BLUE CRYSTAL MOUNTAINS - BOOK IV IN THE WHITE BIRD SERIES

Good Afternoon All ~

I hope you are all happy, healthy and well. I know I am! And, excited to present you with my newest installment of the journeys of Crystal Blue. 

I know I've already posted about it, but I just had to again. Now, it's available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online retail bookstores. Ebook edition isn't quite ready yet, but should be soon!

I've had an amazing 16 months, pouring every ounce of energy into this story. And I already miss it. I miss traveling around with Crystal and Wyndon, Elijah and Claire, Daniel, Gina, Madelynn, Cosmo and of course, Adam. They've become family and when I'm not surrounded by their presence, I feel a bit bereft. I find myself opening up the book, reading a page here and there, smiling as I remember how I felt when I wrote a particular passage. I could not ask for a more wonderful life. And, I suppose, this is good news for readers. It won't be long before I find myself in front of my little laptop once again, trying to decide what Crystal will do. Or, rather, listening to her and the others tell me what to do.

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm in school right now. By the end of next fall, I will be a certified elementary educator, and for that, I'm excited. I love children and their particular view of life. Once school is done I will devote every moment of my life into the next book, Blue Flames Rising, which by the way I've already started. But for now, let's focus on this one, which I sincerely believe is the best one yet.
To promote the book's release, I've done a few things. One being, I added this new book into a great giveaway program. Goodreads, one of the largest, if not THE largest, bookclub on the internet hosts book giveaways for new or recently released books. I've had the pleasure of giving away 4 - 5 copies of each of my books. Beginning March 5  and going through March 19, Blue Crystal Mountains, print edition only, will be available as a Goodreads Book Giveaway. Follow the link provided below if you'd like to participate. After that, take a look at my new book trailer for Blue Crystal Mountains. For each book in the series, I've created a book trailer and placed on YouTube.
Thanks for your support and I hope to be sending you a signed copy of Blue Crystal Mountains!
Here are the links if you'd like to buy my books on Amazon or BarnesandNoble Online bookstores.
Amazon

BarnesandNoble

Enjoy the book trailer and I hope you participate in the Giveaway!

Love to you all,
PB

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Blue Crystal Mountains - Book Four in the White Bird Series

by P.B. Morlen

Giveaway ends March 19, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

PATIENCE HAS ITS REWARDS

So, here it is the middle of February already. I believe in the school systems, they are approaching the

day they celebrate the hundredth day of school which usually falls near Valentines Day. Sometimes they couple the celebrations together. Of course, the younger grades use this day as a learning opportunity...counting to 100, grouping items in 10s, classifying similar objects and such. There are books written for just this thing, and I sincerely believe it helps the students get through this often times tedious time of the year.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas is over, and so is New Years. Valentines Day is done and spring is nowhere in sight. Throwing in some random ways to celebrate winter by acknowledging the fact that they've already been in school for 100 days...is one way. 

The reason I know this without having any children enrolled in K - 12 school for five years? Since fall 2007 I have been a college undergrad taking classes to obtain my teaching degree and have visited many elementary and preschool classrooms performing fieldwork. I'm enrolled at St. Kates University in the EWO program...evening/weekend/online. I've taken time off from my classes to write my books as there was no possible way I could do both. Classes in the weekend format only meet 8 times over the course of 10 weeks, therefore, homework is extremely heavy. And not only is the homework daunting, the material is as well. Obtaining a teaching degree is not a simple task as maybe it once was. There are strict state standards to be met. Today, at least at my college, before we can graduate and become a licensed teacher in MN, we need to be certified in the STEM areas. Science, technology, engineering, and math. Even though I plan on either being a preschool teacher or kindergarten, it doesn't matter. Let me just say this: my brain is not wired this way. I am a writer, a right-brain thinker and these courses are challenging. 

Last fall I took the engineering course, which was actually a physics class. I managed to get through it, but kicked and screamed the whole way. I'll say this, though. I learned a helluva lot. This semester I am enrolled in a chemistry and a biology course. As I am writing, I can scarcely believe I've allowed myself time away from my heavy course load of reading, tutorials, lab work, homework, and other things I can't come up with a name for. Atomic structures, electron configurations, phytoremediation, evidence for evolution, homologous structures, periodic table of elements, metrics and measurement, creating a virtual presentation covering the BP Oil Spill, which I must say, we, not just our nation but the world, is still feeling the effects from the damage this oil spill caused.

Okay, enough of school, but I thought I'd point out I've been rather busy over the past few years and this is why my books are not coming out as fast as other author's books are. I'm aware of the industry demands this puts upon authors. Readers love books that are in a series, however, they are not as patient as they once were. When the Potter books were published, there was no such thing as an e-reading device. J.K. Rowling did not have a twitter account, or a FB Author page, or even a website. Her readers discovered her books in the bookstore, and, if I understand her story correctly, librarians recommended her books to teachers in the UK. When she began her books, she wasn't under strict deadlines, not until after book IV, The Goblet of Fire, which was the top-selling book of 2000, with 7 million hardcovers sold.

The reason I bring up J.K. is this: did you know she wrote all of her scripts long hand? Can you imagine? I can't. But she did and was able to write seven books, meeting the demanding needs of her readers and publisher. 

It might sound like I am complaining about the demanding needs of readers today, but I am not. I am simply stating a fact. We live in a fast-paced world and the practice of spacing an author's book one year apart is being swallowed up by the 'must have it now' audience that drives publishers and producers to pump out books and TV programs as fast as they possibly can. Impatient readers and viewers are being handed whole series of books and TV shows at once. As an Indie author, I respect this new method of delivery, but I can also honestly say I will probably let some readers down because I cannot write a 500 page novel within a six-month time frame, not while I am a student and hold down a job. 

