IS AGE REALLY JUST A NUMBER?

IS AGE REALLY JUST A NUMBER? - an excerpt

PAGE 48 - 49

Without fail, at every single workshop I have facilitated, I have chosen to close each one with a song. I encourage participants to form a circle, hold hands, and sing from the heart. Everyone can sing! Yes, some carry a tune better than others, but everyone can sing. As for me, I say I can carry a tune as long as I don't have to carry it far.

In this instance, you are possibly alone reading this little book. You are not in a group setting. But that doesn't mean you cannot sing, does it?

Here are the words to the song. I'm sorry, but in this instance you will need to make up your own tune.

Everyone marches to their own drummer; everyone sings to his own delight, and with no question, everyone can sing!

How Could Anyone Ever Tell You

How could anyone ever tell you

That you're anything less than beautiful?

How could anyone ever tell you

That you're less than whole?

How could anyone fail to notice

That your loving is a miracle?

How deeply

You're connected to my soul.

PAGE 50

I was always a great fan of Shirley MacLaine. I loved her book titled "Out on a Limb". I often think of her out there on that limb.

Let's all get out on a limb, have faith, take a chance, and when we feel most alone, may we always know that we are all bound to the wheel.

We are never alone.

"Circle of Friends"

IS AGE REALLY JUST A NUMBER?  is available on all Amazon sites.  You will find this workbook on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/AGE-REALLY-JUST-NUMBER-Empowerment/dp/B0GHNT5N9F/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Y1XXDGIHFXBO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y-mYmPdrniU9sf_nNPNbtw._yFa2EogZzDQ4FURsFd2OmzTw6O53bnmqXbYyl83uS8&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+is+age+really+just+a+number&qid=1773409311&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+is+age+really+just+a+number%2Cstripbooks%2C107&sr=1-1

ALMOST TIME TO LEAVE

 ALMOST TIME TO LEAVE - an excerpt

PAGE 129 - 130

My apartment was in the basement. While living there, I learned that World Vision, an organization through which I had adopted a little girl, had left Peru due to the terrorizing activities of the Sendero Luminoso, or The Shining Path in English. The Shining Path is officially the Communist Party of Peru.

Sendero Luminosa was widely condemned for its excessive brutality, including violence against peasants. It was also violent toward trade union organizers, Marxist groups, and the general public.

They were regarded as a terrorist organization by the Government of Peru, as well as by Japan, the European Union, the United States and Canada.

The year I travelled to meet Yeny was 1991. This was my first and, so far, only visit to a country where military tanks and soldiers were evident on many corners.

My foster child, Yeny, lived in the City of Puno in Peru. And it was from this city that World Vision workers departed. Shining Path founder, Abimael Guzman was captured in 1992.

I visited in the home of Yeny Ponce, her mother, and sisters .............

ALMOST TIME TO LEAVE - a memoir is available on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/ALMOST-TIME-LEAVE-Audrey-Austin/dp/B0G4R9FNBJ/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1F00M81TE8CAI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kuLPnuaPqcnv6nefgF0RPG0WLlG7NLkTstnu9yns3_pQZ7jQfYhaQ2jfa_wa6NNsmZm60Sp_fOVXWg-pQ8bRrBaHQuMyXKVZMxkC5foXbI7wDd06dQgq-FJ0NPo8s6HH1hmhFSyAlcw4YSvR8PtFvTKpA7t1aBUex2uCRTk9ki6XivqnVW3betJDZDMRqf5-mBCCnJLlBLwIp0xap-416wWBxhTf6lAqjZk5RZSVy_A.oe8kDKkYvW63n7E5WZ0abxSL2XSJsn6Ros0adOnlsCE&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin&qid=1773245127&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+%2Cstripbooks%2C122&sr=1-2

MORE POartRY and PROSE

 MORE POartRY and PROSE - an excerpt

PAGE 63

Our world is not the same world in which I grew up.

People have always struggled but I get the impression that today the struggle is tougher than it was in bygone days. I believe this is because too many people have lost hope in a brighter future.

Too many are devoid of faith in anything outside of themselves.

I don't know what the future holds. Our planet is filled with wars, hunger, drugs, homelessness, violence, hatred, and fear. Perhaps it always has been but, because of social media, we see and hear much more about this negativity.

We do our best to keep our homes peaceful and safe but with social media, T.V., and cell phones, it is difficult to escape all the ugliness taking place in our world.

I pray for all the little ones coming up.  I wonder what kind of a world my little Cecilia and her friends will find themselves in when they are grown.

