One Million Project Magazine

December 2016 

I 

One Million Project 

Magazine 

Copyright © 2016 by OMP Magazine Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine 

may be reproduced or transmitted 

in any form or by any means without 

written permission from the author 

or publisher. Printed by OMP Magazine 

Publishing 



Contributors 

Jason Greenfield 

Author & Founder 

Thomas Cardin 

Artist 

Sheena Macleod 

Author & Promotions Manager 

Victoria Stoyanova 

Guest Artist 

Kate McGinn 

Author 

Cassandra DenHartog 

Author 

Michelle Kidd 

Author 

Douglas Debelak 

Author 

Geraldine Renton 

Blogger 

Sharon Rhoads 

Editor 

Lincoln Cole 

Author 

Lora Tabakova 

Publishing Manager 

Greg Meritt 

Author 

Rachel Wollaston 

(cover) 

Paul Skelton 

Author 


THOSE WHO WOULD RESIST MY RULE 

Story by Jason Greenfield. Art by Thomas Cardin 

Chapter One: Thoughts of a Tyrant, as dictated to Central Comp 

I am Darkikonn, Lord of all Quarr and Liege Lord of 

the Seven Quadrants. My rule extends to the edge 

of known space and a trillion trillion trillion sentients 

quake under my booted heel. I am Darkikonn! 

Is that a suitable opening I wonder? I find a melodramatic 

statement, firm and unyielding in its intent 

to be best. The usual form if you will, simplistic 

in its straightforward but bombastic language, accurate 

in content but perhaps somewhat … cliché? 

I think so anyway but my thoughts remain my own 

and of course nobody would dare to unintentionally 

agree with those thoughts unprompted ~ 

Computer records a heavy sigh ~ it would mean 

their life of course and one must preserve form. I 

am as much a slave to form and function as all others 

are slaves to my despotic whim. If I DIDN’T order 

the occasional random execution among my 

lackeys on a flimsy pretext or even none at all, everyone 

would be so disappointed. 


I may be merciful of course but even then I must 

do it in a studied, coolly calculated manner and 

if my rare displays of mercy were even more 

chilling than one of my equally unpredictable 

rants or random punishments, then so much the 

better. 

I may act unconventionally but within the expected 

parameters and if I did not … well where 

would it all end? The decay of Society I suppose. 

My Society! 

… Hmmm, a notion worth exploring. 

There are those who resist of course. There always 

are … Rebels … how I envy them their 

bloody minded single headedness – the blacks 

and whites through which they view the universe. 

I am evil; therefore I must be removed so 

that good can prevail. ~Computer records a 

hollow laugh~ 

Children. Children who cannot conceive that 

there are consequences bound in consequence 

and every action has an equal and mostly negative 

reaction. Yes, they are simplistic fools who 

live in today with little regard to yesterday or 

tomorrow except how the latter pertains to their 

own limited world view. How I envy them. 

This current group of rebels are not the first nor 

sadly shall they be the last. In X years of rule 

almost a dozen rebellions have sparked, flared 

and been extinguished. I know how they think 

you see, because once … once I was one of 

them! 


Oh yes, it’s true. Darkikonn is my chosen 

name of course (Did you really think my 

birth mother would saddle an innocent 

babe with such an appellation?) and chosen 

carefully at that. Somewhat hokey and melodramatic, 

it nonetheless inspires a certain 

symbolic grandeur. 

Dark Icon … Well, I thought it was clever 

anyway. End recording. 


‚Those Who Would Resist My Rule‚ 

Review by Kate McGinn 

Politics has been in the news a lot lately. As 

Americans head to the streets to protest the 

recent election, we have yet to determine 

whether the results will be for the collective 

good or not. Divisive rhetoric and a country 

torn in half by opposing beliefs became the 

talk of the political pundits on the cable news 

networks in the US. For weeks before the election, 

the rest of the world held their breath to 

see who would be leading the government for 

the next four years. 

I became entrenched in the election coverage 

over the past year and a half. I’ll be the first to 

admit it -- I’m a political junkie. Every four 

years, I overdose on fact-checking, reading 

news articles and flipping the channels from 

one political panel to another weighing each 

side’s arguments against my own personal beliefs; 

and even I couldn’t wait for this year’s 

news cycle to end. 

I headed to California to see my son before he 

went out to sea with his squadron, and to assist 

his new bride with moving to LA. I finally 

turned off the TV after November 8th and 

picked up Jason Greenfield’s story, Those Who 

Would Resist My Rule , and began to read. 

As I became involved in the story, I was 

pleased to see his tale was set in outer space. 

I had grown up watching Star Trek in the 60’s, 

Star Wars in my teens, and I looked forward to 

getting lost in Greenfield's ‚Space Opera.‛ 

It had all my favorite elements of a good sci-fi 

story. Bad, bad villain – check. Handsome 

prince striving for peace – check. Sassy love 

interest – check. But, my checklist ended 

when I began to see this short story was more 

than a simple exercise in escapism. Its meanings 

ran much deeper below the surface, and I 

found two questions about humanity within 

the storyteller’s threads as he wove his interstellar 

tale. 


The first premise explores whether youthful 

ideals are destroyed with the passage of time 

and exposure to humanity’s flaws. Do all 

adults become more cynical with the passage 

of time? Do we cave to the philosophy of ‚If 

you can’t beat them, join them‛ as we age? Or 

does repeated exposure to corruption, greed, 

and war deaden our need to condemn such 

practices? 

Interesting questions to ponder. I would like 

to believe we can retain our youthful wonder 

and optimism; although, I have also encountered 

the increased cynicism in many people 

over time. In Those Who Would Resist My 

Rule, we see how new generations believe 

they can right the wrongs inflicted upon them 

by the current political bureaucracy. We continue 

reading only to find those same idealistic 

revolutionaries falling into the same mind 

set, as they become enmeshed in the day-today 

tasks involved with governing. 

The protagonist in the story reflects on his 

continuing use of brutality, reasoning that it 

is a performance which the citizenry has 

grown to expect. It is a show of power designed 

to intimidate and bring order. He 

confesses feeling trapped into maintaining 

this role for the good of all. With the passage 

of many decades, he doesn’t recognize his 

errors in judgment until it is too late. The advisors 

he has relied upon over the years encourage 

his oppressive acts. He surrounds 

himself only with people who agree with him 

and destroys anyone who protests his actions. 

