Thursday Twisted Links

As we head towards the end of the world and the zombie apocalypse  I thought it might be fun and interesting to talk about how we actually could be overrun by zombies...scientifically that is. Wish me luck, people, cause this one is a doozy!

Zombies.          Toxoplasmosa Gondii.           Alzheimers.    

Yeah, say that three times real fast. #:0)

Zombies. Saying the word is fun, isn't it? Zombies, zombies, zombies. And the idea of zombies definitely fires the imagination. But, while zombies are fun to read about in a novel...Hexually Obsessed... What? I didn't say anything. As I was saying...while it's fun to experience a good, gooey, fictional zombie...Hexually Obsessed...erm...the idea of facing them in real life is less fun. (How's that for understatement?) So what would you do if I told you that real zombies could theoretically exist?

It's true, or at least possible, thanks to a little thing called toxoplasmosa gondii. This little parasite is a mouthful...literally...but its potential for harm is even bigger. Transferred from rats and mice to cats, the parasite can be passed to humans through the ingestion of under-cooked meat, improperly cleaned vegetables, or contact with feline feces. The means of ingestion is so prevalent, in fact, that from a third to half of all humans are currently harboring this parasite. Ish! What does it do, you ask? Well, mostly nothing. Though for people whose systems are compromised by disease or who are schizophrenic, it affects dopamine levels and, as one fun story I read on the Internet said, can make them "bat-shit crazy". What this means in technical terms is that they may become depressed, suicidal, and reckless. In fact, rats that are infected by the parasite exhibit zombie-like behaviors. Now, we all know humans and rats are biologically similar enough that scientists use them as research stand-ins when developing human drugs. So it stands to reason that an evolved form of toxoplasmosa gondii might conceivably turn people into zombies.

Okay, technically, these wouldn't be dead people who've been re-energized by witchcraft, but hey, when a blank-eyed, pasty-faced guy stomps toward you with blood dripping from his teeth, you're not gonna worry too much about the distinction...are you? #:0)

So how does Alzheimer's fit into this link you ask? Well, it's an interesting thing. This nasty little parasite has been shown to actually stop brain deterioration in Alzheimer's patients. It's also been found to improve patients with ADD and ADHD. Go figure.

That loud clicking sound you just heard was the link closing. Phew! And I'll leave you with this final thought. When the world ends and the zombie apocalypse starts, don't stop to wonder if the zombie stomping toward you is really a re-energized corpse, or if he's just been infected by an evolved toxoplasmosa gondii parasite. My advice?

RUN!


Okay, okay, since you asked #:0) here's the blurb on Hexually Obsessed. (Thanks for indulging me!)

Ardith is a time traveling witch, a member of the Epoch Mages. Draigh is a Sorceri Bounty Hunter. They H-A-T-E each other. When they’re thrown together by the elders to chase an evil rogue witch through time and save the world from flesh eating zombies, they quickly discover that, while their minds may tell them they don’t like being together, their bodies don’t quite agree. In fact, if lust were flames, there'd be scorch marks across the ages!

~ 5 Stars from SnifferWalk "I don't hand out a ton of 5 Star ratings for books. Like my Ratings Guide says, they have to be practically life changing. But if I read a book and I just cannot seem to forget it, it has to be a 5."

~ 5 Stars from My Cozie Corner Book Reviews "A hard to put down novel that will capitvate you from the beginning."

~ 4 Stars from Evolved World "Ms. Cheever makes a mean post-Apocalyptic earth which is easily credible, and unlike so many such tales, does not have the awkward "here's what's this world is all about" phase which can plague a paranormal romance. Action. Hate. Lust. Time Shift. Zombie Goo. We all win."

~4 Stars from Books and Other Spells "I really liked like book! The characters, setting and plot was just so fascinating! I could not stop reading it! I love books that have the two characters hate each other then end up together. You get to see all the side of the characters before they fall in love, so you know that they can handle each other. It also makes the book so much more interesting and lovable and of course hilarious!"

Thursday's Twisted Links

Since it lands on Thanksgiving, of course this week's twisted link needs to start with my favorite "eating" holiday. #:0) So here goes. This week's odd set of links is:

Thanksgiving.         Red Dawn.         Migraines. 