PAGE 54

"Pretty in Print"

Even today in our modern 2023 world, I hear female friends saying, "Oh, this weather is perfect for hanging the clothes on the line."

Today, those women who have an outdoor space are blessed to be given a choice. They can choose to hang the clothes on the line or they can choose to throw the clothes into the dryer.

My mother had no choice. In fact, in the early being Mommy days of my life, I had no choice. The electric or gas dryers became popular in the fifties but weren't commonly used by the average family until the early sixties.

I have early childhood memories of my mother hanging clothes on the line in the backyard on good-weather days. I also remember the many bad-weather days when she would hang the wet clothes on lines hung in the basement and even in the kitchen where it was warm by the gas fire.

On cold winter days when she hung the clothes outside on the line, I remember the clothes freezing solid. I remember my poor mother's hands rough and sometimes bleeding. And I remember her carrying the stiff, frozen clothes into the house. The clothes thawed quickly and she would be faced with the task of hanging them again in the basement or kitchen.

As for looking pretty in print, yes, indeed my mother did wear pretty print dresses when I was a child. She called them housedresses, not to be confused with her afternoon dresses and her evening dresses.

MORE POartRY and PROSE is available on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/MORE-POartRY-PROSE-Audrey-Austin/dp/1979092613/ref=sr_1_1?crid=A1S5NKS29ODO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.72huPoxx4BXKx9Wtamsknp-edxBvHb6jvOw4ZJPjMplkDpXs6i3YCGftSCTFCiMjRVFCI8lWy79BaRIFC8d59lFSYc3kW12SOLIY8EPE74ZEZp-gaIVjQw_S-i8emwYe_oQam0eMRHGDN-fXXTvE2DFsR-ybeIQO5wdcfkdh4aM.rMFsEombHea0WHoU0uB41E14nWoaKkUMSWi133PpTKA&dib_tag=se&keywords=audrey+austin+more+poetry+and+prose&qid=1773173795&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+more+poartry+and+prose%2Cstripbooks%2C115&sr=1-1

POartRY and PROSE

 POartRY and PROSE - an excerpt

PAGE 34-35 -  "Lady in Blue"

LADY IN BLUE

Her eyes held the promise,

Her heart the love,

For the one who had blessed her

From Heaven above.

The years spent in waiting,

In sorrow, in pain,

Would soon be a memory

To ne'er happen again.

Her gown glistening white,

Papa by her side,

Soon to walk down the aisle

A glorious sight.

The exchange of gold rings

Would brighten her world,

But he did not arrive

Her future was hurled.

Now with white gown in closet

This bride, she withdrew

From life, love, and caring

She's the lady in blue.

POartRY and PROSE is available on all Amazon sites.  You will find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/POartRY-PROSE-Audrey-Austin/dp/B0BLQPFZYC/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3IMNU259OSOEO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.72huPoxx4BXKx9Wtamsknp-edxBvHb6jvOw4ZJPjMpnazmoCWKmhk3-49A3qu8BdUuJF-cvqJl3sxS4Xp3ENN0HfAsMxKlyvZaKtVWlwvU84-5RHJQ8wozO6qg-2UxJ6OSaIqyhtOwsmyBE-jI0yeW2xgQwLFMlKkGsac8FysAIZOcDPLN0L3OZuYZNmQGFD5NVQwOcFXkjTT2c_ay78x1eZ6-Va9bE0ebTrmKtwIFA.KvL7j4YH_G4i1eHkHDGCTkDgDAElRFiHiGJlAtr0rMo&dib_tag=se&keywords=audrey+austin+poetry+and+prose&qid=1772982688&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+poartry+and+prose%2Cstripbooks%2C112&sr=1-2

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN - excerpts

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN - excerpts 

ONE DAY WITH MISTY

PAGE 7 - 8

We share the same crate. That means that we are neighbours. We can keep each other company.

I stay in my crate with Orange Cat for many weeks. But one day, a man visits with us. He has a little boy with him.

"Which one do you like?" the man asks the little boy.

"I like the orange one," The little boy says.

"Good choice," the man replies. "The other one is too old."

That day the man and the little boy take Orange Cat away to live with them.

I am all alone.

Will any little boy or girl come and want to take me home?