And he doesn’t have a Twitter account! 

Unbelievable!) Strangely, he chooses a wife 

who rebels against the dictatorial side of the 

man she married forcing him to show the 

prince he’s carefully hidden from view so that 

he can win her heart. 


The second premise is that history will repeat itself. 

It can, but it doesn’t necessarily have to if we reflect 

and learn from our mistakes. We can avoid this 

supposed inevitability if we recognize the signs 

showing us we may be headed in the same disastrous 

direction. 

Great societies throughout history have risen to 

glory and power before falling into ruin. Wars continue 

to use up the lifeblood of our youth and tap 

our resources. Sometimes the battles are fought in 

the name of religion. More often than not, the reasons 

are simple greed and the siren’s song of power. 

Jason Greenfield wrote about these fictional characters 

long before this last political cycle began. 

His enjoyable tale, set in a distant galaxy, gives us a 

few poignant messages about human frailty which 

we would be wise to heed in the days ahead. 


A&Q 

Thomas Cardin 

Who are you and what do you do? 

My name is Thomas Cardin and I’ve been a professional 

artist for most of my life. I’ve always 

been a creative, losing myself in other worlds, 

what ifs, and whimsical explorations. For the last 

several years I’ve also turned to words to create, 

growing myself into an author as well as artist. 

Why did you join One Million Project 

and what inspired you to do 

so? 

I heard about the One Million Project through 

Jason Greenfield on WriteOn. We connected 

there by reading each other’s work. 

Why do you do what you do? 

I think visually, so images are constantly appearing 

in my head like there’s a projection screen 

behind my eyes. It’s always been natural to use 

my hands to draw and shape the things my imagination 

sees. 

How do you work? 

I visualize, I sketch, I refine. If I look for the energy 

and dynamics of a piece first and I succeed in 

translating that through whatever medium I am 

using, I’m invariably more satisfied. 

What’s your background? 

Growing up with a mother who is a master 

at painting in oils and water colors. Having 

a father who was a professional photographer. 

Having an uncle who wore a fifty year 

pin as a Disney animator. They didn’t give 

me my skills, but they taught me I could do 

anything if I worked for it. ‘Can’t’ is a very 

bad four-letter-word for an artist. 

What’s your strongest memory of 

your childhood? 

My father reading to me before bed. He 

didn’t read Dr. Seuss, he read Edgar Rice 

Burroughs. I went to sleep with Tarzan 

swinging through the trees in my mind and 

John Carter cutting a swath across the surface 

of Barsoom to rescue the incomparable 

Dejah Thoris. 

What’s your most embarrassing 

moment? Most?! 

Something tells me it’s still ahead of me. 

One day I’ll turn a corner in front of a parade 

and my pants will fall down around 

my ankles. I live in constant fear of that. 


What jobs have you done other than 

being an artist? 

I’ve been a security guard, worked in a photo lab, 

been an assistant to a metal sculptor, clerked a 

liquor store, clerked a gift store. I’ve also been 

hired to phone a list of a several hundred people 

inviting them to a private party. I was just a kid at 

the time and I would lose myself imagining just 

what kind of party it was. 

Name something you don’t love, 

and why. 

Any ugly thought or speech aimed toward another 

person. When will people realize that it 

doesn’t build themselves up to put another 

person down? When it’s aimed toward women, 

a race, or a religion, you’re identifying yourself 

as someone who needs to be removed from 

the gene pool. 

What makes you angry? 

What day of the week is it? Oh, today I’m angered 

by people who see me for just who I am on the 

outside and don’t bother getting to know me for 

who I am on the inside. 

What superpower would you have and 

why? 

I have more fun with this topic than you can imagine. 

It really boils down to how I am feeling at the 

time. Sometimes I want invisibility so I can do crazy 

and impulsive things without anyone ever knowing. 

Sometimes I want to be a hyper-intellect so I 

can amass knowledge and solve problems which 

would push our world further along and get us all 

past these frightening times and into space so we 

can be frightened by entirely different things. 

Throw mindreading and empathy into that mix, 

then give me something for healing, because I am 

all kinds of messed up physically. 

Favourite or most inspirational place 

(in Devon)? 

My favourite place is a state of mind. That right 

-brained state where creativity just flows and 

there’s no sense of time. I have another favourite 

place to be, but that’s not very appropriate 

here. I’ve travelled across the United States 

several times and I always find beautiful and 

peaceful places. One favourite is a natural 

spring in Yosemite, it’s shaded by trees all 

around and the little pool that’s formed is always 

in a state of motion on the surface as water 

continuously rises - oh, and the taste of it, 

so pure. 

What’s the best piece of advice 

you’ve been given? 

Tell yourself to learn something new everyday. 

My father gave me that one when I was a 

youngster and it still sticks with me. Every time 

I start a new piece of art or writing, I try to improve. 

I try to tackle something that will make 

me learn a bit more. There’s a lot of positivity 

to be gained by telling yourself to learn, it becomes 

a mantra for improvement. 


What has been a seminal experience? 

What to choose? 

When I was a teenager I traveled cross country 

three years in a row from the west coast to 

the east coast. Each of those years I took a 

weeklong cruise on a tall ship off the coast of 

Maine, a windjammer schooner cruise. We 

helped sail and every morning we hoisted the 

largest mainsail in the world on the Adventure 

- the vessel now lives in the Smithsonian Maritime 

Museum. The experience is still indescribable. 

I never knew I could fall in love with 

a ship. After those three voyages, there’s 

nothing I wouldn’t have done for her. 

What work do you most enjoying 

doing? 

Creating. Words or art, creating is king for me. 

What themes do you pursue? 

One of my strongest themes is selfdetermination. 

In writing, I love for my characters 

to grow until they are the master of their 

own destiny. In my art I want my pieces to be 

able to speak for themselves and draw viewers 

into my imagination. 

What’s your favourite art work? 