Of course, this little diatribe of mine has to ultimately lead to the movie released this weekend that has taken not only our country but the world by storm. The erotica blockbuster, "Fifty Shades of Grey." The books were released in paper book, all three released within one month and went on to sell 90 million copies world wide. This 'rapid release' strategy satisfied impatient and hungry readers, but is it realistic to say every author writing books in a series can pump out books this fast? Of course not. 

What about George Martin? He's yet to complete his sixth and seventh book in his 'Song of Ice and Fire' series, yet his fans are wildly anticipating them. So, as in every scenario, there are two sides. The timing of J.K. Rowling's and Martin's books helped make them a phenomenon, as well as the E.L. James books and Collin's 'Hunger Games' books rapid release strategy. Impatience has its rewards, but so does patience.

And for this, I am grateful. My readership is small, but I don't think it will stay that way. Faith in the fact that at some given point in the history of my series' release that my books will find a wider audience continues to spur me on. I've written and published four books in four years. My next book, 'Blue Flames Rising' is set to be complete by the end of 2016. After that, two more will be written before the series is done. I have a plan and so far I've stuck to it. I always knew I'd become a teacher, and, I always knew I'd be a published author. I can be both, but this might hinder the timing of the release of my books. The thing is, though, I am not writing these books to satisfy the impatient needs of an audience. I am delivering a message that has been a long time coming. As I've said time and again, we are living in an age where humanity is waking up from a very, very long sleep. This takes time, as all good things do. And just like a good bottle of wine, good stories need to age a bit. 

Crystal's story is complex and just like an onion, layers of the ages and people's lives are being peeled away on every page. I can promise my readers that if they are patient, there will be rewards. I cannot release my books rapidly because I cannot write them that way. My story needs to settle into my mind before I can write it out. I do hours and hours of research, combing through documents, books, websites and articles about the places that Crystal visits. I sometimes travel to these places and/or interview explorers and writers who've traveled there. All of this takes time, and I cannot expect everyone who reads my books to have the patience to wait for the next release, but I will promise you this--I will deliver to you the best book that I possibly can, utilizing this time to the best of my ability. Weaving Crystal's story onto the fabric of our existence is my gift to you and I promise, this next book, Blue Crystal Mountains, which will be released before the month is out, will be my best book yet. But it will be up to you if it was worth waiting for. I can only hope your answer will be 'yes.'

Namaste,

PB 

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF A STAR WARRIOR

It isn't every day I get to converse with a young man living in India whose desires don't vary much from my own. But today I did. At the moment, he is reading my books and occasionally will send me questions regarding messages in my books. Today's discussion brought me back to a message delivered by a man named  Robert Morning Sky. When I was writing Book III in the White Bird Series, Little Blue Star, I knew I wanted to use Morning Sky's Ten Commandments of the Star Warrior. I sent Robert an email requesting his permission and he immediately responded, giving me his blessings. Every word written below are his words, not mine, but I was honored to be able to use them in my book and will forever be grateful to his wisdom.

As readers know, while Crystal Blue, my heroine in the White Bird Series books, travels the world she unveils sacred knowledge kept hidden for hundreds, even thousands of years, by secret societies. Now, as we enter the Fifth Age, it is time for these secrets to be revealed, allowing Mankind to embrace these ancient sets of technologies that will help them evolve into the next level of the human.
As I've told my readers, the story of Crystal Blue is mine to share with you, but the messages she discovers along her journey are not. I am, like Crystal, only the messenger.
Therefore, without any further adieu, for your reading pleasure and spiritual growth, I will share with you the Ten Commandments of the Star Warrior as delivered by Robert Morningsky, and also shared in my novel, Little Blue Star.
Enjoy:

"To become a Star Warrior, you must first eliminate two concepts from your mind and spirit...Can't and Impossible. If you believe yourself inferior, you are. If you say to yourself, I cannot - you are right. If you say to yourself, I can - you are also right. To become who you wish to become, first establish who that person is and how they would act. Then, practice and rehearse everything that person would think and do.
"To become a deer, one must act, think, live and be as the deer - only then can the passion of the deer be yours. In other words, create yourself. Write a script for your own movie. The hero is you. In the script, write all those things you wish for yourself, all those things you would like to do or feel. Then, rehearse your script. Practice becoming the hero or heroine of your movie. Rehearse over and over again until you know the behavior instinctively. Slowly, you will begin to know how the hero acts and thinks. Slowly, you will become the hero of your movie and your life. The only way to become a runner is to begin running. The only way to become a writer is to begin writing. The only way to become passionate is to practice passion. Practice being that which you wish to be...and soon you shall become it.
"The Star Warrior follows a set of Ten Commandments that, when followed, can lead to a compassionate life.