I feel very sad because I know that no one seems to like old cats.

https://www.amazon.ca/ONE-DAY-MISTY-Audrey-Austin/dp/B0DKBYFP27/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PB0HFVZG2PQK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KstcOVD39tJ2xoOGW810xg.bEQEgsXkQQ9mhDuJw3i07kphiUMOnr3zo9EKLbB7q2E&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+one+day+with+misty&qid=1772809658&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+one+day+with+misty%2Cstripbooks%2C114&sr=1-1

ELEPHANT AND THE BUMBLY BEE

PAGE 21 - 22

They traveled far, so far; too far,

The jungle is gone. In Toronto they roam,

"Bumbly, I'm scared. I don't like it here!"

"Trust me, have fun, Elephant dear."

Elephant danced with all his heart,

This experience was brand new,

The music played and it was loud

And Bee was dancing too.

His first ride on a bicycle

He hoped he would not fall

He did his best to balance

And had the best time of all.

https://www.amazon.ca/Elephant-Bumbly-Bee-Audrey-Austin/dp/B0DJ52SGL5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LSDR4O8RLUO4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PmqvEIVWYcGbledE9t7JNw.DnkvgfPmTmewBomawXekl0eKc0BMrjJdr7I9-Estf0M&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+elephant+and+the+bumbly+bee&qid=1772810114&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+elephant+and+the+bumbly+bee%2Cstripbooks%2C111&sr=1-1

THE LAST DROP

PAGE 10 12

Father comes home

at the end of the day

Daddy, can we go

outside to play?

Goodness me, no,

no, no; not yet

In this downpour

you will get soaking wet.

How much longer 

must we wait

Until the rain

decides to abate?

I don't know the answer

said both Dad and Mom

but smile, Dad encouraged

no need to feel glum.

Just think of the fun

you can have in your room

There's really no reason 

for sadness and gloom.

https://www.amazon.ca/Last-Drop-Audrey-Austin/dp/1511404817/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1E2DGHUCJ1K11&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XgD_ZNdZk4h3SOJAQf4Sgg.ikNJAg2UAXNhJIpGBRxEfo4CD83h1rgBSAp8XNZIhYI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+the+last+drop&qid=1772810584&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+the+last+drop%2Cstripbooks%2C117&sr=1-1

All my books for children can be found on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin 

SHH! We Don't Talk About That!

 SHH! We Don't Talk About That - an excerpt

PAGE  36 - 37

But she did  speak to me for a while about psychic boundaries and about the importance of respecting them. Perhaps there were others in the house at that time who had not invited me in and who would not welcome my presence.

This was not to be my last, but it was my first experience of astral travel. This event took place more than thirty years ago, but it is one that I will never forget.

During that conversation with my cousin, I learned for the first time about psychic boundaries. Later in life, when I began to understand and to learn much more about auras, and about reading another's aura, I would remind myself, always, to respect those psychic boundaries. It was not for me to read another's aura unless I was recipient of a request to do so.

After this time, I began to expand my choice of reading material. It was around this time that I learned of author, Mary Summer Rain, who introduced me to "No Eyes", an elderly, indigenous woman who frequently astral travelled into other realms.

In time I gathered enough courage to attempt astral travel again.  I found myself most comfortable if I was sitting cross-legged on the floor or perhaps laying down on either my bed or sofa. Always I asked for God's guidance.

SHH! We Don't Talk About That! is available on all Amazon sites.  You will find it on my author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at  https://www.amazon.ca/Shh-Dont-Talk-About-That/dp/B0BZ2R2T2X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=205DND9FG3J5E&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CyJgTR4z-Z1dn-Vr18_dxqUs3_SkMyBcjMkmpJHO1bU.HLT97_QD-_D1E_Sn5-RwEnBRQMhlKzhDvlTe2J576OA&dib_tag=se&keywords=audrey+austin+shh+we+don%27t+talk+about+that&qid=1772647945&sprefix=Audrey+Austin+shh%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-1

STRUGGLE - To Reach the Bridge of Light

 STRUGGLE - to Reach the Bridge of Light - an excerpt

PAGE 25 - 26

Humans still do not know that they can't rise above their circumstances without first being immersed in them. And they can't be immersed in their circumstances if they refuse to feel them.  You have become hardened. The ability to feel,  and to demonstrate caring and compassion, is one that has been lost to the human race. Will you never learn that you can't get beyond what you have never been in?

Yes, I will admit that, at first, it made me deeply saddened to realize that you have lost the ability to feel, and to grow from your feelings. I am sad no longer. I am angry! You walk all over me without thought, without care, leaving a trail of physical, emotional, and spiritual rubbish behind you.

The phoenix created a nest of boughs and spices. It proceeded to set its own nest on fire, and it was consumed in the flames.