Too many to name. Anything that blows my 

mind. When I look at a piece and my jaw 

drops because I have no idea how the artist 

created the effect or imagined the scene, or 

composed the colors, it becomes a new favorite 

piece. 

Describe a real-life situation that 

inspired you? 

I was in a game store when I was probably 

only seventeen or so. A woman brought her 

young son into the store waving a Dungeons 

and Dragons book at the proprietor. She demanded 

to know if he had sold her child the 

book. He said he did, though he announced 

this with great reservation. She turned around 

and thanked him. She said her son had been 

doing incredibly better in school, he’d been 

inspired to read and think creatively. I’d already 

been playing for years at that point and 

it really hit home how mentally stimulating 

role playing was for me. 

Why art? 

Art is all around us, it’s in clouds that puff and 

flow through the sky. It’s in the wind that flutters 

through the leaves on trees to orchestrate 

shows of light and sound. It’s in the 

curves of the female figure and the giggle of 

an infant. Art is sensory pleasure in any form. 

Of course I want to take part! 

Name something you love, and 

why. 

Illumination. Not only do I have a great love 

of light, when I see it in a painting as though 

it’s bursting off the canvas, I am completely 

enamoured. 


What memorable responses have 

you had to your work? 

There was one time we were building a video 

roulette game. We came up against a patent 

that a competitor held and the whole team of 

us, engineers and artists, thought we’d have to 

give up, losing the thousands of man-hours 

that we’d already invested in the project. Then I 

thought of a way around the patent, a way we 

could solve it with artwork alone. Everyone 

looked at me like I had solved the riddle of the 

sphinx. Artwork is problem solving, people, but 

it’s awfully rewarding to have a room full of 

people look at you with such appreciation. 

Having the game go on to become one of the 

companies all time bestsellers is even better. 

What food, drink, song inspires you? 

I love music. I found a huge interest in music 

with the alternative sounds of the late seventies 

and early eighties. For me the music of XTC 

always draws out my emotions. The ephemeral 

music of the Cocteau Twins summons images 

of angels and the cadences of Dead Can Dance 

hold the anatomy of dragons within them. 

What do you like about your work? 

I like when I succeed in creating that line of 

energy that I originally envisaged. It’s so easy 

to lose it as a piece gets polished and refined. 

When I can maintain it throughout, I am happiest. 

What research do you do? 

Everything. If it’s the human form, I am 

searching images to find just the right angle 

or bend of the elbow. Even if I am creating 

something from pure imagination, that mental 

image is built up from something, either 

words of an author or images from a movie or 

even a previous piece of my own. 

What is your dream project? 

I’ve been lucky enough to work on many 

dream projects professionally. The trick is to 

make everything you do a dream project. An 

artist should have a love affair with each piece, 

you’re not doing it proper justice otherwise. I 

think it would be awesome to work on the 

projection graphics that they employ on 

Dancing With the Stars or other live shows, 

they blow me away. 

What do you dislike about your 

work? 

I’m incredibly self-critical. It’s never good 

enough. It never pleases me on all counts. 

There’s always something wrong or something 

I could have done better. 


Name three artists you’d like to be 

compared to. 

Michael Whelan, Frank Frazetta, Chris Foss. 

There’s so many others I can name, I don’t 

paint or draw like any of them. I paint and 

draw like me, but it sure would be awesome to 

be compared to them. 

Professionally, what’s your goal? 

I met it. I put a roof over my family’s head and 

lived in a very affluent part of the country 

while I worked as a professional artist. It didn’t 

last unfortunately. I had over twenty-five good 

years as a professional artist. I made a lot of 

profits for my employers. Now my goal is to 

succeed just as well on my own. It’s not happening 

yet, but there’s always the next story or 

next piece of art. 

What’s integral to the work of an 

artist? 

Flexibility, taking criticism constructively, and 

improving, always improving. 

What role does the artist have in society? 

We visualize dreams for people. We’re responsible 

for every graceful curve and splash of 

color that catches the eye. If it’s not us, it’s 

mother nature herself. 

What is an artistic outlook on life? 

Find the beauty in everything. Turn away from 

ugliness, whether it’s in ugly speech or narrow 

minded prejudice. 

What art do you most identify with? 

I see myself as a fantasy artist. I love to lose 

myself in the countless scales on a dragon’s 

hide or the detailed lace of a fairy wing. I can 

look at that kind of artwork for days and days. 

Is the artistic life lonely? What do 

you do to counteract it? 

Not necessarily lonely. I work alone now, but I 

have many fond memories of working collaboratively 

with other artists. Nothing can be 

more challenging and fun than matching styles 

with another artist and producing a work that 

merges the efforts of two or more artists. I 

love to bring people into what I am doing as I 

am doing it. I post my works in progress on 

my Facebook page to get feedback all along 

the way. 


What do you dislike about the art world? 

Having to sell yourself. I want my artwork and writing 

to sell itself, but it seems the world expects the artist 

to put themselves out there as well and shmooze. I 

don’t want to do that. Notice my art first please, if 

you see me first, you may not be able to look past me 

to what I can create. 

How has your practice changed over 

time? 

It’s changed dramatically with different media, none 

more so than digital media. I can paint on the computer 

in ways that are impossible with traditional media. 

Learning how to embrace those new methods is 

key to growing as an artist. 

Should art be funded? 

I’m all for it. I’m going to be making art anyway, but if 

I can be funded, that means someone out there likes 

my work that much and is willing to help me continue 

my journey and grow. 

What role does arts funding have? 

For the artist it can mean the difference between 

working productively and working to survive. Right 

now, I’m surviving, but it’s not off my artwork or my 

writing, it’s from a day job that literally anyone could 

do. It doesn’t exercise my mind or my spirit in any 

way. I can’t help but think that the artist who is funded, 

and is worth funding, is going to grow exponentially. 


THE LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE 

Story and Original Concept BY: Paul “Skelly” Skelton. Edited and Redrafted by Jason Greenfield 

CHAPTER ONE: THIS WHOLE WORLD 

‘Ey up Jack lad, yer Uncle Jim’s nodded off, 

he he he,’ laughed Dick 

‘He has, he he, he has Granddad!’ Jack replied, 

‘Granddad? Do you ever nod off?’ 