• Number one is: I AM BORN OF THE STARS. The stars were born of chaos. There shall always be chaos, but I shall always be a warrior. Only in challenge shall we find our greatest strengths and our weaknesses. Only in challenge shall our passions be made strong. The goal of life is outward development, not inner peace. Peace that brings no challenge means stagnation. Confidence in self - wrought through challenge - is TRUE peace.
• Number two: I AM FIRE. I am passion and all that I do, I do with passion. Fire is passion. Passion is that inner force that distinguishes us from all others. Passion is that which makes the Bear become the Bear...never will you see the Bear trying to fly as the Eagle, for it is his passion to be the Bear. Passion is the gift that allows us to be what we wish. To do anything without passion is to go through the motions. To be passionless is to lose the fight of life. Those who have no fire are easy to conquer and manipulate. The study of physics and other sciences tells us that all things are comprised of atoms, which in turn, are comprised of electrons, protons and neutrons...all are particles of energy or electricity. This energy cannot be destroyed, only changed. From these very same particles, came the release of a basis of our existence, within our own bodies. Herein, science has revealed the existence of a force unlike any on this planet: the force which directs each one of us in our path. This is our passion, this is our gift.
• Number three: I SEE THE FIRE IN ALL THINGS. All things possess fire. All things have spirit. The only difference between man and animal is that they wear different skins. The only difference between man and all things is the skin, or outer covering. In the Hopi world, the spirit of a thing is called katcina. It is the katcina that is the fire or passion. Those who can see and hear can learn from those katcinas around us. If you can communicate with another human being, you can communicate with the trees, the wind and all things of the earth.
• Number four: I AM BUT A VISITOR IN THE LAND OF LIVING THINGS. The skin we wear is but a temporary robe.That part of us which is most important is the inner spirit, or the passion. Yet, we must never forget that we are guests in this land and we must conduct ourselves a such. We respect all that is here. That which we may receive in this place must be left here...things cannot be taken with us, but all of our riches that we have accumulated in memories and knowledge shall go with us forever.
• Number five: I WALK THE PATH OF SILENCE. In the Song of the Morning Sky, there is a line that says 'live as though you cannot speak.' It means that what you do is more important that what you say. If you cannot speak, you must communicate your love and friendship through your actions. You must demonstrate that which you feel. Let your actions be your measure. Only in silence can you learn. He who talks does not hear - only in silence can you defeat your enemy. He who makes no noise is invisible.
• Number six: I AM NOT SEEN OR HEARD, I AM ONLY FELT. The warrior must make himself felt. If he lives his life and th world has not felt him, he has failed. If he lives his life and grandfather has not felt him, he has failed. His passion must be experienced by others, not witnessed. He who uses his fire warms the world; he who shouts out his fire fill the world with nose. 
• Number seven: I TAKE ONLY THAT WHICH I CAN RETURN. The balance of nature and harmony of the universe must be maintained. If the warrior takes a tree for use as a canoe, he must return and plant a seed to replace it. If a warrior takes an ear of corn, he must return and plant another. If a warrior takes a life, he must replace it. In days of old, if a man took the life of another, he returned and took care of the victim's wife and family. It was the civilized European immigrants who taught the Indian to take life without concern for repayment or maintaining the balance of nature.
• Number eight: I CANNOT POSSESS, I CAN ONLY SHARE. Which of the fleas owns the dog? Which of the leaves owns the tree? If there can be such a thing as ownership, does not the grass have first claim to the land? Or cannot the trees make the same claims? The secret of possession is this: when you make a claim of possession...that which is claimed to be the possession is not the possessed, that distinction lies with the owner.
• Number nine: I AM MY GRANDFATHER IN ALL WAYS. Grandfather is the name given to the Great Spirit. Grandfather is the name give the to the Universe. Grandfather is father of the man to whom I was born. The universe is Grandfather. In the entire universe all things are possible. To believe in Grandfather is to believe in all things. I am the Great Spirit, I am grandfather, I am the universe..in me all things are possible.
•  Number ten: I AM THE ANSWER. The Warrior is an answer to a problem. She is not the answer, but one of many possible solutions. The Warrior is the first one into battle, the first one to sacrifice, the first one to step between her loved ones and danger. The warrior is a living example of passion.

You can explore the world of Robert Morning Sky by visiting his websites. I will put their links below.

As always, 

Blessings and Light,

PB

Robert Morning Sky

Robert Morning Sky

Terra Papers

Lady of Fire

BLUE CRYSTAL MOUNTAINS

Good Morning,
In celebration of the imminent release of Book IV in the White Bird Series, Blue Crystal Mountains, I am sharing with you the first three chapters, hoping to entice you into further reading. I've worked

very hard on this latest edition to Crystal's life and anticipating the release the first part of February.
And, for your reading enjoyment, you can download this PDF onto your computer, reading any time you choose. Follow the link below which will direct you to my website. Download option is provided there.

Blue Crystal Mountains.

Now I can breathe for a bit, catch up on some other writing...my blog for instance. I've poured my entire being into this latest book and am so proud of it. Anticipating hearing from readers their thoughts and opinions. In the meantime, while we wait for the release, I will direct you to the writers and explorers who I couldn't have written this book without.

• Robert Thurman and Tad Wise wrote a book together titled, Circling the Sacred Mountain: A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas. 1999. In every sense of the word, this book inspired me to write my own. As readers who've followed Crystal through Books I, II, and III know, she is traveling the world, unveiling ancient secrets as she goes. Because I wanted Crystal to travel to Tibet, after reading this book, it was clear to me exactly where she would go. This book details a lively account of a pilgrim's circumambulation of Asia's holy mountain in Tibet, illuminated by Thurman's passionate teachings and Wise's colorful insights. I used dozens of resources as I researched the cities and plateaus of Tibet, but this book was overall my favorite source and I would encourage anyone to read it. In addition, if you sympathize with Tibet's struggle for independence or are interested in Buddhism, visit Thurman's website here. Tibet House. 
• Dr. Alberto Villoldo is the author of the book, The Four Insights: Wisdom, Power, and Grace of the Earthkeepers. 2006. I discovered this book a few years ago when I began researching Peru as a possible destination for Crystal. Having heard of the Q'ero shamans living high in the Andes north of Cuzco, Peru, when I began reading this book, I discovered they were one in the same. I then knew this book was going to be extremely important. Villoldo continues writing and giving workshops in the U.S. and Europe. To find more information about his current schedule, go here. Alberto Villoldo.
• A few years ago, I watched a video of a group of travelers on the highlands of Peru who had discovered a doorway carved into the side of a cliff wall. These travelers, when placing their hands on the doorway, experienced a sense of 'time traveling' and some even announced their trip extremely dangerous. Now, I was intrigued because, well, frankly, time travel excites me, but they weren't convincing because their accounts were flimsy. Then I came upon a book called Andean Awakening: An Inca Guide to Mystical Peru, written by Jorge Luis Delgado. On the front cover of the book is an image of a man standing in a doorway carved into the side of a cliff wall. His arms are out to the side and he's leaning into the doorway. At once, I knew this was the same doorway I'd seen in the video. Delgado calls this Amaru Muru's doorway and has had many profound and mystical experiences here. But his book is a lot more than this. He takes the reader on his own journey of awakening. One of Peru's premier spiritual tour guides, he takes us on a trip of discovery through the most powerful places on earth. Readers of my new book, Blue Crystal Mountains, will come to see for themselves the mystical powerful energy of Peru and a lot of my information has come from this book. I would encourage anyone seeking to know more about the Children of the Sun, to buy a copy for themselves.
• Websites I visit often to keep current on earthly events, celestial events, evolving consciousness and things to come I will list below. The messages I glean from these sites are extremely important to my writing and Crystal's travels.
• Kryon.
• Awakenings: Intuitive Astrology for Heart and Soul
• Crimson Circle
• Lightworker

I hope each and every one of you has an exciting day filled with magic and possibilities.