Humans, you have inhabited me. You have created your nests.  You have wrapped yourselves in wood, brick, and plastic. You call these structures your homes. You forget that I am your home. You forget that you build upon your mother. And when you leave your structure, if not before, you immediately proceed to destroy me.

This is the reason I will choose to be consumed in the flames. I promise you, unlike the phoenix, I will not rise. Make no mistake, nor will you.

Only those who have the insight, and who are chosen by the Lord, by Great Cosmic Power, and by me, to see the bright, blue lights will be rescued.

A small group of seven will be chosen. I am not the one, alone, to do the choosing. If it were up to me, I would choose no one. But another has made the decision to save one soul family. I will say no more about the phoenix. I am your Mother and you have been warned for the last time!

STRUGGLE - To Reach the Bridge of Light is available on all Amazon sites.  You will find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/STRUGGLE-Reach-Bridge-Audrey-Austin/dp/B08YHYVB2D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EDHDGWEKMHW1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.x_RpmwaQ8YH8VkbwgJK6qg.7IKA3gHMezKFfgj9oyUS4WH6UZPDX6Q084VhBAjjU0Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+Struggle+to+reach+the+bridge+of+light&qid=1772551872&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+struggle+to+reach+the+bridge+of+light%2Cstripbooks%2C120&sr=1-1

THE OBSERVER - His Eye is on the Sparrow - an excerpt

 THE OBSERVER - His Eye is on the Sparrow - an excerpt

PAGE 54 

The waitress returns and takes away the dishes. Mom pays the bill with her debit card and then starts to get up from the table. "Come on, Karen. It's time to go home."

It is obvious my mother doesn't want to talk to me about my grandmother or about her Hindu religion. When we arrive home from The Fireside that evening I sit alone in my bedroom atop my bed with my laptop upon my knee. I think about it and soon I reach the decision that, if my mother is not willing to share with me, I will just need to see what I can learn on my own about the Hindu religion. There is no one I can talk to about it; no one I can call or go to and ask for help.

PAGE 66

I am five  years old when Britain finally grants India its independence. This great event happens three years after my father is killed.  I am six years old when Mahatma Ghandi dies; too young to understand anything about all the changes that are taking place in the City of Bangalore.

Bangalore, a mega city in Southern India, is where I am born and where I live for thirty-seven years before marrying Thomas Wakeling and, with him, making the move to the small northern town of Ellliot Lake in Ontario, Canada.

THE OBSERVER - His Eye is on the Sparrow is available on all Amazon sites in both Kindle and Paperback formats.  You can find it on my Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/OBSERVER-His-Eye-Sparrow/dp/B0857CFLVL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3MH0RDRL4NAVU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._nb2E814PosBoxtz6xZKOmcZanWMudRK8jlOZE7YH8H248NH8Ohy_QqUAE9eHKH9c3Oy5D9py203a5lzXoejhgKq0TW4WLFIA3DIhDNVaV4.PUBQBS_CV7VWRy9X2bzQMxaAAiz_8zwLQzoWG_HzXNQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+the+observer&qid=1772478235&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+the+observer+%2Cstripbooks%2C205&sr=1-1

NO PLACE TO LAY HER HEAD ..... a handful of moments

 NO PLACE TO LAY HER HEAD - a handful of moments - an excerpt

PAGE 5

And when a woman loses a man she loves, she is filled with emptiness; with silence; and with a yearning that nothing can satisfy. Nothing and no one can fill the restless vacancy; the hole behind the veneer of practicality; of sad smiles; and of one foot placed in front of the other in order to achieve those ordinary tasks that they used to always do together; that she used to think important; that don't matter anymore.

Thus the grieving process begins.

Life goes on whether she cares; whether she doesn't care; whether she feels strong; whether she feels nothing at all. Life goes on.

PAGE 31

I sometimes feel resentful at being so very alone. At the same time I don't want to be with anyone. I feel sometimes left out when not included in community events. No one phoned and asked, 'do you want to go?' At the same time I don't want to go anywhere. I am grateful when I look at my daytimer and see that there is nothing scheduled. "Good,  I don't have to leave the house today."

NO PLACE TO LAY HER HEAD - a handful of moments is available in Kindle and Paperback formats on all Amazon sites.  You will find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/Place-Lay-Head-handful-moments/dp/1687202834/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3OG2JPDTGYN6G&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fhTnHzRSztbbG5T8858auQ.EkDqrUt-GqSDIxFshUsCTT01Rw1kNmCwxrPF68AEZ-o&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+no+place+to+lay+her+head&qid=1772374659&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+no+place+to+lay+her+head%2Cstripbooks%2C119&sr=1-1

Simply BE - an excerpt

Simply BE - an excerpt

PAGE  36 - 41

Be Forgiving

Be forgiving

Begin by forgiving

 Yourself.