‘Nay lad, I have to keep alert, being the 

biggest and oldest tree in this whole 

world.’ 

‘Keep alert Granddad? What do you have 

to keep alert for?’ 

‚Well...er... just to look out for us all, ahem… 

yes, that’s it. You know Jack lad, I make 

sure we’re all happy, and safe. Mm yes.’ 

Dick smiled benignly at his Grandson. 

‘I always feel happy and safe with you 

Grandad, and Uncle Jim, but, well, how big 

is this whole world Granddad?’ asked Jack 

earnestly. 

‘Ah, yes, well you see them common trees, 

them shabby ones way over theer?’ 

(Jack was too small to see them), ‘Well, 

they’s near the end of this world and, furthermore 

..,’Dick continued importantly, 

‘...it’s about the same distance whichever 

direction you look.’ 

‘WOW!’ exclaimed Jack excitedly ‘How do 

you know that Granddad … coz we’re, 

we’re rooted aren’t we? So, as we don’t 

move, how can we know over theer is the 

end of this whole world? Is it just coz we’re 

intelligent?’ 

‘Oh yes we’re Nordic pines, we ARE intelligent, 

as are the birds, to some extent. 

They fly about in all directions and bring us 

information... Plus I was here at the 

beginning of time, just after this world was 

formed and there were no other trees back 

then and I could see in all directions Jack 

lad.’ 


‘Granddad, if you were the first tree, where 

did you come from?’ 

‘The first seed, Jack lad.’ 

‘And where did the first seed come from 

Granddad?’ 

‘Well, that came from the first pine-cone, 

which fell from the sky.’ 

‘Gosh you must be very clever Granddad.’ 

‘Ho ho ho,’ laughed Dick ‘Yer Uncle Jim 

doesn’t always think so.’ 

As if he could sense he was being spoken of, 

Jim chose that moment to wake up with a 

massive tree creaking yawn. 


A&Q 

Paul Skelton 

What made you want to become a 

writer? 

Initially to help Jason with OMP. Then I decided 

to develop my writing, and maybe it could 

be an earner for me when I'm retired. 

Have you written any other books 

that are not published? 

I've just finished 'Little Christmas Tree 2', and 

a bunch of horror / thriller short stories. 

Might donate one to the next OMP book. 

What is your writing style? Pen, 

type-writer, or computer, etc.? 

Bricklayer. I construct my stories from all sorts 

of what I call building blocks, like building a 

wall. Then I bash it out on a computer. 

Do you write alone or in public? 

With or without music? 

"My wife is usually nearby, at home. I listen to 

very loud Rock music . . . always." 

Does your story have a lesson? a 

moral? 

No. It's written to entertain and amuse the 

reader. However, it's nearly Christmas, so it 

may affect your attitude to your Christmas 

tree this year. Ha Ha! 

What is your favourite part of the 

story? 

The part where Mickey the Magpie moans 

about having to build his own nest; he's 

such a geezer! 

If you could spend time with one 

character from your story, who 

would it be, and what would you 

do with them? 

I'd go flying about with Mickey the Magpie, 

and 'plop' on people I don't like. 


What character in your story are you 

least likely to get along with? 

Uncle Jim, he's a big strong pine tree that 

whinges all the time, he'd really get on my 

nerves. 

What do you read for pleasure? 

Classic Rock & 4x4 magazines, the daily newspaper, 

some Stephen King and Michael Crichton 

books. 

Who are the authors/artists who inspire 

your work? 

None. I'm inspired by life, people I know and 

quirky BBC Radio Four plays from the seventies. 

What do you do for living? 

As little as possible! Actually I'm a school 

caretaker, so I do a lot of mopping floors and 

fixing things. It's a wage. 

What are your favourite things to 

do when you aren’t writing? 

Off-road driving, listening to rock music, going 

to rock concerts, crosswords, Sudoku, fishing 

and shopping with my wife. Every now 

and then I bash a story out. 

Do you have any plans to continue 

writing in future? 

I sure do, and I hope to get published. I'm 

unsigned right now, so open to offers . . anyone? 

What is your favourite book? Why? 

Catch 22, it's crazy, (a bit like me?), and it's title 

became an everyday catch phrase: How brilliant 

is that? Don't die until you've read it Lora! 

Why did you decide to participate in 

the One Million Project? 

I wanted to help Jason out, and was curious to 

find out how my story would be viewed by others. 

Have you read it? What do you think? 



Collision of Worlds 

By Lincoln Cole 

Shadows on the Horizon 

‚Come out, come out, wherever you are!‛ 

Father Paladina knelt under the stairs, eyes 

closed and struggling to control his breathing. 

Each gasp sounded like the cracking of a 

tree branch and he couldn’t contain the occasional 

sob as terror coursed through his 

veins. 

‚I can smell you, priest. I know you are in 

here.‛ 

The voice was coming from upstairs in the 

kitchen. He hadn’t had time to close the 

door to the basement when he came in, and 

he couldn’t remember if it was open before 

or not. He should have been able to remember, 

but right now if felt like his mind wouldn’t 

work. 

He couldn’t remember ever being so terrified 

in his entire life. He held his rosary between 

his fingers and pressed it against his 

lips, praying as hard as he could for the 

strength. He knew he was going to die, and 

the only thing he prayed for was the 

strength to die well. 

After all, right now it wasn’t only his life at 

stake his everlasting soul was as well. 

‚Are you in here?‛ the man—if he was still a 

man—asked from somewhere upstairs. Father 

Paladina heard a squeaking sound as a 

door was opened. This was followed by silence, 

and then another squeak as the door 

was closed. 

Footsteps creaked over his head, slowly 

shifting from board to board across the 

kitchen floor. Niccolo Paladina felt his tense 

muscles throbbing in pain as he crouched 

down, aching and tight. It felt like he’d been 

hiding forever, but it had been less than a 

minute. 

‚Maybe you’re down here,‛ the man said, 

and the closeness of his voice nearly drew a 

gasp from the hiding priest. 

He was just overhead now, at the top of the 

stairs. The man began humming to himself 

as he took his first step down. Father Paladina 

winced as dust fell down on his head. 