I look forward to announcing the release of my new book and I'll talk with you all soon.

Namaste,

PB

THE TALE OF THE TWO SISTERS

Greetings!
Yes, I am back...its been exactly two months since my last post and I must first apologize, as I've promised

http://reconnections.net/blue_star_children.htm

to make bi-monthly posts, but I've been so caught up in researching and writing Book IV of the White Bird Series that I put all of my writing efforts into it and by the end of the day, there's nothing left in me.
It's been a wonderful spring-turned-summer so far. Here in the Northland spring was slow to start, but it finally arrived and summer's knocking at the door. When I can pull myself away from Crystal and her latest journey, I've tended my gardens which survived one of the coldest winters I can imagine, jumped on my bike and attempted to find my 'biking' legs, wandered around the gardens at the MN Landscape Arboretum (one of my favorite spots of all time) and other household sundries I need to pay attention to. Yes, I'm a writer, but this is such a lovely time of year, I have to pay attention to it!
For those of you who have read the first three books, I know you're anticipating Book IV and I'm putting all of my efforts into making sure it is perfect and complete and ready for publication as promised. So, here's what I've decided to do. I'm going to share with you a story that I've included in the beginning of my new book, due for release fall 2014..."Blue Crystal Mountain."
Now, I don't want to tell you where Crystal is, because that would spoil a wonderful surprise, but I will say this: the being sharing the story with Crystal that you are about to read is a goddess, well-known throughout Asia, known by various names. She shares this story with Crystal because, well, I cannot tell you that either, but it's really not important at this point. Important for Crystal, yes, but for you right now, let's just say, the story can stand on its own. So, I now present to you, the Tale of the Two Sisters, as told to Crystal by a goddess whose beauty and compassion is beyond compare.

The woman eyed Crystal curiously. “Has no one told you the tale of the two sisters?”

Crystal shook her head.

“Then before we continue, I must tell you and then you will understand the importance of your sister.  The story is this: Long ago when new worlds were being created, there were two sisters of royal birth, each known for their extraordinary gifts. The older sister was a great warrior whose skill in battle was unmatched. Her spirit was like the moon, dark and elusive, filled with powerful, mystical qualities, and her intuition, heat and passion in battle were legendary. When enraged, her anger was explosive and everywhere she went, a large snake with blue shiny scales would follow, a warrior in its own right.

“The younger was her opposite. Her spirit was like the sun, filled with powerful qualities of light. She was full of life with a strong clarity of mind, a warm open heart and possessed great wisdom. After heavenly battles were fought, many would seek her out to sit by her side—just being near her light would heal their bodies and their minds. And she was never seen without a glorious white bird at her side. The sisters were inseperable, spending hours in each others company, desiring no other.

“One day the younger sister was called away and told by her father, the king, that she must leave. A new planet was being birthed, a world where the angels could pretend to be human, and the galactic council needed her help in overseeing its construction. To make it complete, they needed her warmth, wisdom and light. The news distressed her when she learned her sister would not be joining her, but she had to obey the king. She and the white bird left that day. The sister left behind went into deep despair, speaking to no one, taking her grief out on unsuspecting foes in battle, and more elusive than ever. She soon discovered why her sister had left and vowed to someday leave her kingdom to search for this new blue planet and the only being she ever loved.

“Finally the day came when she wasn’t needed in battle and she left, bringing the blue snake with her, spending untold years searching for her sister and the planet in the vast universe. When she came upon a blue star she was immediately drawn to it. Tired after eons of searching for her sister, she settled on the star, establishing a strong connection with the light beings upon it and became their leader, remaining there until the day she decided to once again begin searching for her sister. However, this time she didn’t travel alone, she brought with her twelve beings from the blue star, hoping their special gifts could help.

“And so they set off, soon discovering a small cluster of stars and a council of six sisters. Without telling them why, the warrior sister asked them if they knew of this blue planet and they told her of a place that was newly born and how their sister, a warm compassionate creature with a sunny nature and open heart had traveled there to plant the seeds of compassion into the race of beings who were given the planet as a place to live. But she’d become trapped by an evil reptile who’d hoped to claim the planet as its own and who feared her light.

“The warrior sister, trying not to fly into a rage, calmly asked if this sister, like her, had traveled to them from the stars and when they nodded, she told them the truth of who she was, asking them to help her find this planet, promising them anything if they did. They told her they could help upon one condition: if she could release her sister, she must return to them for it was necessary for their number to remain seven. Without hesitation she agreed and the sisters sent her off.

“Finding the blue planet was easy compared to finding her sister so she sent the twelve beings in different directions. She had just begun to despair of ever finding her sister when she saw a white misty bird hovering over a mountain’s top exuding a light brighter than anything she’d yet seen on the planet. Overjoyed at finding her sister, yet suspicious of the reptile that had trapped her, she told the blue serpent to stay behind, instructing it to find the other twelve and return to the blue star if anything happened to her.

“She fled to the mountain, encountering a large bronze serpent that reared up, attempting to strike her down but she fought bravely until the wicked one bested her, dragging her to its lair, entrapping her like it had her sister. When she found her sister sitting like a regal queen of light in a golden cage deep beneath the mountain her heart broke. Her sister had always been filled with joy, her smile lighting up the stars, her warm spirit boundless and free. Now she was a captive, sad and confused with no sign of recognition in her blue eyes when they laid upon her.  The warrior sister knew her sister could not survive like this and called for the bronze serpent, making him a promise.