Look within

for your own

highest 

good.

Be forgiving

Try to remember

that

all the time you are

putting up with someone

someone

is

putting up with you.

Be forgiving.

Holding a grudge

is

a burden.

Let go

and let God.

You will be glad

you did

"My burden is light".

Be forgiving.

"But that you may know

that

the son of man

has

power on earth

to forgive."

"As we forgive those who

trespass against us."

Be forgiving.

If you hold on to

yesterday's pain

your progress today

will be limited.

To forgive

is

to love.

Be forgiving.

If you stand

with one leg in the past

and the other

in the future,

you won't have

a leg to stand on

today.

Simply BE is available in both kindle and paperback formats on all Amazon sites.  You will find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

or directly at https://www.amazon.ca/Simply-BE-Audrey-Austin/dp/1508916101/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2WQ8SVNDDRR1A&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-OXkJhbjX2_G_7yP0u7vHcivu4TyQovC9bBS3MjLzYgVnP-lq9fybvInTWUaAvaCPjc-F8nhuDMIaVTX1q2ASY6E8sNO1V4zWmoc3XE8mPlZ2Z6xd5nQEx15wXnT828tdYJkiQ50FPwvBJyN2rwHWQ.L77-wl8XJRPzti1BrnWPDAAojxQ-wnM1TcSvFcuFjwU&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+simply+BE&qid=1772292974&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+simply+be%2Cstripbooks%2C164&sr=1-1

ALL THEM HOUSES - an excerpt

 ALL THEM HOUSES - a memoir - an excerpt

PAGE 81-82

I had already been working for two  years by then.  My first job was as a clerk typist working for a downtown magazine distribution company called Gordon and Gotch which was located on Bay Street in Toronto.

After one year of working there, along with several others, I was laid off due to some kind of magazine scandal about which I never did understand the details.

I remember that day. And I remember thinking, how can I possibly go home and tell my mother I've lost my job? On my way home I stopped in at the downtown offices of the Bell Telephone Company. To my delight, I was hired that day; hired to be a teletypist. I didn't know what a teletypist was, but I figured I would learn.

I felt blessed.  My unemployed status had lasted less than an hour. Instead of going home with sad news, I arrived home to give my mother the good news of my new job.

PAGE 89

Yes, I have jumped over a lot of pot holes in my road but, in  spite of that, or maybe even because of that, my journey never ceases to amaze me.

I was seventeen, a child bride, when I moved into the basement apartment at 35 Alameda Avenue, my fourth of all them houses.

ALL THEM HOUSES, a memoir is available in paperback and kindle formats on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/All-Them-Houses-Audrey-Austin/dp/1542874076/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2IVTZST3Z6BHI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.z-iqvAgC-hWWF7c_jQrBqYlJWrMheZyhXMQc6P2EDA0.C-VO4Y97f9XcGEt7WZluJEufmtS-Gw_PLeQWtN5xf_8&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+All+Them+Houses&qid=1772211148&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+all+them+houses%2Cstripbooks%2C144&sr=1-1

THE SILENT STAR PLUS A DOZEN SELECTIONS - an excerpt

 THE SILENT STAR PLUS A DOZEN SELECTIONS

AFTER WORDS - an excerpt - PAGE 10 -11

Everything changed six months ago when John bought a laptop. He'd been on his way, as usual, to the movie rental store to rent his daily video. A new computer store had opened up in town. It was situated right next door to the video store. John impulsively wandered into the new store and surprised himself when he put the purchase of the laptop on his credit card. One thing seemed to lead to another. He needed to hire a fellow to come in and hook everything up. He needed to hire an internet server. He needed to learn a whole new language, not any easy thing to do when you are seventy-eight years of age, but achieve it he did.

Words such as e-mail, surfing the net and googling became an integral part of his vocabulary. But what brought about the dramatic awareness of wrinkles, brown-spotted hands and purple-veined nose was John's discovery of the Senior Chat Room.

The laptop turned his life upside down. No longer did he dust the tables, rent the movies or pay attention to the BBC News.

Instead he chatted.

