the beautiful animals in this deck and the way that everything is connected to nature. If you’re interested in a personal reading, please see the bottom of this post or visit me on eBay.
Study the picture below. If you have a question or situation you’re concerned about, hold that in the front of your mind as you choose your card. You can also simply pick the one that calls to you. When you’re ready, scroll down to find the meaning of your card.
Ready?
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#1 – Unity: This card is about spiritual growth. You may need a divine teacher to help you along this path, or you may be called to serve as one for someone else. Solitude and introspection may be needed in order to deal with challenges.
#2 – Seven of Summer: It’s time to make a decision, and you can’t procrastinate any longer. You’re overthinking the situation and making excuses, but it’s time to listen to your heart and move forward.
#3 – Ace of Winter: This card is all about determination and focus. Even if things have been a little bit difficult at the beginning of your journey, push forward to achieve your goal. The panda can also symbolize a new idea, finding truth, or working out communication problems. Since they prefer peace and quiet over chaos, this card could be telling you to find a quiet space to think before your continue down your path.
Which card did you pick? What did it mean for you? I’d love to know, so feel free to leave a comment.
Interested in a tarot reading?
You’ll receive a photo of the actual cards drawn and a thorough explanation of their meaning. The readings are done through email, so please ensure a valid email address is included with your payment!
This is for a generalized reading. If you have a specific question or needs, please feel free to email me at ashley@ashleyomelia.com or come visit me on eBay (see link below) and we can arrange it easily. Thank you!
Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Even though I’m still working through my Bookshelf Cleanout, there are some books that simply won’t be leaving my shelves anytime soon. Some of my favorites are those that’ve been signed by the author, of course! While I don’t have any amazing stories about meeting a famous writer, these books still mean a lot to me.
You may have seen my recent post about building my Warren Norwood collection with The Windhover Tapes. I’m currently obsessed with old sci-fi, and bonus points if it’s out of print! I scored this signed book on eBay for only six bucks.
I particularly love the way it was signed. I don’t know if this was for some sort of giveaway or if perhaps the author had a feeling this book would wander around until it got to me, but I love it!
Do you have any signed books? I have more I’ll be sharing in the coming months, but I’d love to hear about yours!
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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
Like what you’re reading?
Consider making a small donation to help keep this blog going. Every bit makes a difference!
Hey, everyone! Just a quick post to say my short scifi novella, Remembering Calix, is free until Monday! If you’ve already read it, I’d really appreciate a review. Thanks!
Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please consider using my links to do your shopping and help me out at no extra cost to you!
It’s time once again for Tarot Tuesday to see what the rest of the week holds for us!
This week’s pull is from The Sacred Traveler Oracle by Denise Linn. The bold, otherworldly images on these cards really called out to me, and there’s just so much energy in these cards.
If you’re interested in a reading of your own, please see the bottom of this post or visit me on eBay.
Study the photo below and see which card calls to you (1, 2, or 3). You may want to know what the week holds for you in general, or you may have a specific question in mind. Regardless of what you want to know, let your spirit guide you on your card. You’ll find the cards and their meanings below.
Are you ready? Scroll down to find your card!
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#1 – Ascending the Mountain: Press on! Even if things are tough, even if it seems as though the mountain is just impossibly high, you have to keep going. You know that what’s at the top of that mountain is totally worth all that hard work in the end, but it’s easy to forget when you’re struggling up the slope. Is that mountain your own barrier that you’ve set up to stop your own success? Then this is the time to trudge right up and over it.
#2 – Breaking Trail: Something new and exciting is coming, and sometimes you have to find your own way to it. If someone hasn’t already blazed that trail for you, then it’s up to you. You’re working through all the emotional blockages that have stopped you before and pushing away anything that stands in your path to success.
#3 – View from Above: Just as this card says, it’s time to look at the big picture. It’s too easy to get caught up in all the little things in life that might stop you, so now is the time to take a step back and see what’s truly important. That’s the information you need to make major life decisions. This card also invites you to get a different perspective on your troubles, whether it’s seeing someone else’s viewpoint or simply looking at things from a different angle.
Which card did you pick? Did it mean anything for you? I’d love to know, so feel free to leave me a comment!
Interested in a reading of your own?
You’ll receive a photo of the actual cards drawn and a thorough explanation of their meaning. The readings are done through email, so please ensure a valid email address is included with your payment!
This is for a generalized reading with a deck that calls to me. If you have a specific question or needs, please feel free to email me at ashley@ashleyomelia.com or visit me on eBay (see link below) and we can get it arranged easily. Thank you!
Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping and The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
Please note that I’m a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
We all know Scarlet O’Hara’s famous old line, but in modern times we’ve been focused more on stranger danger and internet safety. You can’t trust anyone these days, right?
And while to a degree I agree with that, there are some encounters with complete strangers that I simply can’t forget. Some of these incidents are literally decades old at this point, but they still cross my mind from time to time.
-A couple of months ago I had to run into the grocery store for a couple of things. I hadn’t actually been in the store for a long time due to the pandemic, so it was a weird experience for me as I flew through and grabbed the items I needed for dinner. I happened to notice an older gentleman in the frozen section. He was dressed in a black Stetson, a black shirt, black cowboy boots, and a black and white bandana for a mask. He caught my eye because I thought he just had the perfect post-Covid-apocalypse outfit on, and as a writer I thought he would make a great character. Anyway, he saw me looking at him, and he tipped his hat at me! This old-fashioned gesture took me by surprise and completely made my day!