“’If you release my sister,’ she said,  ‘I will remain and share my warrior qualities with you and any that you choose. But if you do not, I will escape and use every means to destroy you.’”

“‘Very well,’ it hissed having witnessed her skills and realizing her request could make him stronger. ‘But once released, the light can never return. If it does I will destroy every creature upon this planet. And you must remain here forever, returning even after you die, using your skills to do whatever I wish.’”

“Satisfied that her sister would be safe, she agreed, and the bronze serpent released the light, sending it into the heavens along with the white bird where the light sister remained, becoming the seventh sister once again, vowing to return, knowing her sister had sacrificed everything for her. And the blue planet, without the warmth and compassion of the light, suffered and moved into centuries of battles and death. The twelve beings from the blue star, along with the blue serpent, decided to stay and hid deep within the earth, each caring for the planet in their own way, attempting to maintain its energies until the light could return.

“Lifetime after lifetime kings and queens of great wealth sought out protection from the bronze serpent who used the warrior and her skills to betray and corrupt Mankind. But the warrior sister separated herself from him and began protecting those who loved the planet, sharing the sacred information she’d brought from the blue star, knowledge they’d once had but forgotten, showing them loyalty and compassion, becoming more legendary every time her spirit returned.

“All the while, the seventh sister watched, sending the white bird to the planet every thousand years to gather information, becoming a witness to every life and event, recording with detail and great care everything that happened, witnessing the destruction of one age and the rebirth of another, placing the information into a blue stone. She even witnessed the contract made between her sister and the twelve caretakers of Earth, ensuring Mankind could regain their inheritance, their divine knowledge, if they did not destroy it by the year 2000. 

“Not until the great event of 1987 occurred when 144,000 lightworkers joined together in peace, raising the vibration of Earth and setting it on a new course, was there hope that the light return. Because of this shift, the bronze serpent no longer had power over the earth and its people and for the first time since the planet was born, the sisters from the stars would spend their first lifetime together—one fulfilling the contract, unveiling the sacred information she’d once shared with those who loved the planet, and the other called on to witness the first days of the Fifth Age, bringing her light and the white bird with her to herald the coming of a new world where compassion and love will once again prevail on earth.”

Crystal stroked Wyndon’s head, letting the story sink in. Even though the last few months were surreal and she’d done and seen things only the wildest imagination could dream up, the story of the sisters took the prize. 

Crystal closed her eyes, seeing her sister’s sweet, beautiful face, missing her and loving her now more than ever. No one, other than her grandfather, had loved her more than Claire, even in their youth when she’d tormented her, stolen her things, lied to her face, shut her out after their grandfather death, even growling when she’d stopped her from planting her fist in the moronic Luke Cob’s face. Her sister had stepped in stopping her from doing stupid things time and again, but she’d never thanked her, only ignored her more, but the love in Claire’s eyes had never dimmed. All because she’d been so jealous of Claire’s goodness. Claire was good and she’d always felt rotten, rotten to the core. Claire was like the sun, always bright and happy, she like the moon, dark and elusive. Her sister was her hero and she had to save her.

I hope you enjoyed this story! Some of you  might have a bit of deja vu...thinking I might have touched on this story once already in another book. But I will not say where, when, or how, I will let your own imaginations and intellect take you on that journey.
And so with a fond farewell, I bid you adieu. Crystal is calling me back to the page and I must heed her call for she is at another impasse and needs my help!
Have a lovely day
Namaste
PB 
 

Greetings!

Starting today and ending April 6, I am offering everyone a chance to win a free copy of Book Two in the White Bird Series, Crystal Blue Sky. Because I've just come off a successful promotion for Illuminating Crystal, I thought the timing appropriate. If you are not a member of Goodreads, signing up is easy and very, very rewarding. Being a Goodreads member allows you to share books with friends, share your thoughts on these books, write reviews for your favorites, take part in giveaways like mine, connect with authors, join Q & A seminars, join groups with readers who share your tastes, as well as a whole lot of other tantalizing things. But if you are a Goodreads member, well then, you already know how great it already is.

After you've signed up to win a free copy, stop on over to my Author Page and 'friend' me, 'follow' my reviews, or even become a 'fan.' And once again, if you are a book fanatic like myself, this really is a wonderful environment to spend time in, like having a library in your own home.

Just click on the 'enter to win' link I've provided for you below and Good Luck!
Have a wonderful, wonderful week,
PB

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Crystal Blue Sky - Book Two in the White Bird Series

by P.B. Morlen

Giveaway ends April 06, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Cheers! Starting today 3/24, and ending Friday 3/28,  as part of Amazon's KDP select program, Book One in my fantasy / Coming of Age White Bird Series, Illuminating Crystal, is free to download on Amazon with any ebook reading device. I love these free giveaways because it's a good way for readers to stuff their libraries with books. So, in honor of this week, I have decided to include in my blog something I've not done before--Satisfied reader reviews. Therefore, for your reading pleasure, out of 12 reviews, here are a handful of 4-5 star reviews posted on Amazon. After that, I've included a list of 7 character descriptions, highlighting important character qualities, strengths, and how these characters are related.

But remember, I have published three books in the ongoing series, with many more to come. Then, if you decide to visit Amazon, click this link and you can download Illuminating Crystal for free! 