Another step, the sound of the boot on the 

stairs like a nail in the priest’s coffin. He kept 

on coming, humming a tuneless hum, until 

the father could see the boots in front of his 

face. 

‚Priest? I can feel you down here, priest. 

Why are you hiding? You know I’ll find you.‛ 


Niccolo could feel himself trembling and he 

knew the man was right. 

He shouldn’t have come out here alone. He 

shouldn’t have left the car and Father Reynolds. 

It was the middle of the night, he was alone, 

and something was very, very wrong. 

It had stopped raining, but that was little consolation. 

At least the rain had dulled the sound 

and everything didn’t sound so…crisp. His 

breathing, his slight movements, the way the 

rosary clipped against his teeth as it rattled. 

It was over. He was going to die. He should at 

least face it like a man. 

A man of God. 

He forced his legs to move and stand up, stepping 

out from under the stairs to confront his 

pursuer. It was dark in the basement and everything 

was in shadows, but he could see the 

man’s face. 

A scar ran from his ear down his cheek to his 

jawline. He had a scrabbly brown beard but it 

didn’t hit it at all. He was wearing a red trucker 

hat and overalls, but that wasn’t what caught 

the Priest’s attention. He couldn’t see past the 

man’s eyes, the way they were dull and dead, 

empty. 

‚There you are,‛ the man said, grinning and 

baring his teeth. He looked more feral than 

anything. ‚Ready to meet your maker?‛ 

Father Paladina opened his mouth to speak, to 

pray, but no sounds would come out. His voice 

had abandoned him, the words he’d practiced 

for years caught in his throat. 

‚What? Cat got your tongue?‛ the man asked, 

stepping closer to him and still grinning his 

insane grin. 

‚Vile abomination, you don’t belong here. By 

the power of Christ I compel you,‛ the priest 

muttered, taking a step back. He held up his 

rosary, hand still shaking. ‚In the name of the 

Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.‛ 

The man stopped moving forward, his grin fading. 

‚You compel me?‛ 


Father Paladina was emboldened, feeling the 

power of God coursing through him. It was 

having an effect, the power, the prayers, and 

his faith. They were holding the demon at bay. 

‚You do not belong here. Return from whence 

you came. Through the power of Christ, I demand 

that you leave this place.‛ 

A long moment passed, the only sound the 

Priest’s breathing. He held his rosary forth, 

hand unwavering and back tall. They stared at 

each other, locked in place as the seconds 

ticked by. 

‚Silly priest,‛ the man said finally, his grin returning. 

‚Don’t you know you have no power 

here?‛ 

The man reached up and grabbed the rosary in 

Father Paladina’s hand. There was a sizzling 

sound, as though something was burning, and 

the priest could feel it heating up. 

He watched in horror as the man stepped closer, 

pressing the cross to his forehead. It burned 

where it touched, and the man started laughing 

a wild and maniacal laugh. 

Father Paladina released his grip on the cross 

and jerked back in disgust and horror. The man 

let it fall to the floor, and there it lay. 

‚How does it feel?‛ the man asked, stepping 

closer to Father Paladina. He was still grinning 

that sick and toothy grin. ‚How does it feel to 

know you are truly alone?‛ 

He reached forward, grabbing the priest 



A&Q 

Michelle Kidd 

Interview questions - Sheena Macleod 

December 2016 

You recently won a Kindle Scout campaign 

for Timeless Moments. Congratulations. 

What does this mean for 

you? 

Thank you! It still seems a bit surreal. It is a wonderful 

opportunity. Because I home-school my 

two sons, I am limited with the time I have to 

write and market. I’m new to this world of publishing. 

Kindle Scout pushed me to get out of my 

comfort zone. The KS program was a crash 

course in many of the things necessary to promote 

my work and have it seen by readers and 

potential buyers. It has been an exciting time. 

I’ve learned much and am grateful for the opportunity. 

What made you decide to submit 

Timeless Moments for Kindle 

Scout? 

Good question. There are so many opportunities 

for authors today. It isn’t always easy to find the 

path that’s a good fit for the writer and their 

book. Since TM was my first book, I didn’t feel a 

traditional publisher would take a serious look at 

my manuscript. I wasn’t comfortable going the 

indie route alone. When I learned of Kindle 

Scout, it seemed like the middle of the road. On 

my own, I doubt I would have had the courage to 

plunge ahead, but I loved my characters so 

much. I wanted readers to have the opportunity 

to meet them. Kindle Scout gave me the exposure 

to get my book out there and into the hands 

of the public. 


What was the inspiration behind Timeless 

Moments? 

A high school yearbook from the year 1915 inspired 

me. One picture particularly held my attention. 

I found myself wondering what would happen 

if I could travel back in time to find out why 

such a striking young woman would look so sad. I 

combined that idea with my fascination of time 

travel, and the story grew from there. Originally, 

Timeless Moments was to be a series of short stories, 

but another friend encouraged me there was 

much more to Jewel’s story. I guess his enthusiasm 

was contagious and led me to write a full-length 

book. 

Does Timeless Moments have a moral? 

The fundamental message for Timeless Moments 

would be love. Love conquers all. The story 

has three distinct timelines, but love is a central 

vehicle that drives the characters throughout the 

book. 

What is your favourite part of Timeless 

Moments? 

There are several sections of Timeless Moments I 

enjoyed writing. Probably my favorite is when Addie, 

a cook/housemaid, must overcome her fears, 

putting her own life at risk , to help the main character, 

Jewel. It was an intense scene to write, and 

I was quite eager to find out how Addie would respond. 

In life, we’re often faced with those kinds of challenges. 

We hope we will choose the morally 

responsible thing, but when our own lives or 

comfort is threatened, the decisive lines of morality 

often become blurred. It was interesting to see 

how Addie responded. 

I’m also a big fan of history. I love how the past 

directly influences the present. Being able to combine 

the timelines and travel between the worlds 

was so a dream come true. I hope readers will find 

the transitions as enjoyable as I did writing them. 

What is your favourite book? Why? 

It is hard to choose one. But the fictional book that 

inspired me the most was Charlotte’s Web by E. B. 

White. From the moment I opened the pages of 

Charlotte’s Web, I knew I wanted to be a writer. 

