2020 Came in Like a Roar

Last night we ended one decade and started another and it couldn't get here fast enough for me. This year 2020 holds to be special because it should; isn't hindsight 2020? Okay, maybe that was a bad pun, but I fully intend on making 2020 the best year possible by focusing on my family, my health, and my writing. Last year I published a lot of books and this year should prove the same. I will have a new romance novel coming out called Secret Romances: The Forbidden Thirst for Love, and I am writing several "Life Hack" books on a variety of topics to share things I have learned from my grandmother, mother, and by experimenting. Also, in the works is a book called "Author Tips: How to Improve Your Novel." Last, but not I have a book on campfire stories for children that will be coming out in the summer. Now you know my goals. Have you defined yours?

 

One thing that struck me last night was that we have entered back into time of the "Roaring Twenties." Well, not exactly, but the 1920s were always a favorite decade of mine to read and to write about. So, now, I have a modern excuse, which brings me to today's author and book. I hope you enjoy learning about both in the Author Interview Below.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Roar: The Power Of Rejection (your voice is important, refuse to be silenced!) Paperback – Large Print, April 20, 2019

by Augustina Ekwunife (Author)

 

"Rejection doesn't mean you aren't good enough; it means the other person failed to notice what you have to offer." -Mark Amend Frustrated people are always comfortable being surrounded by like-minded. When you shine too bright for them, they tend to reject you. That's Ok, You don't have to live for people's acceptance, so keep shining. If you are not being reject, maybe that your dream isn't big enough. You have to be rejected to be discovered!

 

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EXCERPT

 

 

Augustina Ekwunife

Roar

 

 
 
 

Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.

Augustina Ekwunife was born in Anambra State - Eastern Nigeria. She is a published author, Writer, Mentor, Speaker, Teacher and Evangelist. She is a graduate of the Global School of Ministry and further Upgraded her scriptural knowledge by undertaking a nine month intensive course on the ‘Advanced Mentorship Program- Masterclass’ of GSOM. She is a member of IMF (International Ministers Fellowship). In 2019 by His Grace she was elected to the office of the Director- Business, Professional & Public Affair Network, IMF Italy. She is also an Italian trained professional who for the past 16 years, gives health and social assistance. She lives with her amazing daughters and currently works in a private hospital in the heart city of Padua.

A dynamic evangelist and a counsellor and a Truth seeker, she shares her personal experiences and founded truths. She Gives counselling on areas such as: Difficulties in marriage and relationships in general and dealing with difficult teenagers.
She shares her ideas and thoughts on self-awareness, self-discovery, personal growth and personal spiritual growth.

She has also collaborated with some group of advocates to fight for legal and civil rights for immigrants in Padua, Italy from 2009 to 2015.

 

She is an influencer, a leader, and a catalyst for change- no one comes in contact with her person that remains the same. She leaves a lasting impact on your life in such a positive way that it will challenge you to unearth your hidden potentials. She is a visionary, a strong, determined, focused and courageous woman, a mother, a sister and a friend. A woman with unstoppable passion and love for life and the things of God.

 

What inspired you to author this book?

I suffered from rejection from all the people I loved. From my own blood to people I meet along the journey of life. I was hurt. I was broke and broken. One day I decided to do short writeups on fb... And I discovered that as I was writing this short post on fb, I release my pains and hurts, and I heal. So in said, why not write a book and tell my story. So from one book, another book was birthed and another and another. So today, I'm working on my 6th and 7th book. 😊

I want to be an inspiration. I want to be a Voice to those who don't have one. I want to be that change I sorted for all these years. I want to make a difference. And the best way for me to do that right now is through my writings-my books.

 

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Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?

Well, as I write the title? I visualize the image that best suits the title and the message I want to send out. The title must match the image or symbol vice versa.

Who has been the most significant influence on you personally and as a writer?

I love Myles Munroe. I read one if his books back then in Africa and the book changed the way I think. I love Lisa Nichols so much. Whenever I watch her speak, I see myself in her. my dream is to become a transformational speaker one day.