And he had been chatting with Mary for nearly six months.  He became very creative in expressing himself in the chat room. He drew a picture of a man that he had only read about or watched perform in his daily movies. He introduced Mary to an affable, well-travelled, middle-aged man; well, maybe not middle-aged at sixty-two, but certainly not the old gramps his daughter checked in on every day to be certain he was eating and staying alive.

The chatting was fun. It was something John relished and enjoyed but now she had invited him to meet in the real world. That was all well and good. But, even though he knew he had done so, John found it impossible to believe he had said yes.  He had agreed to meet .......................

THE SILENT STAR PLUS A DOZEN SELECTIONS is available in both Kindle and Paperback formats on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at  https://www.amazon.ca/Silent-Star-plus-dozen-Selections/dp/1508664919/ref=sr_1_1?crid=11UP5GUDSJKMV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.S0HtuoEG1np-BiarETkT9gFHR19xnWuE4DBsYCr8uX4.tQN3b0UXKN2p2sL4u8Y4PnWoNcrPFxXaZy3K7YIdyM0&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+the+silent+star+plus+a+dozen+selections&qid=1772044382&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+the+silent+star+plus+a+dozen+selections%2Cstripbooks%2C116&sr=1-1

CRABAPPLE COURT - an excerpt

 CRABAPPLE COURT - an excerpt

PAGE 44 - 45

Without hesitation, Heather opens her medical bag, withdraws what is required and injects Patricia. Within moments Patricia is calm and soon sound asleep on the living-room couch.

"Gerald, I asked you have they started a search party yet? Why aren't the police here? Have they already left? I can't believe they would leave poor Patricia alone in the state she was in."

"The police haven't been here, Heather."

"What? Why on earth are they taking so long to get here? What time did you call them, Gerald?"

"I haven't called them yet, Heather. You're the only person I've called and to be quite frank I did not know what else to do."

"You didn't know what to do?  Gerald, for heaven's sakes, call the police. Why haven't you called them?  Call them right now! Have Susan's playmates been contacted? Could she have left the house and gone somewhere to play before Patricia woke up this morning?"

As he dialed the number for the police station, Gerald answers, "Patricia told me she did all that this morning before she called me." Then, "Yes, sir. I need to report a missing child."

Within ten minutes two police officers arrive at the door of Number five Crabapple Court.

After questioning Heather the police allow her to return next door to her home. She walks back across her neighbour's front lawn to her own house. The first thing she does is to phone her husband, Ernie, at work. She explains the little she knows of the situation to him. "The police kept asking me why I put Patricia to sleep before they had their opportunity to question her.  And they were right, Andy. It was a stupid thing to do. I don't know why I did that."

CRABAPPLE COURT is available in Kindle and Paperback formats on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/Crabapple-Court-Audrey-Austin/dp/0978023870/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2A9DD7MJ2E2LO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9KyJHI59gjPEMyXNYCK6IA.QAfEREG9CsM0TXMGFow3rt6Hh1IFBHXkXTlZllI1OYI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+crabapple+court&qid=1771943688&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+crabapple+court%2Cstripbooks%2C99&sr=1-1

WHEN GOD GIVES US SPRING - an excerpt

 WHEN GOD GIVES US SPRING - an excerpt

PAGE 14 - 15

I looks up to Leona thinking she be like my new mama; my smiling saviour but now Massa Alfred out the room she be the one to terrorize my heart. "Get your scrawny self out my way, boy! she say.  Her smile done disappeared with the Master's departure. In its place I see my frightening future.

Next thing I know Wilbur be yanking my arm with his big, black fist and pulling me over to the corner of the kitchen. "See that box?" he say.

"Yes, sir."

"You see any wood in that box, boy?"

"No, sir."

"You get your nasty self out this house and go chop you some wood. I want to see this box filled with firewood," he ordered.

I picked up the axe and carried it out the back door of the big house. I stood between the big white pillars and stared down the hill at the little patchy grey shack that was my mama's home. "I wants to go home, Mama," I cry.

I don't hear no words but I remember what my Mama say. "Aint nobody done cares what you wants, son."

WHEN GOD GIVES US SPRING is available on all Amazon sites in Kindle, Paperback, and also in a wonderful audiobook, beautifully narrated by Earl Sewell.  You can find WHEN GOD GIVES US SPRING  on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR direct at https://www.amazon.ca/When-God-Gives-Us-Spring/dp/1499106769/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33MTCZSTWXUO5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-5TLoY7FT82ji-KZsaYWBw.oQkVu7_IA-ZT5a-fl7LFxBy36WR3KGM4yvgT4tTCKXA&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+when+god+gives+us+spring&qid=1771769320&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+when+god+gives+us+spring%2Cstripbooks%2C136&sr=1-1

cover paperback

audiobook cover

RECOMPENSE - an excerpt

 RECOMPENSE - an excerpt

PAGE 20-21

My mother's white Baptist face shone like a bright star in a deep dark sky. She was the only white woman who attended our church. People accepted my mother's whiteness more readily than they accepted me. I sat between my black father and my white mother on a hard wooden chair. I was neither here nor there. I felt different from everyone and often I wished I were invisible. It was difficult to avoid sin when I was deemed by the clergy and most of the congregation to be one.