Those first lines gripped me and pulled me into 

the Arable’s kitchen. To my young mind, it was 

magic. Words have the power to connect us like 

nothing else. Mr. White had me at Fern’s sopping 

sneakers. 


Why did you decide to participate in 

the One Million Project? 

When first approached with the idea, I wasn’t 

sure I would be able to contribute. But as I read 

about the organization and learned of the many 

talented participants working together to benefit 

charities, I wanted to add my support to such a 

worthwhile endeavour. 

What do you do when you aren’t writing? 

I enjoy spending time with my family. Family is 

everything to me. It is why I chose to homeschool 

my two boys. When I’m not working on lesson 

plans or tapping away at the keyboard, you’ll find 

me curled up with a good book or quilting. I’m 

very much a homebody. 

What are you currently writing? 

I’m very excited about my next project. It is another 

mystery about a young woman who finds 

her mother murdered. All the evidence points to 

her. She finds herself in a race to unravel her 

mother’s past to find the real killer. 

What advice would you give to 

someone considering a Kindle 

Scout campaign for their book? 

I would highly recommend the experience to 

anyone who wants to have their book published. 

The benefit of the Kindle Scout program 

does not come only from being selected 

(although that is a plus J ) It is so much 

more. It gives those who are thinking of going 

the indie route a taste of the work involved 

in marketing their novel. You have the 

added advantage of offering those who voted 

for your book free copies to review prior 

to your launch. If you are not chosen, those 

who supported your campaign are notified 

when the book becomes available. They are 

given a direct link that allows them to purchase 

your product. Throughout the process, 

you develop a network of friends, other authors 

and valuable contacts that are necessary 

to market. 


Victoria Stoyanova Art 



members 

New Book Releases 

& 

Art Projects 


Past in Shadows 

By 


Love doesn’t come easy. 

It doesn’t come fast. 

It comes with everything that’s made to destroy 

the heart and soul. 

Nikolai is a crippled PI suffering from fibromyalgia 

and a bad case of brokeitis. On the surface his 

crass disposition comes off rough, but deep down 

a loneliness eats at him 

Ada is hiding from her past, a victim of being 

pimped out at a young age. Her dream of becoming 

an artist is cut short by a boss with an evil 

agenda and creatures trying to attack her in the 

night. 

When Ada reaches out to Nikolai for help they 

soon realize neither of them will have answers if 

they can’t address their own emotion turmoil. They 

are thrown into a dark world, but when her life is in 

danger it’s the mysterious vampire named Steel 

who saves her. Together they can break a curse 

hundreds of years old and in the process might 

just find the love they have been yearning for. Together 

they make a love triangle between two people 

no one expected. 

The book is available on Amazon 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Past-Shadows-Cassandra-DenHartog 

-ebook/dp/B01MD2DQBF/ref=sr_1_1? 

ie=UTF8&qid=1481982616&sr=8- 

1&keywords=Past+in+Shadows+By+Cassandra+DenHartog 


The Involuntary Ghostwriter 

By 

Douglas Debelak 


In the beginning, questions and more questions: 

One of my favorite is, ‚What if God was one of us?‛ 

Which resonates through the lyrics of the song ‘One 

of Us’, written by Eric Brazilian, recorded by Joan 

Osborne, and later by Alanis Morrisette. 

What if, as the Christian Bible tells us we were created 

in the image of God? 

What if, rather than having existed forever, He had a 

beginning? What if, He was born and once lived a 

life much like our own. What if, He was once just a 

boy who took His parents literally when they told 

Him ‘He could be anything He wanted to be?’ 

If so, how would He have become more than just a 

boy, more than just a man? How would He have 

transcended his mortality to become the Creator of 

our universe? 

Since the writers of our Holy Books have been men 

and women, weren’t they ghostwriters for God? If 

they had no choice, but were compelled to write the 

words they did, weren’t they Involuntary Ghostwriters? 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Involuntary-Ghostwriter-Word-Book- 

Books-ebook/dp/B01N7GGSU0/ref=sr_1_2? 

ie=UTF8&qid=1481982696&sr=8- 

2&keywords=The+Involuntary+Ghostwriter++By+Douglas+Debela 

k 

A financial boon gave Jonathon Fry the opportunity 

to fulfill a dream and write a novel. But, he was soon 

haunted by erotic dreams of a beautiful woman he 

had never met, and his mind flooded with memories 

that were not his own. Were the words he wrote his 

own? 

Jonathon’s wife was the beneficiary of his late-night 

arousals - until he’d been stupid enough to answer 

her question honestly: What got his hormones in an 

uproar? 


The Adoption: 

A Psychological Thriller 

by 

Greg Meritt 

ALL THEY WANTED WAS A CHILD. THEY 

NEVER EXPECTED THIS. 

A childless couple. An adoption specialist. 

A little girl with a secret. A young boy 

with unimaginable powers. A scientist 

with an over-inflated ego. And an elderly 

psychic who knows the truth. 

In the fall of 2002, in Seattle, Claire and 

Logan Keller adopt five-year-old Samantha 

Jennings and welcome her into their 

home. But then strange, bizarre and incredible 

things begin to happen. The Kellers 

are unwittingly pulled into an unfathomable 

world of deception, power and 

suspense. They find themselves on the 

run from an unseen force, searching for 

The books is available on Amazon 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adoption-Psychological-Thriller-Greg- 

Meritt-ebook/dp/B01N56RWEE/ref=sr_1_2? 

ie=UTF8&qid=1481982763&sr=8-2&keywords=the+adoption 

“The Adoption‛ is a stunner! I was hooked from the 

first page and could not put the book down. Greg 

Meritt is a master storyteller, up there with the best of 

them! A psychological thriller of thoughtful and creative 

proportions. Not one boring page in the entire 

book. A definite A+ from me! 

—Valerie Byron, author of No Ordinary Woman, The 

Man Who Lost His Genius, and The Man on the Train 


Raven's Peak & Raven’s 

Fall 

By 

Lincoln Cole 

A quiet little mountain town is hiding a big 

problem. When the townsfolk of Raven's Peak 

start acting crazy, Abigail Dressler is called upon 

to discover the root of the evil affecting people. 