 

What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?

 

I had to fight to keep my voice. once I discovered the potentials I have, I had to fight to keep it. It cost me friends and family members, including having to say goodbye to a marriage of more than 23 yrs. It wasn't easy to start all over. Here is where many start to give up, but I fought to keep standing. I had to fight not to give up on me.

 

Tell your readers about your book.

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ROAR is about the power of rejection. Everybody wants to be accepted. We all want to be accepted, respected and loved. We need that sense of belonging where we feel at home with ourselves and with the person or people involved. But what happens when that connection is disrupted? What happens when, one day you feel so secure and the next day you feel lost and lonely?

What happens when you wake up one morning only to realize that you have no one to count on. You find yourself solo and you feel lonely and scared. Yes, you feel despair and that sense of hopelessness that creep in without prior notice and no matter what you do or say, that feeling is there, refusing to go away.

Being rejected, neglected, abandoned, refused or simply ignored can hurt so much. Taking someone for granted is the worst kind of disrespect and this can hurt so much especially if coming from someone or people you love.

But that's the secret! Yes, the secret lies in how you respond to all these negatives happening to you. This is what I addressed in the book, Roar. Roar is a book I wrote with the intention to inspire and motivate my readers. Roar is about You not giving up on yourself, on life and more especially, on Love. Roar is my means of saying to any woman or man going through a difficult time. Who has been broken is right now hurting; I too have been there. And if I could make it, You can!

Roar is about me using my message to encourage you as to read each and every chapter. I implore you to take your pain and turn it into a force that will create a burning desire to rise above your suffering or challenges. I call it Power Of Rejection!

Because it is easier to lie down and weep and beat on yourself over and over.
It is not what happens to us but how we choose to react or respond to what happens to us. Rejection is in effect a redirection or a protection. There is no place in the bible where God said; I will give you an average life. But God said in Ephesians 3: 20

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the.”

Which means God is able to do more than we ask of Him and even exceeds in an abundance all that we can think of. Therefore we limit our potentials and blessings when we chose to settle for anything less than we deserve.

Sometimes, Rejections are ways God is telling us to move forward.

 

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Who his your target audience and why?

My target audience is women and youths.

The reason I've chosen to address this particular audience was that they are the two most vulnerable to letting people dictate for them how they should live their lives... Women and youths are more likely to fall victim to abuse and violence in relationships.

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What do you consider your greatest success in life?

Getting my voice out there in the world. This book s a huge success because It allowed me to step into the woman I've always wanted to Be. I am also proud of my other books that I have written.

What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?

It is my story. It is unique because we all are unique. I believe that that sets me apart from other writers. Because this book is about Me. It's about my message to the world and because I am Unique.

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 FOLLOW THE AUTHOR

My website: http://www.augustinaekwunifeministry.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/augustina99ekwunife/

https://twitter.com/tina_ekwunife/status/1202535425212125184?s=20

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6nsNXIIgJa/?igshid=8829bqnygiy1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learning to Calm Down

June 8, 2019

In ten days it is National Panic Attack Day. No, that doesn't mean that we all must panic together on that day. In fact, it is quite the opposite. This day has been set aside as Panic Attack Awareness Day to shed light on the fact that millions of people suffer from them and to let everyone know that there is help out there. C J Kruse, one of the authors with Absolute Author Publishing House, is debuting his new book A GUIDE TO HOW TO CALM DOWN on June 18, 2019, and his doing his part. He chose that day to launch his book to coincide with the National Panic Attack Day to also bring light to the public about panic attacks and to let everyone know, his book could help.

Over the next ten days, Kruse will be guest blogging on this serious issue and today's topic is Learning to Calm Down Takes Time.

 GUEST BLOGGER

LEARNING TO CALM DOWN TAKES TIME

Very often in our lives, we don’t really understand what is happening to us. We rely on narratives that we’ve built to make sense of things, but those narratives are often inaccurate. However, since we rely on those narratives, we resist deeper thinking. We don’t want to question our simple, boxed-up traditions of belief.