• Illuminating Crystal drew me into a fascinating world of characters, some menacing, some innocent. The story unfolds in a way that challenges you as a reader to sit up and pay attention to Crystal's journey which includes many clues and hidden meanings that become apparent later on. There is no shortage of mystical and magical imagery which made it hard to put the book down. When I finished it, I couldn't wait to see what was around the corner for Crystal and the many characters intertwined in her life and adventures. PB Morlen opens the door to a new way of looking at life's experiences. It made me think about what I would do if I were in Crystal's shoes....would I want to set my idea of life aside to follow a "calling?" Read it and decide for yourself! ~ 5-star Reader Review.
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• I just finished reading Illuminating Crystal for the second time. I loved it the first time, and, as the song lyric says, love is lovelier the second time around. In these times of stress in the outer world, if you are looking for a book to take you away on a grand adventure, this will do it. The author's style creates a world where I would like to live. The adventure will unfold in the rest of the series, and I look forward to it. As an aside, I also enjoyed the proverbs from different cultures at the beginning of each chapter which helped to set the mood. My favorite was 'Thousands of years ago cats were worshipped as Gods. Cats have never forgotten this.' 5-star Reader Review
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• This was an unusual tale to be sure. Yes it is a fantasy and magic things happen and there are bad guys. But it was the premise or main theme that grabbed me the most. As much as you want to believe that this is all make believe, there are parts where I found myself thinking "hmmm, this could just very well happen, in fact very well might be happening."
  
  
  I loved watching as each secret was unveiled and how seeming unconnected people were in fact all connected to Crystal and her destiny. There are some very good messages hidden within the magic and power struggles and I am on my way to get the next two books in the series to see how it all turns out. 4-star Reader Review
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• This is not my usual genre and I really didn’t think I would like it….but I was so wrong!! I loved this book!! I quickly fell in love with all the unique characters. Their stories all intertwined with a good mixture of fantasy and "new-age" spirituality. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author. ~5-Star Reader Review
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• My dad bought me this book for Christmas last year, and I got hooked on it from the moment I started reading. I have read it twice now, and it is still such an amazing read. The characters are well developed and really helped add to the story. I found myself engrossed in the adventures of Crystal and her friends and I couldn't get myself to put the book down until I'd reached the end! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something good to read. 5-Star Reader Review
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• I was honestly not expecting much from this book. I had read many others about the vibrations and a changing earth, humanity's chance to gain compassion and move to a higher existence or perish. Most of those had been very preachy and just not an enjoyable read. This, however, was an absolutely wonderful book. The mixture of fantasy and "new-age" spirituality was done so well, and did not try to force any new belief onto the reader, instead it seemed to mesh into the reader's heart.
  I fell in love with the characters quickly. Their stories so intertwined with many not knowing why. As the story continued I became glued to it. The author did a fabulous job or keeping me engaged as a reader. The unique characters and their flaws sets a wonderful path full of danger and adventure. I am truly looking forward to reading the next in the series. 4-Star Reader Review
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• This is a truly remarkable book. Quality wise I would say it is the new Harry Potter but than a slightly more mature version. This one actually managed to scare me a few times. Beautiful story that really captures you and never lets you go untill you reach the end. I highly recommend it and can't wait for the second book ! Way to go PB Morlen. Congratulations..... I am glad another writer of your caliber stood up, just keep them comming now.... ;-) 5-Star Reader Review
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Characters & Important People (7)

• Crystal Blue: 18-year-old heroine of the series. Crystal is not only the heroine, but she's also an Avatar, and a rather reluctant one at that. She wears her long dark hair in the ancient style, more commonly referred to as dreadlocks. Her eyes are honey-brown, usually covered by a pair of slim and dark eyeglasses. She's got a slight swearing problem, but nothing that would be too offensive, and the reason she's reluctant is because she's just found a bit of happiness in the bookstore where the most attractive man she's ever met works.
• Adam Walker: Tall, dark, and broodingly handsome half-blooded Lakota man who is Crystal's soul mate. Adam immediately sees Crystal's powerful, blue aura and is at once captivated by the fact that she is completely unaware of her unique qualities.
• Cosmo Attis: Elderly gentleman who owns and operates the Minneapolis-based bookstore, The Blue Crystal. Cosmo wears wire-rimmed glasses, which make his eyes owlishly-large, and he's all business until Crystal mysteriously appears in his bookstore one blustery winter day, begging for a job.
• David Lange: Middle-aged physics professor who discovers Crystal in a 7-11 and saves her from a botched kidnapping. David becomes a key player as he is the only one who can decode the ancient manuscript Crystal has found in the basement of The Blue Crystal bookstore.
• Claire Blue: Claire Blue is Crystal's older and rather bossy sister. Claire, whose blonde hair is long and curly, attends the University of Minnesota located in the heart of Minneapolis. It is because of Claire that Crystal now lives in this city.
• Madelynn Blue: Madelynn Blue is Crystal and Claire's grandmother. Not long after meeting her, readers discover that there's more to this woman than just a lovely Irish brogue, sea-blue eyes and fiery-red hair.
• Daniel Attis: A bit of a rebel, Daniel (Cosmo's grandson) is misunderstood. On the surface, this teenager seems to take a particular dislike to Crystal, but soon, his true nature shines through.
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I hope you can take advantage of this great giveaway and are also aware that on any given day there are thousands of books to choose from on Amazon Kindle that are free to download. If you're an avid reader like myself, you should take advantage of this free book option.

Happy Reading!!

PB

THE JEWEL TREE OF TIBET

Happy Almost Spring!

After a winter which included three, maybe four visits from the Polar Vortex, bringing us 55-60 nights of below zero temps and a handful or two of below zero days, I am happy to report that winter is almost, but not quite, over. Whew. As I've stated before, I am a Minnesotan, hearty through and through, thick blood and all. For instance, I love to run in single digit weather, I am not afraid to go get the mail without a coat when the mercury has dipped below the 0 mark, I don't find it unusual when my garden flags are buried under 4' snow covers for months at a time, or I start looking for signs of daffodils before the ground thaws, as they say, hope springs eternal! And the fact that it's still light out at 7:00 sheds light..haha..that spring is right around the corner. It has been one helluva long winter and I'm glad to see the backside of it. And yes, Minnesotans love talking about the weather, so there.