She uncovers a demonic threat unlike any she's 

ever faced and finds herself in a fight just to stay 

alive. 

Abigail rescues Haatim Arison from a terrifying 

fate and discovers that he has a family legacy in 

the supernatural that he knows nothing about. 

Now she's forced to protect him, which is easy, 

but also to trust him if she wants to save the 

townsfolk of Raven's Peak. Trust, however, is 

something hard to have for someone who grew 

up living on the knife's edge of danger. 

Can they discover the cause of the town's insanity 

and put a stop to it before it is too late? 

‚QUALITY OF WRITING: Absorbing. Excellent. The author 

writes with confidence and there are no wasted words. Every 

sentence is there for a reason and adds to or carries the story 

along. ‚ - Ben (Amazon Reader) 


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01M3VE04E/ref=series_rw_dp_sw 

https://www.lincolncole.net/ 


Timeless Moments 

by 

Michelle Kidd 

Kindle Scout Winner - Jack Vines has the 

Victorian home of his dreams--or so it 

seems until he discovers an intriguing 

beauty lurking in the shadows. Stunned, 

he finds they share the house but live a 

century apart. The realization leads him to 

questions so disturbing it changes both 

their lives forever. She is a prisoner of the 

past, shrouded in a world of dark mysteries. 

He holds the keys that will protect 

their future. But first, he must solve the 

mystery concealed for nearly a hundred 

years. 

‚As an insatiable reader, I've learned that not all 

books are that sought after/ but seldom found 

"great book! So, when I find one, I treasure it. This 

book reads almost like poetry. The story is unique, 

with time travel at its' centre. The characters come to 

life, even at 100 years apart. This is not a weird sci-fi 

story. It is totally believable. his is one of the very 

best I've ever read. I can't recommend it highly 

enough! ‚ 


- By nanajanrog (Amazon Reader) 

https://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Moments-Michelle-Kidd-ebook/ 

dp/B01LWLCARU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digitaltext&ie=UTF8&qid=1480259637&sr=1-1 


Bite Size Stories V3 

by 

Jason Greenfield 

Bite Size Stories is the book for people too busy 

to read. Sections One and Two present tiny stories 

that can be read in just a few minutes, averaging 

500-1200 words. 

Read them on the train or during a 15 minute 

break. Perfect for airports and waiting for buses. 

‚It could take 10 minutes of your time during the rush 

hour or 2 hours before bed. Smart idea!‛ - Amazon 

Reader 


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bite-Size-Stories-Jason-Greenfieldebook/dp/B01LWR2TXA/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital- 

text&ie=UTF8&qid=1480260329&sr=1- 

8&keywords=jason+greenfield 


Copyright © 2016 by OMP Magazine Publishing 

Victoria Stoyanova Art

Guest 

Victoria Stoyanova 

She is a Bulgarian artist born in 1968 in Sofia. 

Her love for painting becomes a personal philosophy and lifestyle in 1997 after a very successful 

career as a fashion designer. In the short time of 18 years Victoria realized 36 solo exhibitions 

in Bulgaria, France, Italy, England and Greece. 

Won second place in the prestigious competition of Oxford—International Art Competition 

"Tears of Happiness", Oxford 2013 and first place in the International Competition contemporary 

Artists "Step to success 2013" Moscow. 

Owner is EDO ART Gallery in Sofia, Bulgaria. Victoria Stoyanova’s painting is music in color. 

Colourful, exuberant and very emotional in their stories. 

In her paintings light and darkness dance drama dance. You'll know in images and emotions. 

Victoria is the sister of the wind, equally delicate and bold, multifaceted, fast and exciting. 

Favorite great thought is: "If 

ever I am visited, the muse will 

find me working!" 

Picasso 


Victoria Stoyanova House of Lego 

In verse Bobby Kasteels 

50cm x 70cm 

Victoria Stoyanova White Silence 

50cm x 70cm 


Victoria Stoyanova Dream of Lotus 50cm x 70cm 


Who is the voice behind ‚It’s me Ethan!‛ 

By Lora Tabakova 

The mother and fighter behind the best new 

blog of 2016 by the IBA—Geraldine Renton. 

When I was looking for a guest for our One Million 

Project Magazine, I decided that the best person 

for would be Geraldine. I have been following her 

blog for one and a half years and I do admire her 

efforts and positivism. 

I asked Geraldine for a short interview a few 

months ago when it occurred to me that I am not 

the right person to ask questions nor anybody else 

for that matter—when trying to understand what is 

Hunter Syndrome and how it affects everyone and 

everything around. 

http://geraldinerenton.com/ 

@ItsMe__Ethan 

Here is how Geraldine asked & answered the 

questions herself. 


Geraldine Renton 

Often Vs Never 

What is Hunter Syndrome? 

Hunter syndrome is a rare genetic, life limiting 

illness. An enzyme which helps break down 

waste material in the body, is missing or in milder 

cases of the syndrome, this enzyme is partially 

missing. 

Because this tiny enzyme is damaged or missing, 

the waste materials build up in the body , as 

there is no other place for this waste to go but 

to stay in the body, slowly building up over time. 

This build-up of waste causes damage to every 

single part of the body and brain; every single 

part of the body- from fingers right to hair! 

This syndrome normally affects boys only but 

there are two girls in the world with the syndrome. 

It is genetic and normally passed from 

mother to son; but often it can occur in the 

womb with no family history. 

There are roughly 2000 boys worldwide living 

with the syndrome. 

With severe cases; these boys tend to die during 

their teenage years. 

Each child is given Enzyme Replacement 

therapy (ERT) once a week, with the hope 

of slowing the progression of the syndrome 

down; in layman's terms this treatment 

buys families, like mine, time. 

What does life limiting mean? 

Life limiting is a nicer way to say terminal, 

when referring to Hunter Syndrome. It is a 

progressive syndrome, which means the 

boy who once learned to walk, talk, cycle, 

use the toilet, feed himself will lose all 

those skills in time. 

Why do you write about Hunter 

Syndrome? 

For awareness. When my son was diagnosed 

there was nothing out on the internet 

only medical journals telling me my 

son was dying. I wanted to show the world 

and more importantly, newly diagnosed 

families with any special needs; that there 

is a life to be lived with my son, that it is 

not always sad. I wanted people to understand 

our life and to therefore understand 

on some level , what it is like to be that 

parent of the child with special needs. 