Yes, I know. Blood may shoot out of my eyes on this one. But I'm going for it anyway.

What could be better than a holiday that celebrates life in all its forms. Thanksgiving isn't about being thankful for stuff, though I'm certainly thankful for chocolate cream pie! It's a time to reflect on the bounty of our lives. Our health, our family and friends, and the ability to pursue success and happiness. We celebrate these things because we understand there is no guarantee that we will have them tomorrow. In fact, I wake up many nights terrified of losing the right to pursue those joys in life.

That's where the movie Red Dawn comes in. I haven't seen the current remake yet (I'm going today!), but I'm familiar with the story line. To me, the idea of something external, beyond my control, taking over my life and forcing me to do something is horrifying. But the thing that calms my fears is knowing there's a way out. I'm perfectly willing to fight for that way out (which is probably why I love writing romantic suspense so much). But I need to know it exists.  I don't want anybody making my choices for me. I suffered that when I was a child. But I'm an adult now and I want to forge my own path in life. I have that right. That's what's so cool about the movie, Red Dawn. In the movie a small group of young people refuse to just succumb to the usurpation of their world. They fight for the people they love and for the freedoms our forefathers died to give us. I think that's a very uplifting message and I embrace it. I'm thankful that stories like this exist.

Which brings me to migraines. I've suffered them since I was in high school. They pretty much suck. Like any health issue, a headache isn't planned or welcome, but I do believe that what I would call internal challenges such as physical pain make us stronger in the end. Over the years I've learned what I need to do to work my way through a migraine and I have some measure of control over how much they debilitate and their duration. I met the enemy and I...well...kind of conquered it. As long as I know I can do that I'm okay. I'm thankful even for my pain because it teaches me to be proactive, strong, and resilient.

So life is to be embraced, appreciated, and celebrated on Thanksgiving and every day. With the right attitude, life can be enhanced by the external things that threaten us. Meeting those threats head on strengthens and frees us from our fears.  And life is improved by internal challenges like pain and illness, because they help us appreciate the things that are really important, instead of focusing on the negatives all the time. Which brings me to the end of my link. (That snapping sound you heard was the sound of the link closing!)

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Thursday's Twisted Links

This week's links are:

Getting Older.  Free will.  Fruitcake.

Hoo boy. This should be interesting. Okay, here I go.

I'm not old. Not in an age when people regularly live well into their nineties. But I recently underwent a life-changing event when my youngest daughter got married. This was an emotional time for me for a lot of reasons. I suffered all the usual emotions of course, but the wedding also hit me on another level, one that I never expected. It made me feel old. That sucked. I can't explain why it hit me like this, it just did. Maybe it's because as a daughter, wife, and mother, I've spent my life doing things for others that I didn't always want to do. That's not a complaint, I've had a blessed life and I know that. What I did, I did out of love. No regrets. But I always thought that, one day, I could do what I wanted, when I wanted, and I guess I've become a little selfish now that I'm so much closer to realizing that goal. Absolute truth.

Now here's where the event comes in. If you don't know me personally, you probably don't know that I'm not one for emotional displays or celebrations. I'm a pretty low key, under the radar kind of person. When we got married, my husband and I did a simple ceremony with just ourselves, a pastor, and our witnesses. Simple and quick. It was perfect for me. So I wasn't thrilled with the idea of a full-blown wedding. Long story, very short...It turned out fine, my daughter was gorgeous, and a good time was had by all. I'm so glad it's over. #:0) However, the event made me indulge in some internal examination...always fun right? I tried to figure out why I hate going to parties so much, why I abhor the spotlight being turned on me, and why these events that others cherish tend to just make me grumpy. I boiled it down to this, basically, I'm in my "do what I want to do when I want to do it phase", a.k.a. I've reached the age that I always thought was still out there a ways... Apparently it's here. Now.

I never saw it coming.