When I reached my early teens I wasn't into athletic sports or rough-housing like most of the other boys my age though I did admire their prowess. I knew I was not like the other boys in this way but what seemed of greater concern to me was that I did not want to be like them.  I preferred to share my time alone with a good book. I began to write little stories and journaling was something in which I began to take a great interest.

Of course I was not blind and I could see the young girls as they travelled along the road in their school uniforms. If I were to choose a girl I would not necessarily choose the most beautiful or the most clever.  No, I would choose a girl who was more interested in things like cooking or sewing.

Girls seemed to accept me as a friend but no girl ever showed any interest in having me as a boyfriend. I loved to listen to the girls talk about how a boy kissed them or how he behaved with them on dates. While these girls dreamed and shared their desires I simply buried my own. .............

RECOMPENSE is available on all Amazon sites in both Kindle and Paperback formats.  You can find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/Recompense-novella-Audrey-Austin/dp/1500503010/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1I84WDRAA2D9X&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FbEUoSHjD32_Xocixga_pYTgOgO7J00EDHYYcY5I7sjGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.t63fDT-j_NQsg-gbBuPIrUsGKTi0GiJYyThvC0Nmdjc&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+recompense&qid=1771686362&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+recompense%2Cstripbooks%2C116&sr=1-1

POETRY FROM A to Z - an excerpt

 POETRY FROM A to Z - an excerpt

PAGE 15 - 18  

This is a poem I wrote way back in 1994 and it was then published by a Toronto magazine titled Empowerment Magazine.

BEYOND TIME

In motionless silence

the mad woman travels to places that do not exist

impatient, she sleeps

by the still water pool

awaiting the touch

of the wise loving fool

And suddenly now

he is holding her close

aware, she's no longer herself

the wise fool's at peace

in this strange private land

the mad woman places her life

in his hand

Why are you? she whispers

with eyes that are open

be with it he silently pleads

I carry the key

it will unlock all fear

we've travelled far

to possess what is near

He unlocks her soul

which unites with her own

and drowns in an ocean of lust

she cries when she wakens

dear God, set me free

let me have here on earth 

what is destined to be

Walk in peace, Go commands

wear a clever disguise

respect your brother and sister

what in timelessness thrives

cannot happen on earth

the wise fool belongs to another

In motionless silence 

the mad woman travels

to places that cannot be found

the wise fool enquires

of tall tree of knowledge

will we meet

the next time around

And God in his heaven

enjoys the cruel joke

how wondrous his power

how heavy the yoke

rebellious and willful

yet true to God's rule

the mad woman travels

to meet the wise fool.

POETRY FROM A to Z is available in both Kindle and Paperback formats on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my Amazon Author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/Poetry-Z-Audrey-Austin/dp/150098910X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=126NUOWEWDY5O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y4grRz-h0G8CDWP4uIdKcb3lm74ziGYAClccg03srUnp60qA3WoCLn4LHfvl7cim6kzSCHT1PgKZunzxqmhUGjm9JSfu6l8nX3Ws9itlpXw.42ZHBXQBJqec7Q8naX3Xj4e_DydbGsKEac1ezcC0SUE&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+poetry+from+a+to+z&qid=1771600831&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+poetry+from+a+to+z%2Cstripbooks%2C114&sr=1-1

ELLEN and The Hummingtree - an excerpt

 ELLEN and the Hummingtree - an excerpt

PAGE 18 - 19

I'm old but I'm not ancient yet. In spite of the cataracts that cloud my vision, when I look at my face in the magnifying mirror that sits on my bathroom shelf over the sink I can see that it comprises a myriad of wrinkles. If I can convince myself to take the time in order to focus I can actually see that each one of my wrinkles is more like an artist's ink drawing of a deeply carved, long, winding road. And I believe that each road exists because of its own story to tell and I believe that at the end of each road is another tale waiting to be shared.