Have you ever noticed that we don’t like being challenged about our political or religious beliefs? When somebody makes a claim that goes against one of our long-held beliefs, we instantly put up a wall of defense.

Well, the same seems to be true about other beliefs -- beliefs regarding our relationships with our families, as well as beliefs about ourselves. The bottom line is, our search for answers rarely is an objective search at all because we don’t want answers that would require us to reshape our beliefs.

We tend to say things like, “Make it simple. Don’t overthink this. Explain it to me in a way that makes sense.” Such statements reflect our resistance to new paradigms. But, if we really want to get better at calming down, we will need a better approach.

We will have to set aside some of what we already know and come to some newer, deeper understandings. Why? Because our limited understandings aren’t really helping us. If they were, we’d be putting marriage counselors and therapists out of a job. There would be no market for self-help books. We would all understand why we do what we do, and have perfect responses for nearly every situation.

The fact that we keep running into the same brick walls over and over seems to imply that we need more than what we already know. And, we will have to step out of our comfort zones to get it.

To get over this hurdle that seems to stand in our way, we will have to dump out what we know about certain things so that our glass is empty -- ready to be filled afresh. And, we should probably expect that the changes we want to make will not come easily. Or, quickly.

The process could be compared to learning how to play a new musical instrument, such as the piano. When you start out on the piano, you aren’t automatically Mozart. You start out as a total newbie, struggling and striving just to learn “Oh when the saints go marching in.”

Many people never learn how to play a new instrument for this reason. Not because they have no musical potential, but because the process is much harder than they expected. It challenges them in ways they aren’t comfortable with. And, they end up quitting.

Ultimately, the reward ends up going only to those who bear through the tough process, fully acknowledging how little they know and how much room they have for improvement. And, if you want to learn how to calm down, you will not be able to rely only on what you already know. And, you can expect the process to take time. 

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BECOMING MISS IZZY

The countdown has begun for BECOMING MISS IZZY written by Sue Zook and Mary Lazsarki. This book is amazing as it deals with a lot of social issues that middle schoolers face. Told in a creative a fun manner, this book is perfect for both parents and children alike and I highly recommend that parents read this book with their children so that they can discuss any issues their child has. The reviews on the book are amazing. Published by Absolute Author Publishing House, the book launches June 17, 2019, in both eBook and paperback. Pre-order your copy today.

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TIPS FOR WRITING A NOVEL

By Dr. Melissa Caudle

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One of the most frequent questions I get as an author is where do I find the time to write and publish four books a year. Frankly, my first response is, “I don’t” know. I just do.” Then when I reflect on it, I realize that I have established an author’s mentality of writing, editing, and marketing. Oh, no! What? To be an author includes two other areas besides writing. Yep, an author must also edit and market their book. So, how do you find the time when your raising children, have a full-time job, you’re a soccer mom, or in my case a swim team grandmother who attends my grandson’s swim practices five times a week and swim meets one time a week, babysits my only granddaughter, help to take care of my mother who just got out of the hospital with pneumonia, a wife, and yes, work as I am one of the senior editors with Absolute Author Publishing House? Ouch. How do I find the time? Great question. That’s when I decided to highlight tips for writing a novel and publishing it during a chaotic lifestyle.

1. Set a Writing Goal – I function very well with goals by setting them. I know as an author that I must author my next novel, edit a novel from someone else, and market not only my books but others as well as I have a Fiverr gig to help other novelist market their books. There is only some much time in a day to do all that. Instead of letting the massiveness burden you, let it give you energy within your goals. I work from home, so it is especially important that I establish a routine to fit in everything that I need. When I wake up, the first thing I do is to attend to any of my emails that came in with questions, etc. After that, I create my ‘To Do’ list for the day and slot out the amount of time for each. I often work ten hours a day, but I make sure to take breaks, stretch, eat, and exercise. Believe it or not, this works.

