Content: religion

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Many people tend to seek out a divine power when they are facing an extreme threat. Isabella Stamponi is an exuberant, beautiful newspaper reporter. She's jaded and an easy-make, a modern day Mary Magdalene, Atheist and Darwinisque to the highest power. While the world is experiencing an interuption and disconnect with our beloved, glued to the hand, electronic devices and the earth is heaving with earthquakes, solar flares and tornados in a modern day apocalypse; she ironically hears of a clinic, that premotes God in a diablolical and ingenious way. She finds her next story in this reluctants to believe, that armaggedon has started.

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Some ruminations on olden times. Comments welcome.

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I am so tired of the Gay Marriage Debate. But even more than that, I am tired of my fellow Christians giving Christendom a black eye. Again. There are a few lines here you might find glib. I did write it with a somewhat humorous slant. All nits/tense correction/what I can do with myself and my opinion/spell checks welcome. Thank you for reading.

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I've started over, but I haven't republished anything yet. I welcome reviews, but right now I'm still spitballing - don't have a plot worked out and don't have a timeline. I do have characters and a setting and a theme, and I'm planning to write about them until a story shows up. Hope it works. I'm pretty happy with the first six chapters, and I've disabled the rest.

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This is one I have had sitting around awhile. I need to clean it up and finish it. Any and all feedback, positive and negative, is always welcome.

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I am an avowed atheist, but the specter of death can sometimes send me running back to my Episcopalian roots. My most fervent wish as I held my dying dog in my arms last March was that I might see her again one day. Can there be a heaven for someone like me? This story is a rumination on the kind of AfterLife I might wish for, sans God, sans Hell, sans fear. (I could have selected Religion & Spirituality as this story's genre, but that seemed a little pretentious.) I do not wish to hear anyone's comments on my atheism. I welcome all comments on the writing.

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Summary: This story is about Anna Ryan who dies and goes to Heaven, and finds that it is a lot different than what she expected. I chose humor for the category, but it also includes social commentary from an iconoclastic point of view. It is from a largely "Christian" point of view, but I have included many other spiritual and religious factions as they seem to fit in with American society. If you are deeply religious, you likely won't appreciate this story - so avoid it. I'd like feedback on structure and mechanics. I have edited this six or seven times, but you know how difficult it is to edit your own stuff. Please point out the areas I need to focus on. Oh, and most important, your reaction to the story is also appreciated. I wrote this story sometime after the ethnic cleansing of the Serbia-Croatian war which really hacked me off, as does war in general. The complete story is two chapters. Changes have been made that reflect the comments of reviewers

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Rarely, every now and then I hit a poem in left field. You might need a leather glove to catch this one. For thirty years, I promised myself to never write bedroom poetry. Please forgive me for this one retraction. Okay I'm embarrassed already. This poem will have to explain itself.

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Something from the notebook, revised and updated. Comments welcome.

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I just put this together as a parting poem. It took me all of thirty minutes to write. Wanted to leave you with a high note, literally. I will always be a part of the TNBW family. I have a daughter going through a crisis and for a short while I have to put the metaphors away. I will keep my pen filled with ink until we are reunited again. Thank you so much for not only welcoming me into your house, but allowing to walk on the red carpet as well. You are all my heroes... This is not a great poem, but there is love between the lines.

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One decision, though made in love, has consequences that reverberate throughout multiple lives.

Feedback desired: The usual nits, plot holes, etc., but I'm most interested in knowing if the POV shifts work or not - especially for chapter one.

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Kyrie Riddel and Cartophyllus Le Nécromant working as investigators for Prime Minister Spencer Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire and Coregent of the Kingdom of Ghaescagony discover Kyrie's former business partner, a smuggler named Edsal Halleck, murdered after she threatened to kill him because of his failure to pay a debt. But Edsal Halleck was murdered by magic that melted his eyes into red tears, burned out his pineal gland. When Cartophyllus attempts to speak to Halleck’s dead soul to lean what happened he discovers that in violation of the laws of magic, Halleck's soul has been destroyed. In a race against time, the two begin to search for clues to who might have wanted Halleck dead, who would have the power to destroy his soul, and who might have the motive to destroy him in that way. With the city watch intent on finding Kyrie guilty, and Eight Lords Inquisitor increasing concern that Cartophyllus is committing the darkest acts of blasphemy, the two follow a trail of clues across the city of London into the office of the Prime Minister himself to stop a plot to murder the Prince of Wales and so that Spence Cavendish can ascend to the thrown. I am looking for help with plotting, pacing, characters, and any other problems with the novel

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I'm trying to evoke the feeling that magic could really exist somewhere, and how empty this world feels without it.

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This work is an attempt to explore the emotions and questions that arise from human tragedy. It raises the questions, but not the answers. While the questions raised are specific to a situation, similar questions are eventually asked by all. //God is defined in the broadest sense--and I hope it causes thoughtful introspection only. There is also a bit of "Eastern Philosophy" in this, as we are all affected by our experiences--and I spent 19 years in Japan and four of my seven children were born there.// A thought to consider; mustn't God loves us all?(regardless of our specific religion, or lack thereof). This is the first in a the first in a series of poems designed to provoke thought.

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Seems like I'm exploring some memories lately in recent poems. Comments always welcome.

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I have edited this piece to include some helpful comments from reviewers. This is solely my opinion. I do not pretend to be an expert in religions. I do however have some experience in teaching CCD and in raising seven children. My hope is that this work may cause reflection and discussion. Assuming one accepts God exists, then there can only be one.

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After one or two more posting I will be leaving this site for many months. This site returned to me my desire to write and my life even. I have over 100 Reviews that I will take with me and I will look for you all when I return. I want to thank you all for making me a better writer. I leave you with the following poem. Your thoughts will be cherished.