Yes, with age, the body bumps and weighted wrinkles have increased. Indeed they have multiplied but I've often thought that, in His wisdom, God's goodness has allowed my optical vision to simultaneously decrease.

Leave it to man to interfere with God's plans by inventing a seven times magnifying mirror!

In any event I know that I had better befriend old age because he is moving in whether I like it or not. The good Lord knows I don't want to be developing any new enemies at this stage of the game.

And now here I am, sidetracked again. Let me get back to my story.

I started collecting stones at an early age and today I am the proud owner of a wonderful, large stone collection. The larger stones are scattered around and about the house in the front and backyard gardens. Those which are the size of my hand or smaller fill the large plastic bowl that sits atop the ornamental elephant in my living-room.

As a shy and often awkward child I somehow thought I could find myself; my true, confident, talented and clever self in the stones. When I held one in my hand I could feel its pulsing surge of power. I loved and continue to love stones and as a child, knowing their power, I could only imagine how much more powerful a rock would be.

Everyone, even a child, knows rocks are greater, more powerful, than stones.  I knew that a rock was something I could depend on. Rocks are hard and solid. A rock would never let me down; never disappoint me the way my daddy did. Rocks don't die.

ELLEN and the Hummingtree is  available on all Amazon sites in both Kindle and Paperback formats.  You will find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/ELLEN-HUMMINGTREE-Audrey-Austin/dp/1926614674/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3B6NKERO9AWIP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JcIT7S9JcTSZVLHWqqDYTF0hzo9XJ0-PxTIby6Z3j67GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.-VYloX8XPD0Zl1Nxd5r6GLVlMcO3EdymDVCTE91L_4E&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+ellen+and+the+hummingtree&qid=1771515219&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+ellen+and+the+hummingtree%2Cstripbooks%2C140&sr=1-1

KEEPING IT SIMPLE - Imagine Being Whole - an excerpt

 KEEPING IT SIMPLE - Imagine Being Whole - an excerpt

PAGE 98 - 101

You may be wondering how nice person can be the name of a negative emotional issue. Generally speaking a well-balanced, emotionally healthy individual is one who is able to feel and express in a healthy way all of his wide-ranging feelings. Perhaps sometimes he is nice but sometimes he is not. It is expected that a healthy human being has access to and free, healthy expression of an extremely wide range of emotions.

There are those among us who feel the need to appear as always a nice person.   If this is you then you may be described as being nice, sweet, charming, friendly, always nice, nice, nice and nice.  If this describes you then you will not know how to deal with anyone who is not nice.  You will see the world through rose-coloured glasses and strive to keep the world at a distance. You can be so entrenched in niceness that when anything at all gets out of kilter you will know it is not your fault. How could it be? You are always so nice. You will keep your cool when all around you are losing it. You will walk away and leave the room when unpleasantness occurs.

You don't want to hear about any so-called not nice feelings in another; for example, anger, sadness or fear.  It is certain you will never admit that you ever feel those feelings.

The truth is you probably don't. You are afraid of these feelings and strive to keep them buried within. You will always have a kind word to say as long as there are no difficult issues with which to deal.

This so-called nice person will look for the nearest bitch to take care of it for him.

Nice people avoid confrontation. And nice people truly believe that they are always nice. No one could ever accuse them of being otherwise.

But it is rare, indeed, that this person will find the courage to go within to discover what is often evident to others about them and that is the motivation behind all this niceness.

These people wear their niceness like a suit of armor to keep all unpleasantness away.

These nice people always ensure that they have someone in their lives to take care of those things that are not so nice. The individual who coined the phrase, Beware the nice guy! is offering timely advice.

Meditation with the focus on the Solar Plexus Chakra will give the nice practitioner an opportunity to look within and to observe the rigidity of this so-called niceness.

If you feel this issue applies to you then, if you choose, it is possible to get in touch with deeper feelings and emotions through psychospiritual therapy.

You can discover the potential to transform into a real person with a wide range of emotions available for you to use in the expression of your true essence, your true identity.  You can begin to understand that it is not always nice to be nice.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE - Imagine Being Whole is available on all Amazon sites in both Kindle and Paperback formats.  You can find this book on my author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/KEEPING-SIMPLE-Imagine-Being-Whole/dp/0978023838/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3SJTO2J68QBOF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wAkOhsE7Cqaky74BHeslAg.JfOZ0Hl2IEdKA7MDhwRB-W1VkN_UlHhDWJERMyACEbU&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+keeping+it+simple&qid=1771451769&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+keeping+it+simple%2Cstripbooks%2C149&sr=1-1