I realize that most of you don’t work from home and have a variety of duties and jobs that fill most of your day. That means you must set your goal for writing, even if it is only 5,000 words for the day or thirty minutes a day of writing. Find your time. If you are a morning person, get up an hour early, and write. I know schoolteachers who write during their lunch breaks or stay after school for an hour to write in the peace and quiet before they go home. You will find the time if it is important to you.

2. Set a Deadline – When I write, I set a deadline for when I want my book to be published, and most of the time, I stick to it. Yes, the deadline is self-imposed, but if you want to be an author, you must treat your writing as a business with deadlines. Otherwise, it will be exceedingly difficult to complete your book.

3. Establish a Blueprint – A novel’s blueprint is the outline of your story. I was a screenwriter first before I was a novelist. In fact, the novels that I am writing are from my screenplays, so I think that I can move faster through authoring a novel because I have already clearly defined my characters, plots, arcs, subplots, resolution, etc. I authored a book for screenwriters called JUST BEAT IT. What this book does is shows a screenwriter how to use a beat sheet to formulate their blueprint. I now realize that this same method applies to novelists, and if you are stuck, you might want to consider purchasing this book and learn how to use a beat sheet. Planning your novel will go a long way to help you keep on your deadline goal.

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3. Treat Your Characters as Real People – When you can visualize your characters, you know their background, and what makes them tick, it is easier to write about them. Take your time to develop your characters. As crazy as this may sound, make up a complete biography on them. Where did they grow up? What schools did they attend? What kind of relationship did they have with their parents? What makes them sneeze? What is their deepest fear? What is their favorite color? Are they allergic to anything? Keep developing about two hundred questions on each character and get to them like they are your children.

4. Write in the Correct Format – Writing a novel and formatting a novel are two different things. The biggest mistake I see authors make is that they write in Word and never set their page size, margins, indents, etc. They send me a manuscript to edit that is about 125 pages, but not formatted to an industry size such as 5.25 X 8. They don’t know how to use page breaks, section breaks, or how to mark for Table of Contents. When you learn how to do those things, the look and feel of your manuscript not only looks different, but it looks like a book and not a senior English class creative writing project. Moreover, believe it or not, it is very motivating. I always write in Microsoft Word. Maybe I am old fashioned, but I can’t stand some of the other software because they are cumbersome. It is up to each author to choose the software they want to write their manuscript, but please format it correctly before you write. There are many templates out there, so find one.

5. Edit When Appropriate – Authors are quirky, I know because I am one. When I first start writing a chapter, I never edit it as I write it. I just write. After I finish that chapter, I run it through Microsoft Word Review, Grammarly, and then ProWritingAid to clean it up. However, I don’t do the deep edit on character development, plot structure, etc. My goal is to at least after the first draft to have a clean copy. Once I complete the first draft, I always order a printed paperback copy to proofread. I like to hold a book in my hand to edit. I have my pen ready to mark any mistakes and find plot holes. Then I return to the manuscript and make those changes. Then start a deep edit using Word going through it chapter by chapter. Then, I rinse and repeat. I usually go through four to five proof copies in paperback and make modifications before I send to my editor. Yes, although I am an editor, I hire editors. I am too close to the subject matter to edit my own, and so are you.

6. Commit to Persevere – Never ever give up. You can do this!

Game of Thrones - What?

June 3, 2019

Summer is here! Yea! I am jumping for joy as summer is my favorite season. It is a time that I get to spend a great deal with all of my grandchildren at backyard cookouts and swim parties. They love coming over and challenging me to a game of Marco Polo, water volleyball, and chasing after the sonic dive sticks. At sixty-one, I need all of the exercises I can get to stay young, healthy an active; therefore, I asked my grandchildren to make sure that I exercise in the pool with them. Let me tell you, they have held up their end of the bargain and I feel great. I think swimming is one of the best exercises I can do.