-Mother’s Day, 2009: I was sitting in an out-of-town IHOP with my daughter. A crazy storm had come through our area and left everyone without power. With a 3-year-old and another baby on the way (one who would be born just a few days later with a cancerous tumor), it only made sense to head across state lines for the comfort of a hotel. I sat there at that restaurant, tired, worried, and feeling very alone in the world. But then an older couple passed my table on the way way out, and they stopped to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day. It was so touching. The thing is, they weren’t the only ones! At least three different times that morning, someone stopped with Mother’s Day greetings. I was nearly in tears by the time I left.
-Back in college, there was a Vietnam veteran in my speech class. he seemed very uncomfortable, and he had a very hard time doing the required speeches. I had a few short conversations with him, and I really felt for him. He gave me a handmade pendant he’d made as part of his demonstration speech, and I still have it to this day. (I wrote a little more about him here.)
-My daughters and I were walking into Home Goods last weekend. My youngest dropped her ring in the parking lot. She’d just bought it on her birthday, and it means a lot to her. It’d rolled off from where she walking, and we couldn’t find it. I was really starting to worry, and then I noticed another customer who’d overheard us had doubled back and was helping us look. She found the ring, and she was my hero of the day!
These are all such small things, but they mean so much to me! Never underestimate the power of a smile, a word, or a simple gesture. You might make someone’s day, or you might even make such an impression that a random stranger remembers you for the rest of their life.
Has a stranger been kind to you? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
Like what you’re reading?
Consider making a small donation to help keep this blog going. Every bit helps!
It’s time once again for Tarot Tuesday! The energy of Monday is cleared away, and it’s time to look toward the rest of the week.
This week’s pull is from Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore. It’s a beautifully illustrated deck with a guidebook that reads like a fantasy novel.
If you’re interested in a reading of your own, please see the bottom of this post or come visit me on eBay.
Study the photo below and see which card calls to you (1, 2, or 3). You may want to know what the week holds for you in general, or you may have a specific question in mind. Regardless of what you want to know, let your spirit guide you on your card. You’ll find the cards and their meanings below.
Are you ready? Scroll down to find your card!
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#1 – Ten of Cups: This card is about emotional contentment, such as reaching that point in a relationship when you know everything is truly going to be all right. There’s always work to do in any endeavor, but you can now see the culmination of your efforts. There is a security and happiness in this card, whether it’s a romantic relationship or a familial one. Since the suit of cups is about creativity and emotions, this card could also be symbolizing the pinnacle of an emotional challenge or hitting a high point in your creative endeavors.
#2 – Page of Swords: The page brings a message, and here it is one of clarity and change. Look to the stars to guide you as they always have, and try to see things for what they truly are. Just as there is a balance here of black and white, keep yourself balanced as you head into the next phase of your life.
#3 – The Hanged Man: Though the name of this card sounds intimidating, it’s probably not what you think! The Hanged Man willingly sacrifices himself in order to gain knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual strength. This card is about letting go and giving up control for the greater good. It can also be suggesting a change in perspective in order to see the world around you in better detail.
This is the card I chose for myself, and it’s so very relevant! Sometimes I really need to let go and listen to what the universe is trying to tell me!
Which card did you pick? Did it mean anything for you? I’d love to know, so feel free to leave me a comment!
Interested in a reading of your own?
You’ll receive a photo of the actual cards drawn and a thorough explanation of their meaning. The readings are done through email, so please ensure a valid email address is included with your payment!
This is for a generalized reading with a deck that calls to me. If you have a specific question or needs, please feel free to email me at ashley@ashleyomelia.com or visit me on eBay (see link below) and we can get it arranged easily. Thank you!
Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping and The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
Please note that I’m a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
When selecting a book from my overloaded shelves, it’s always easy to pick up a Clive Cussler novel. I’ve read several of his novels before, and I figured it was about time to grab The Chase.
From the Cover: In 1906, the western states of America suffer a string of bank robberies by a single man who then cold-bloodedly murders any and all witnesses, and vanishes without a trace. Fed up by the depredations of “The Butcher Bandit,” the U.S. government brings in the best man it can find: a tall, lean, no-nonsense detective named Isaac Bell, who has caught thieves and killers from coast to coast.
But Bell has never had a challenge like this one. From Arizona to Colorado to the streets of San Francisco during its calamitous earthquake and fire, he pursues a fiend who seems to draw pleasure from the challenge and a woman who may to hold the key to the man’s identity. As Bell begins to suspect a new term used among top psychologists, sociopath, may describe his target, the Butcher Bandit turns the chase around on him. The hunter becomes the hunted. And soon, it will take all of Bell’s skills not merely to prevail . . . but to survive.
What I Loved: What’s not to love about a Clive Cussler novel? He was always an absolute master of detail, something that’s extremely important when writing historical fiction. I was completely catapulted back to 1906 as Isaac Bell of the Van Dorn Detective Agency tracked down a murderous bank robber. True historical events were blended seamlessly into the plot with only the most necessary exposition. The characters were deep and well fleshed out, and the plot was twisting and turning every minute. The Chase is a book of action, suspense, intrigue, and even a little bit of romance.
What I Didn’t Love: I wouldn’t consider a novel like this an ‘easy read’ simply because there’s so much to keep track of and so much happening. That’s really my only complaint, but it’s something I knew going in. It’s only really a problem because life has been chaotic lately, and I haven’t had much time to just settle down and focus on a book.
Rating and Recommendation: It’s no surprise that The Chase is a 5-star book. Clive Cussler was an absolute master.
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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ashley O'Melia, Author 