So, the topic of conversation today stems from a webinar I attended last week given by Robert Thurman. The webinar's title was: The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism, a book written by Robert Thurman, an American Buddhist writer and academic who has written, edited or translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism. The Jewel Tree of Tibet is considered one of the most explicit teachings on the steps on the path of enlightenment available. He is the co-founder and president of Tibet House and a professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies at Columbia University, the first endowed chair of Buddhist studies in the United States. He is known as a talented popularizer of the Buddha's teachings and after learning Tibetan and studying Buddhism he decided to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk and was ordained by H.H. the Dalai Lama, the first Westerner to earn that distinction. However, as his biography says, "some years later, he gave up his robes when he discovered he could be more effective in the American equivalent of the monastery: the university". He returned toHarvard to finish his PhD. A very popular professor, students call his classes "life-changing". www.bobthurman.com

During the webinar, Thurman focused on The Jewel Tree of Tibet. Tibetans think of their cherished tradition of Buddhism as a "wish-fulfilling jewel tree" for its power to generate bliss and enlightenment within all who absorb its teachings. Being that the webinar was only 2 hours, it was impossible for Robert to convey the message of the book entirely, but our meditations throughout the webinar helped us discover an esoteric teacher, one you might imagine and visualize to be indivisible from the Buddha himself, someone who is a living example of enlightenment. This 'mentor devotion' is a practice of acknowledging or worshiping the Buddha in a figure of your choice and you strive to emulate that model until you are able to understand and embody the teaching entirely yourself. 

However shortlived the webinar was, I took a lot away and feel a more personal connection to Mr. Thurman who is passionate, knowledgeable and very sincere about his teachings.

For anyone seeking the path to peace and enlightenment, I would encourage you to get your own copy of this book. 

Below, I've included an interview from the DailyOm with Robert Thurman pertaining to the steps leading to and during while writing this book and ultimately what the reader might discover about themselves.