When we aren't in the pool, we play chess, marbles, paint, draw and create things. Then it comes time to rest so we search the television and choose one movie to watch together, pop popcorn, and snuggle up on the couch. Yes. After a movie, we grab some books and either read aloud or read a different book. Our first book together for our summer reading fun was BECOMING MISS IZZY by Sue Zook and Mary Lazarski, published by Absolute Author Publishing House. I highly recommend this book for all of your middle school children. The advice on bullying is fantastic and it is told in a creative way. The reviews have been five-star.

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Another book on my shelf for my children is WHERE ARE MY CHILDREN by L.A. Davis, also published by Absolute Author Publishing Company. This book opened as the #1 New Release in four categories and is a fantastic read from the voice of Hurricanes.

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The third book on our list of summer reading is SCARS OF A MAGICIAN by Robert B Herring Jr. This is a wonderful fantasy tale that I had the honor of editing and publishing with Absolute Author Publishing House last spring. I loved it.

SCARS OF A MAGICIAN SYNOPSIS

Magic,Werewolves, Spies, Drama. . . Deep in the Old Creek Mountain exists a large village called Seven Moons. It was cloaked by powerful wizards years ago to protect the folks who live there from prying eyes of the world. A young, talented magician named Derrick Blackwell spends a large part of his life with his grandma Sabrina, who is trying to raise him to be respectful and to use better judgment in his everyday life. His parents cared more about work and being undercover spies than being with their own son. Derrick attends school at Seven Moon High, a school for magic and potions. He becomes friends with a girl named Reign Hungry, and soon develops romantic feelings for her. He also befriends Charles Redder, a new transfer student, who’s mysterious at times. A boy named Barrett Bloodstone is always competing against him and sabotaging Derrick’s magic performance from his death-defying and up-close stunts. One day in October, Derrick was walking through the woods and came across an old woman passing through on her carriage. Derrick finds the Mythic Red Wizard Book in the rear of the carriage, which he took without paying for it. From then on, Derrick's decisions would change his life forever.

HEY! NOW, WHAT?

After their parents take home my grandchildren, it's my time. That means I can do whatever I want. Lately, as weird as this may sound, I been binge watching THE GAME OF THRONES. Okay, that's not the weird part. The fact is, up until last week I had never watched a single episode of THE GAME OF THRONES. It wasn't because I didn't want too, but rather, I didn't subscribe to HBO until this summer. Now I know what I have been missing.

This brings meguest blogger. THE GAME OF THRONES. Having not watched the entire series, I called on a fellow author, Max Hawthorne, whose KRONOS RISING series puts JAWS PG. I had the opportunity to read DIABLO from the series while I was at the beach. As a result, I wouldn't get in the ocean. I kept looking for sharks. However, Max is a huge fan of THE GAME OF THRONES, so I asked him to guest blog today on the controversy of the ending that I know nothing about. Let's see what Max has to say as he is my guest blogger.

Editing with a Sword: How a Few Tweaks Could’ve “Saved” The Final Season of Game of Thrones

by Max Hawthorne

Like most people on the planet, I've seen the petitions that went around on social media about the final episode of Game of Thrones.

Millions of irate fans are upset (some even outraged) about how the final season played out, with many of them demanding a “do-over”. That’s never going to happen, of course, but let’s be frank; we need to give credit where credit is due. The show’s award-winning writers are among the tops in their fields. They’ve successfully brought to life one of the greatest sagas in the history of television. They deserve to have accolades piled at their feet, not to be vilified because they failed to meet everyone’s expectations. 

That said, as a novelist who crafts an ongoing series of books, I’ll be the first to admit that anyone can grow weary of working with the same material, settings, and characters, day in, day out. Repetition is the enemy, and the need to find exciting new visuals, action sequences and even dialogue can be overwhelming. The ongoing need to keep our stories fresh and unpredictable, both for ourselves and our viewers/readers, can become taxing. It sometimes results in a sort of “storytellers’ myopia”, where the artistic vision we regularly rely upon starts to get a bit blurry.