On a deeper level, if I go to an event it's almost always because someone is pressuring me to do it. I would never choose to go to, for example a school reunion (blech!) or a party unless I felt pressure to go. That's where free will comes in. Especially as you get older, you resist more and more the loss of your free will. Some extremely old people take this phenomenon way too far, assuming they have the right to do anything to anybody without repercussions simply because they managed to attain a ripe old age. But when you're in your fifties like I am, this desire to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want is merely a desire rather than an avocation. #:0)

So...you might be wondering...where does fruitcake come in? Most people would exclaim that fruitcake should NEVER come in...EVER. LOL

ADD Moment: I've always wondered why fruitcake survived as a food when almost nobody likes it. I've even heard of families who repackage the same thirty year old fruitcake each year and regift it to somebody in the family just for giggles. As traditions go it's a little odd, but sounds like tons of fun. Like turkey and dressing, fruitcake has become a holiday tradition. The only difference is, people actually eat the turkey and dressing. On a positive note, fruitcake actually makes a pretty good doorstop. #:0)

Back to the links: So anyway, enough of my ramblings. What? Oh, how does fruitcake link you ask? Well, the other day I saw a recipe using fruitcake that actually sounded good to me. I might even buy a fruitcake and make it this year. Why? Because I'm getting older...and my tastes are changing...and besides, it was my idea (a.k.a. free will).

Link closed.

Happy Reading everybody!

Thursday's Twisted Links

Do. Not. Try. This. At. Home!  This week's Twisted Links are:

Aliens.       Shapeshifters.       Cell Phones.

On the surface, these three things might seem wildly divergent. If you think in terms of speculative fiction, you might easily connect the first two. But the third...well... But I'm not going to make the obvious connection here. That would be way too easy.

The secondary possibility is also too obvious. And, let's face it we don't actually know if aliens and shapeshifters use cell phones. In real life, aliens probably communicate via some kind of three dimensional, thought-initiated device, and everybody knows shifters communicate telepathically. Yeesh!

Don't insult my intelligence.

So let's investigate another angle. Is it possible shapeshifters could be aliens, aka Declan Sands' Blood-Hound series? Maybe. Again, we might never really know for sure. Either way, however, unless cell phones came from Mars or were invented by a mad, wild-eyed, tangle haired shifter scientist, there's no connection there.

Hmmm. On the surface, this would seem to be an impossible linkage. But fear not. You're dealing with a professional here. I can do this.

I think.

How about this. Believe it or not, if you started talking about the existence of aliens some people would look at you like you're crazy. I know...weird right? I mean, have they not seen the pyramids? Or observed pictures of crop circles? Did they not watch the movie ET twelve times? "ET phone home..." God I loved that movie. Anywho...

Similarly, there are actually some people who don't believe in shifters. It sucketh to be them. It really duth.

Point is, with imagination all things are possible right? Do you think the first users of Alexander Graham Bell's invention called the telephone could have ever envisioned today's smarter than the average bear cell phones? God no. If you went back in time and told Bell himself about your iPhone he'd probably laugh in your face and then have you fitted for a tight, tangly white jacket.  When Martin Cooper imagined the first cell phone in the seventies, I'm guessing his peers at Motorola probably thought he'd lost his mind. Despite the fact that it was bigger than my head, that first mobile phone was an incredible accomplishment, one which could never have been realized without someone having the guts and imagination to "go there" against the tide.

In the same way, aliens and shapeshifters are sometimes considered merely concepts derived from the imaginations of writers and film-makers. Maybe they are. But maybe, like Martin Cooper we're just visionaries who are way ahead of our time. I think most writers would prefer being called visionaries to drooling psychopaths wearing tangly white jackets, so I'm going with that.

I mean, at the very least we're entertaining right?

Happy Reading!

Thursday's Twisted Links

Okay, I'm gonna try this again. It's dangerous, it's kludgy, and you should never try it at home. Leave it to us professional linkers. #:0) This week's links are:

Bumble Bees.          Arsenic.          Corsets.

Women have done lots of crazy things throughout history to gain and hold beauty. Many beauty secrets have been deadly. Ancient Egyptian women used lead-based kohl to enhance their eyes. Similarly, in Greece, women used a mixture of lead and olive oil to whiten their skin, despite the slow poisoning effects. Japanese Geishas removed their makeup with nightingale poop. Bleurgh! But the worst era has to be Elizabethan England, where paleness was so valued the women ate arsenic and used leeches to make themselves white. Even worse, they ate tapeworms to stay slim. Blech! (very tempting, however. LOL)

So the link today between these three odd things is primarily beauty, but secondarily it's the tortures involved in making yourself beautiful!