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In Wake of a Following is a fictionalized account of the controversial, unconfirmed Virgin Mary apparitions in Necedah, Wisconsin. Written from both of my grandparent’s points of view, this historical drama takes the reader through a separation from faith, the Red Scare, bizarre conversations with heavenly saints, and the creation of a spiritual following that still exists today. In 1959, my grandfather published two controversial books about his experiences as a leading member of the shrine. His writings and my grandmother’s personal journal helped shape this book. I welcome your feedback. Thanks,

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NOTE; This story is finished, but I don't think I need to submit it all. I'm currently doing REVISIONS, preparing it for ebook publishing. Hopefully soon! I've started posting new revisions on the chapters already posted. If you would like to read and comment you are more than welcome!!
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In the First Age a gifted race called the Felwarn, were created to guard mankind from the evil god of that world. Over the ages the Felwarn withdrew from humanity and eventually became distant legends from an ancient world.

~~~~~~~~~ Now, in the Fifth Age, a new generation of Felwarn are leaving their safe homeland to take the traditional road of initiation. The rebellious Avare of the IronWolf Keltar, Jett Stormheart, must lead his group of eager and talented Felwarn through foreign lands, endeavouring to uphold the decree they must keep their identity and powers hidden from humans. It's not long before they discover how hard this is, as their unique powers are needed in the world around them.
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This story was in the Finals of the Strongest Start Four (2010) Fantasy genre. Thank you!

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Sex, religion, and fear (not necessarily in that order) in the mind of an 8 year old boy. A few tricky parts in the narrative. Does it hold your interest? Is it clear? This is a single 11,500 word story posted in two parts because it has to be; there is no real natural break; it's best read continuously. Frank comments welcome.

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Same as part 1.

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PLACE: Chicago, Illinois / TIME: The Near Future--Cancer gone Pandemic is ravaging the world and only two psychic teenagers, the mysterious Kindred Clan, a brooding Immortal, and an Angelic being, can defeat the Pandemic, which it appears, is far more than a mere disease . . .

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With the attack that almost cost her life, Brenna James finds herself in a world that she never expected. Hunted and afraid, she's in for the fight of her life.

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Two religious scientists discover a secret for curing drug addiction, and use a cloud to release it on Las Vegas. Big D, who runs the Vegas drug trade, is not amused by the drop in sales. The cloud takes on a life of its own, and the scientists and Big D must deal with the consequences as their lives come crashing together. I have a thick skin and enjoy a thorough critique. Let me know if you enjoyed the story, and I appreciate any nits and suggestions for improvement. Specifics: -Do the biblical references come through? Are they too subtle? Too obvious? -What about the comparisons and contrasts between addiction and religious fanatacism? -Given that my main character is evil (Big D), how does he come across. Entertaining? Scary? Not scary enough? Interesting trivia for your enjoyment: -There really is a Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer in Vegas, and yes it does have the cloud picture. -Vegas gets about 5" of rainfall a year on average. -Microbes do live in the droplets of water in rainclouds, and some scientists believe their presence can effect when the clouds drop rain by altering the temperature at which the water in the clouds freezes. I finished edits on January 19, 2010. Thanks for your helpful reviews!

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This is the second part of my story entitled Nascent Clay. The name of the second installment had to be changed because the computer would not accept anything over the 5,000 word limit with the title of Nascent Clay.

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A large, gray cloud hovering over Las Vegas, Nevada initiates a series of events that profoundly affect the city's residents. With the passage of time, its enduring presence compels countless others to examine long-held beliefs about religion, unity, and ultimately, the nature of the universe itself.

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This is an apocalyptic thriller with an embedded love story. Following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, the lives of Kodi Peek and her father are irrevocably changed as they begin the countdown to 2012.

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The first three chapters have been revised and rearranged for the strongest start competition. The novel is posted in its entirety so you may read at your leisure (DISABLED CHAPTERS WILL BE ACTIVATED FOR ANY NEW REVIEWERS GOING BEYOND CHAPTER 3). Old reviews will not always match up with the chapter that it is attached to. This is in essence a memoir of my life in an orphanage, but I use composite characters and am not sure it qualifies as "memoir" for the contest. I will let the judges decide that (PS: I suppose it did qualify since it won that category). I'm not particulary looking for new reviews but any comments are always appreciated, especially overall opinion. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading.

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This poem is dedicated to all of my friends and relatives who no longer walk this earth. Any and all feedback of all levels is desired.

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A new short story I've been working on over the past 4 days. Any help is fine...nits or overall ideas. It's not meant to be funny like my usual fare, so beware. Hey, that rhymes. I'm a dork.

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If you know about pheasants, your opinion is valued. If you know about poetry, let me know. If you know about religion, please comment in any way you like.

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This piece is presented solely to encourage thought. The questions asked-I suspect, have been asked since the emergence of conscience, thinking mankind. Obviously there are no definitive answers to these questions. However, as death is truly the only inevitable, universal experience that all creation experiences, perhaps it's worth asking these and many other questions. If nothing else realizing that your questions are shared is of value, isn't it? At least that is the motivation that prompted this poem. It is the last in a series of five poems that started with 'Why God?'

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I don't know how to do this without giving too much away. A man loses everything, including his faith in God. His sister is there, never waning, to help him. His life changes and if you believe him...so could yours. There, how's that for a hook.

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Any and all feedback is appreciate. I'm not a poet, but I am trying to explore other genres in order to improve my writing generally. This is part of an exercise I am putting myself through where I write as the words come to me and give them life on paper without judgments or edits.

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Redemption, Arkansas is a small country town where things aren't always what they seem and the people never are...

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