As someone who’s followed Game of Thrones from start to finish…

I must concede that I see some of the fans’ points. And, to a certain extent, I agree with them. When compared to the previous seven seasons, overall, the final season and, most notably the final episode, felt very rushed. It was like they were trying to cram three seasons worth of stories into one. As a novelist, I saw many set pieces/scenes/character arcs that could have been handled differently. The writers had the opportunity to add so much more punch to them. The following are a few examples of scenes that, if I had been part of the writing team, I would have handled differently. Feel free to hit me up on Facebook; I’d love to hear your opinion.

My take on the Final Episode of Game of Thrones.

I would not have had Dani "turn to the dark side" the way she did.

Based on the previous seven seasons, her character was too strong to go down that path so easily. I would have pushed her hard, perhaps driven her over the edge, similar to the way she was (but stretched out over a bit more time), but then had her pull back. I would have given her the opportunity to redeem herself, to prove she wasn't a "mad queen", but then die in the attempt. I would’ve had her attack the Red Keep first, demolishing much of it, and then perhaps, in the heat of battle, staying her hand against some helpless enemy or enemies (perhaps some ground troops), only to have them turn on her, perhaps hit her with an arrow that would eventually kill her. I would’ve had some of the Gold Cloaks involved, cheering, mocking, then had her see Missandei’s head on a spike. This combination would have pushed her over the edge. It would’ve justified her unleashing her full fury on the city. With her so impassioned, her sacrificing herself and Drogon to save Jon (maybe from a collapsing tower, with the dragon bearing the brunt of it), would've had much more impact. It would’ve served to absolve her from her momentary descent into madness. She could’ve revealed Jon’s heritage to her people as she lay dying and went out a heroine. She could've gone out a legend, with the last dragon dying with her, cradling her. Or, even better, the two of them could’ve flown off with Drogon on fire, like a meteor preparing to burn up in the atmosphere. Immune to the flames, Dani would die atop Drogon’s back, with him spiraling down to crash into the same ocean as Rhaegal. It would be a glorious reunion and a fitting end – a shooting star falling into the sea.   

Clegane Bowl was awesome, but even it could've had a better climax.

I would've changed the story where, when Sandor tackles his zombie brother and knocks him through the wall, I would've had Drogon (obviously, earlier in the episode) catch and eat the Mountain as he fell. It would've had more impact. He may have survived sword thrusts and the like, but being eaten by a dragon is harder to bounce back from. I also would've not killed off the Hound. I would have had him catch hold of the crumbling edge and end up hanging there, holding on for dear life, with an inferno raging below him. He would've had one arm so badly wounded that he couldn't pull himself up. Then, I would've had Arya show up and make a comment about his advice being appreciated, but that one must be true to one's self (kind of an, "I'm a scorpion, it's my nature" thing). I would've had her grab his wrist and pull, then shake her head, realizing he’s too heavy. He would've seen the resignation on her face and misinterpreted things, replying, "So, you're gonna leave me after all." She would've pulled back out of sight. He'd have hung there for a moment, probably grinning and contemplating the irony of his fate, only to have Brienne, of all people, show up and pull him to safety. This would've settled things between them, resolving their past conflict and not sacrificing the character. Then, Brienne would've looked around for Arya and been surprised that she's gone. This would’ve told the viewers that the two were together and that Arya had a hand in saving Clegane after all. 

The battle between Jamie Lannister and Euron Greyjoy was a bit of a disappointment.

Sure, the revelation that Jaime is the baby's father would've been a bit cliche', but it still would've packed a lot of oomph and given fans the payback they wanted directed at Euron. He's an arrogant douchebag, and many people would've cheered to see him get his just desserts. The expression his face as he lay there dying, happy that he’d killed Jamie Lannister, would’ve faded fast if Jamie yelled back from the background, “Maybe so, but Cersei is carrying my child, not yours. My name will carry on, while yours . . .”

The deaths of Queen Cersei and Jamie Lannister should've been handled differently.