The Jewel Tree of Tibet From "The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism" by Robert Thurman Posted by: DailyOM This book began as an intensive retreat with a small group of students. It is a teaching on the steps on the path of enlightenment that is common to all the forms of Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetans have taken teachings from all kinds of Buddhism, especially those preserved and developed in India over fifteen hundred years before they traveled to Tibet. But there in Tibet, Buddhism was made into a systematic method for people to practice and perform in order to become perfectly enlightened in this life, or in a short number of lives, starting from wherever they started.  This is what we'll aim to practice on this retreat, on this quest for enlightenment in book form. You'll start wherever you are in your life, today. We'll retreat into one of the greatest sacred wisdom texts of Tibetan knowledge of the soul, called The Devotion to the Mentor, in which a glorious wish-fulfilling gem tree is used to focus our minds. We're on a quest to contemplate this great text line by line, so that we come to understand its full, rich meaning, the brilliant reflections of its many facets guiding us, lighting up our awareness. And we'll take this awareness with us, out into the world, into our lives. It is a powerful text, just the reading of which has the capacity to lift you out of your individual self and into a perspective of unity, refreshing your individuality immeasurably. It will help you cultivate the sensitivity and appreciation to love more fully, feel compassion more intensely, and become a fountain of cheerfulness for all you meet and know.  The steps on the path of enlightenment in this text are a distillation of the vast profusion of healing techniques dispensed by the Shakyamuni Buddha -- the historical Buddha -- to his many thousands of disciples, two thousand five hundred years ago. I first encountered The Devotion to the Mentor and the jewel tree, in this life, forty-two years ago, when I met the Very Venerable Geshe Wangyal at his monastery in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, which was in a little pink tract house on East Third Street in Freewood Acres. He read to me a version of this same enlightenment path, the way to a higher quality of being, that had been written by the great south Indian philosopher sage Nagarjuna in the second century c.e. Nagarjuna had written it as Letter from a Spiritual Friend to his friend and disciple the south Indian King Udayibhadra, whose name means "King Happily Good."  My teacher read this text aloud in a Tibetan translation, accompanying it with a commentary written by a great fourteenth-century Tibetan lama, and as he read he would translate and explain in English to me and my friend Chris. The three of us would sit together in the chapel room or out in the yard of the little pink house that served as a monastery in New Jersey, under the spell of the great wish-fulfilling jewel tree of Tibet. Then, in the evening and late into the night, I would memorize the Tibetan, learn the text's meaning, and meditate on the steps and themes -- incorporating it all into my mind and psyche and spirit.  The fresh and reasonable vision of life, the deep meaning of existence, the imminence of freedom, the vast horizon of my human potential -- all this leapt out at me from these words in the lovely Tibetan script, block-printed on beautiful, long, fibrous pages. I loved Nagarjuna and his friend the king. I loved the Tibetan alphabet, so logical and elegant. I felt totally at home in it.  At that time, I was in the middle of a long pilgrimage that had led me to drop out of college and had taken me across Europe on a motorcycle and across Asia on foot, all the way to India. There, I had met the Tibetans and begun to learn from them and work with them when the death of my father brought me back to New York City for a month of family sadness and mourning, as well as a reimmersion into the hypocrisy and anxiety of the world that I was eager to transcend. Yet there I also met my teacher and went to work with him in the Jersey Pine Barrens, in a Russian Mongolian refugee community. Through him, I met the path of enlightenment. I met a true mentor. I had come home -- to myself and my soul -- through this great teacher and the jewel tree text he revealed to me.  And it was not just the text and the teachings that affected me so deeply. It was the special context in which Tibetans meditate and use their teachings. I learned to look up with my inner eye, the third eye of imagination, which lies in the middle of our foreheads and opens a channel of vision into a subtle realm of reality. In this inner sky revealed by my third eye, I discovered mystical beings, buddhas, bodhisattvas (persons who strive for enlightenment in order to help others on their quest for their highest development), historical lama mentors, angels, deities mild and fierce, and all the saints and teachers and philosophers from all the world's spiritual traditions. I beheld the shining tree of jewels, decked with living jewel beings.  I recognized the jewel tree as the world tree, Yggdrasil, the great ash tree extending over the entire earth, growing from the well of wisdom, where Odin, the highest god, had to cast one eye as sacrifice in order to receive the eye of wisdom from the goddess of the tree. The jewel tree is the tree of life, the tree of wisdom, and it is also the giant fig tree under which the Buddha attained perfect enlightenment, the bodhi tree. It grows from earth to heaven and is filled with the wish-granting jewels that make up the family of living mentors who have reached immortal life and can share their bliss with you, protect you, bless you, and help you open up your own inner doorway to peace and fulfillment. The jewel tree opens its loving embrace to everyone and promotes happiness -- which is our natural state and birthright.  Since that time when I began to enjoy the luminous shelter of the jewel tree of Tibet, I have studied and meditated year after year. I went on to become a monk; I learned more and more advanced teachings, tried to put them into practice, and seemed to succeed with insight after insight. But then I began to realize that last week's insight was superseded by the next one. For a while, all I wanted was to stay in my Buddhist community of seekers of enlightenment, to be embraced as a monk. My inner life was rich, full of insights and delightful visions, with a sense of luck and privilege at having access to such great teachers and teachings and the time to study and try to realize them. Eventually, I realized that there was more I needed to learn from the world, from engagement with others, from developing compassion in my interactions rather than the solitary quest of wisdom. So I resigned as a monk and reentered the university, determined to find a way to continue to study while engaging more actively with others.  As I have grown older and become less sure about everything -- and even confused and discouraged when my inherited negative personality traits reemerge in the heat of relationships -- I have repeatedly turned back to the beginning of my studies of the jewel tree. I regularly rest under the jewel tree and reflect on the steps it provides us to enlightenment, freedom, and happiness. A golden ladder from earth to heaven, the great jewel tree is an inner space for a retreat, a spiritual vacation, a refreshment and recharging that comes from stepping back from our emotions and habitual perspectives -- even for a few moments. You can spend minutes under the jewel tree or you can spend entire days or weeks, depending on the time you can afford to take. Sometimes it helps to meditate with others on the jewel tree, since your thoughts will become amplified and intensified by the resonance of one living mind with another.  Whenever I conduct a retreat, I try to remember that the main person who needs the retreat is myself. The person who most needs to learn what I say, even though I may be saying it, is me. So, therefore, I'm very thankful that you're joining me in your reading of this text and on this quest. I don't pretend to be a great teacher, but I do claim that this, the wish-granting jewel tree of Tibet, is a great teaching.  We love and admire Tibet because Tibet is the guardian, custodian, preserver, developer, and utilizer of these great enlightenment teachings. Originally, all the teachings came from what the Tibetans call the Noble Country, Aryavarta, the country of the noble beings. These beings followed the Buddhist tradition and achieved nobility in the spiritual sense, they were selfless beings -- beings who did not live enclosed within their own personal, egocentric perspective but lived within a multiperspectival world. The perspectives of the others were to them as important as, or more important than, the perspective of the self. The noble beings realized the meaning and the reality of selflessness. A noble person is defined by the Buddha not in terms of social class or race or nationality or sex or religion but by whether you perceive things only from your own perspective or whether you perceive them simultaneously from all others' perspectives.  So, what we're going to try to do on this quest together is to go from the beginning of the Tibetan path of enlightenment to its end. And we're going to rehearse various short meditations that will help us get deeper along the path. And we're going to learn about what that path is so that we understand it, so that you can do this retreat yourself again and again, and I can do this retreat myself again and again, each time learning something new. We're aiming to develop a tolerance for cognitive dissonance, a greater subtlety of consciousness. You don't want to get all fascinated or obsessed or entranced with one particular thing that you experience as you go along, but keep moving and learning, seeing things freshly again and again.  Even if you are not a Tibetan Buddhist or any kind of Buddhist, I hope you will be able to follow along with this teaching and gain something from it. I follow His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He's my main teacher, my mentor. I follow his view that, in the world today, we don't want millions and millions and millions of new Buddhists. We're not competing with the Christians, the Jews, the Muslims, the Hindus. We're not competing for market share, for a population explosion. But we are looking to the quality of people's lives, hoping that people will become more enlightened, whatever their religious affiliation or secular humanist beliefs. Conversion is not the goal here. Therefore, in teaching a teaching like this, which we hope the public will use widely, we want to make it accessible to as many people as possible.  However, if we teach a spiritual practice in a completely bland, watered down way, then no one will really have much inspiration to use it. I love the Buddha, and I love the Dharma, which is the teaching of the Buddha, and I love the Tibetan versions of it. And I particularly love the version that was perfected by Tsong Khapa, who lived in the fifteenth century. It is the core teaching that the Dalai Lamas have practiced since then, including the current Dalai Lama, the Fourteenth, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso. So, I want to share my love for their vision and wisdom with you through the ancient text that inspires this retreat in book form.  In this book, I will draw from those teachings and focus on the particularly vivid teaching about the wish-fulfilling jewel tree by the Fourth Panchen Lama, called the Guru Puja, or the Devotion to the Mentor. A mentor is not considered merely a teacher but is seen rather as an exemplar of the teaching, a model to follow. So, in each lesson or subject or verse, I will veer away from my own narrow understanding and Tibetan images, and I will encourage you to meditate, whether you are Sufi, Christian, or another kind of Buddhist, and to draw in your own images and ideas to enhance your own understanding. This retreat is divided into six chapters that can serve as retreats in themselves, with different meditations and a regular review of the principles that form the steps on the path to enlightenment. I want you to figure out how to enter a kind of jewel space of awareness, to populate and retreat to that jewel space in your own way. There you will be energized to discover your own feeling of insight into your own soul -- and into the soul of the entire universe. The wish-fulfilling jewel tree will restore you to yourself and illuminate your path through life...and illuminate your spirit into the next life.  Copyright © 2005 by Bob Thurman, Inc. See Also: Book Excerpt, Philosophy, Spirituality, Buddhism Namaste, PB