Women praise the rosy fullness of bee stung lips and use honey for skin products. We replace sugar with honey in the hopes it will keep us slimmer. Believe it or not, arsenic still exists in some makeup, in amounts small enough to keep it from being listed as an ingredient. And corsets. Alas, the old whale bone contraption that took at least two people to wrench it closed is gone. Thank gawd! But we still have modern day versions of the corset. Can you say Spanx? #:0)

All women are linked by our search for beauty. It is the rare woman who doesn't care how she looks, or if there are things she can do to improve her natural gifts. And thank goodness we live in times enlightened enough about what can harm us that we can create that beauty without killing ourselves in the process. But more importantly, today's woman is too savvy and confident to fall for the "beauty at all costs" mentality. We can be strong and attractive and still understand there is more that makes us valuable human beings than our looks. But the history of beauty is important to understand, ensuring that we don't fall into the same traps our sisters from the past did. And our story, decades from now, can be used to similarly train our future sisters. I wonder what they'll think about Spanx? Hmmm

Here's to being the best we can be, without becoming slaves to others' expectations!

Thursday's Twisted Links

It's that time again! Last week's linking just about did me in, but here I am, battle scarred and dizzy, to take another shot at linking. This week's links are:

Motherhood.     Aliens.     Tall shoes.

Oh. My. God. What have I done? I may not survive this one. Okay, here goes.

I'm short. Vertically challenged. Diminutive. Five foot not much tall. You get the picture. And, in my youth, I tried to offset this shortness by wearing taller shoes. With long pants and a pair of three inch tall shoes I was a goddess. But in the way of all things, as I got older I got tired of slogging around in shoes that felt like ship anchors. The dang things were heavy, unwieldy, and downright dangerous. Cracks in a sidewalk were treacherous, soft grass a sucking quagmire, and I could almost feel my tendons and ligaments shortening. So I gradually changed my fashion focus to one that was less glam and more comfort. The culmination of this change happened after I had my first child. There's something about waddling around for nine months with somebody's head in your ribs, their cute little feet tap-dancing on your bladder, that makes comfort seem more desirable, nay, nothing short of an imperative.

Besides, you can't carry a baby around while toddling along in dangerous shoes. One sinister crack on the sidewalk and your delicate offspring could find herself soaring through the air, headed for a bruise.

So I eschewed my tall shoes and opted, instead, for sneakers and flip flops. Ahhhh. My legs thanked me. My feet thanked me. And my back did a happy dance. Life was beautiful.

Then I started to think. Where did tall shoes come from? Where was the first platform shoe worn? Are there drawings of tall shoes on the cave walls in ancient Egypt? Is there evidence of tall shoes in the ground at Stonehenge? Have scientists recovered tall shoes near Roswell? You see where I'm going with this, right?

Did aliens bring us tall shoes like they brought us pyramids and big, seemingly useless pointed rocks in a circle? Crazy, you say? Ludicrous, you shout? Why? First of all, aliens are short. They might wear tall shoes too. You never hear about tall green men, right? It's always little green men. How are they going to intimidate other planets and peoples with that rap? They need to be tall right? The quickest way to do that is tall shoes.

And really, what better test of a civilization than to give them incredibly uncomfortable footwear and see if they can conquer it, even bend it to their will. I mean, have you seen today's tall shoes? They're the width of my pinkie finger at the toes and so tall your entire spine is contorted in order to wear them. The creatures who could dominate that kind of torture device are seriously manly, right? I mean, the human female is tough. We're resilient. We're rubber women! Who cares if our tendons are short? We singlehandedly scared off aliens with our shoes! And motherhood? It's the handing off of tradition to those who are stronger and more adaptable to the newest shoe styles.

Link closed.

The only fly in the ointment to my theory would be the sixties, when much of the target population wore no shoes at all or settled for wide, flat, comfortable shoes with a strange name. But fortunately the aliens didn't notice or we'd have been overrun and conquered by little green men wearing platform shoes during that decade.

Phew! That was close. #:0) We knew the sixties in America were scary, but we didn't know just how scary they could have been!

Happy reading everybody!