For starters, interspersed with the earlier battle, I would've prefaced their untimely demise with a few scattered shots of portions of the interior of the Red Keep collapsing, including the dungeons. There would’ve been soldiers and jailers running for their lives, some prisoners escaping, being crushed by falling rocks, etc. Later, I would've had Jamie and Cersei in the lower levels as took place, trying to escape, I would’ve had Arya (disguised as Qybrun – it’s easy enough to take a man's face when he's already dead and have “him” pretend he was only wounded) guiding them out, only to reveal herself just before they could make their escape. As is his character, a badly wounded Jaime would have valiantly tried to defend Cersei, only to be defeated handily by Arya. I would've had Arya announce that she’s decided to add Jaime to her "list", but then have Brienne arrive and stop her in mid-strike. (The Hound would've accompanied her but – now torn, loyalty-wise, between the two – wisely stayed neutral)

This would've set up for some intense and hateful vibes between the Queen and the "great cow" she despises, especially when she realized Jaime and Brienne have been intimate. The irony that a woman she despises, her romantic rival, was the only person keeping her alive, would’ve been particularly poignant. Arya and Brienne would've fought, with Arya eventually getting the upper hand and then stalking Cersei with murder in her eyes. Arya would've ignored a wounded Brienne's pleading and advanced on Cersei, reciting a list of all her crimes against the Stark family, her brother and mother’s murder, watching her father be executed, and more. Then, just as she was about to plunge her knife into Cersei's heart, Jaime would shout out that she's pregnant and plead for mercy for the innocent baby. This would stay Arya's hand after she exchanges glances with Jamie, Brienne, and the Hound. She would start to back away, perhaps making a comment that the Many-Faced Gods would deal with her himself. Cersei would smile, only to gasp in horror as a spear blade appears from her stomach. We'd see Ellaria Sand revealed behind her as Cersei collapses, escaped from the shattered dungeons and avenging the death of her daughter. Jamie would scream in anguish and crawl to a dying Cersei's side, only to stay with her to die as the place collapses and Arya and the Hound drag a distraught Brienne to safety.  

I thought the whole Bran notion of becoming King was a bit forced.

With his previous claims of not having any interests or desires, he formally eliminated himself as a potential candidate for king. Yet his statement, “Why do you think I came all this way”, implies that he knew everything would play out the way it did, so he becomes an almost “Sith-like”, and potentially malevolent, character. With his Three-Eyed Raven abilities, Bran would’ve served best as Hand of the king, with Jon on the throne and Tyrion as master of Coin or wine or some such. As happened. Brienne would’ve been given command of the King’s Guard, and the Hound could’ve ridden off with Arya, to watch her back as she explored what lay “West of Westeros”. This would’ve worked out better from a variety of angles. As King of the Six Kingdoms, Jon, or rather, Aegon Targaryen, would’ve agreed to free the North, yet still had an easy alliance with his sister, Sansa Stark. The Wildlings would’ve settled down, becoming far less warlike and troublesome, yet they would’ve also remained valuable allies, especially with them being beholden to Jon, not to mention his relationship with Tormund Giantsbane.

There are many other plot points that could be discussed but, at the risk of coming across as arrogant and presumptuous, there are the major ones that I would’ve addressed for that final episode. The series was fantastic and that last episode impressive, but I think viewers would’ve done a lot more cheering and less jeering if something along the line of these tweaks had taken place. But then again, I’m just a humble novelist and not the writer for one of the most watched series of all time. What could I possibly know?    

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ABOUT GUEST BLOGGER MAX HAWTHORNE

Max was born in Brooklyn and attended school in Philadelphia, where he graduated from the University of the Arts. Nowadays, he lives in Buck’s County, PA. He loves the water. Besides being a passionate angler, he is also a dedicated conservationist and likes to stay active. His hobbies include fishing, boating, boxing, and the collection of fossils and antiquities. At home, he shares his office with his daughter’s cat, Mace, an outsized Lynx Point Siberian Forest Cat with a particularly wry sense of humor. When he’s not lying in wait for Max underneath some piece of furniture, the “Minister of Fluff” sleeps on his desk as he writes.

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Taken off of Amazon at 11:52 a.m. June 3, 2019