I write for me. I write so I can look back 

and remembering the good, bad, sad, funny 

life we have with Ethan. 


Do you write about anything 

other than Ethan? 

Absolutely ! I love to write. I write poetry. I 

write about my Irish childhood and I have 

written a few short fictional stories. 

Does your government help you 

with the life you have to live? 

That's a difficult question. Yes and No. 

Ethan needs care 24/7 and as he ages his 

needs will become more intense. I gave up 

my job to be Ethan's carer. The government 

pays me a small wage but have been 

cutting it for years. Now, when it comes to 

the ‘budget’ of our small island. Carers like 

me can’t protest so we are easy targets 

when it comes to taking financial help 

away from a group of people. 

We fight for everything Ethan needs such 

as therapies, medical help, medical equipment 

and schooling. Ethan has a medical 

card, which covers almost all his medical 

expenses, which I am eternally grateful for 

as the ERT- Ethan receives currently, is the 

second most expensive drug in the world. 

What could the government do, 

to make your life and that of 

Ethan's a little bit easier? 

They could roll out a plan for Carers like 

me, who are still quiet young and know 

that their days of being a career will end 

faster than most; due to the fact that their 

child has a terminal condition. They could 

reduce the amount of letters they demand 

when apply for help with the financially 

side of Ethan's care; it is soul destroying 

having to ask for a letter over and over 

stating that your child is dying. 

How old is Ethan, tell me about 

him? 

Ethan is 14. He is funny, caring and very 

charming. His favourite thing to do currently 

(as this changes due to the progression 

of his syndrome and his level of understanding) 

is flick switches while dancing 

to ‘Mickey Mouse clubhouse’ theme 

tune...it is a talent! Ethan loves to be loved 

and gives love so freely. He is innocent and 

always will be. Ethan can make you laugh 

without even trying to; once he laughs 

even the coldest heart would find it hard 

not to laugh along with him, he is the definition 

of a child with an infectious hearty 

laugh. It is the most beautiful sound in my 

world. 

What are your hopes and dreams? 

That's a hard one. On a personal level, I 

hope one day soon, that a cure for all MPS 

and related disease can be found. I hope to 

see Ethan become an adult. I hope his 

brothers get to have some more quality 

time with him and us, so we have the opportunity 

to make some great memories. 

I hope all my boys know that I love them 

equally. 

On a more professional level, I hope to 

write a book or two! My dream is to become 

a published writer who people enjoy 

reading. 


‚There are a few different competitions 

out there for earning a publishing 

contract, but none quite like Kindle 

Scout.‛ 


One Million 

Project 

‚The light won't go out, is a collection 

of short stories and poems ….‛ 

By Cassandra DenHartog 

‚Sitting around the fire with the others, 

Janie Mackay looked up at the star 

-filled sky……‛ 


Kindle Scout 


There are a few different competitions out there 

for earning a publishing contract, but none quite 

like Kindle Scout. This is Amazon’s version of 

reader powered publishing where anyone can 

submit a book, fans vote and then Amazon publishes 

the books that are the most popular. 

Except, that isn’t quite how it works. 

Basically, the reward of the program is a contract 

with Amazon , (and a fairly good one at 

that) where you split royalties, can still sell your 

own paperback, and they help to perfect and 

promote. The selection process is determined 

partly by reader votes , (called nominations) , 

but the final decision is purely internal and 

made by their editorial team. They have selected 

books with almost no nominations and turned 

down books with thousands. 

Signing up: 

You need a 50,000+ word novel that isn’t published 

or released anywhere else, a cover and 

some other minor details. You agree to a fortyfive 

day exclusivity deal (meaning you won’t 

send it to agents or publishers for a month and 

a half) , and then they build a landing page. You 

agree upfront that if they do select you, you will 

automatically be enrolled in the final contract, 

so make sure you understand and agree to 

those terms BEFORE you submit. 

Campaigning: 

Once you have a landing page, you will direct 

people to it. Friends, family, enemies and anyone 

you can reach should be directed 

here, and ideally they will read the content 

you wrote and nominate. The first 10% of your 

book will be available along with all of the other 

details , and it will also be promoted and 

available on the Kindle Scout website for people 

just browsing. 

There is a Hot & Trending list and countdown 

lists so you know when campaigns will end. 

They allow you to see details like how many 

hours you spend Hot & Trending and the page 

views, as well as how many were from people 

browsing their website and how many you 

sent in through your campaign. 

Selection: 

If you are selected for publication, then you 

will receive a $1,500 upfront advance , (which 

will be paid back from your first sales) , and 

they will contact you directly for further details 

about the process. 

They orchestrate at least one promotion every 

three months for the first year , (though many 

books get considerably more than this, especially 

in the first months). Many selected books 

have sold thousands of copies in the first 

weeks or gone on to be bestsellers and Amazon 

itself gives priority consideration to their 

own imprints for recommendations and sales. 


Further Information: 

In general, if a book is amazing it will get picked 

no matter how many views/nominations it gets, 

and if a book is terrible it won’t get picked even if 

it spent the entire thirty-day campaign on the 

Hot & Trending list. The program has been out 

for a couple of years, but many books are still 

performing incredibly well and show no signs of 

slowing down. 

Kindle Scout limits the details they give authors 

and prefer for their system to be a black box of 

information, but there are benchmarks and ways 

for people to fully understand how well they are 

doing. 

If you are interested in giving the program a try, 

then you might consider checking out my Kindle 

Scout Guide where I go into extreme depth about 

the program and tips and tricks to increase your 

odds of getting picked. It is a great place for new 

authors to start, and they might submit four or 

five times before finally getting accepted, but it is 

certainly worthwhile to win a contract. 


Guide to inserting pictures 


If you have ever scrolled through an interactive 

Kindle E-Book you know the value of pictures. 

They can convey an idea that might take you 

several paragraphs to explain, or even display a 

book cover that you would never be able to 

properly describe. 

The best part of this is that adding images to 

your call to action is incredibly simple and can 

be done very quickly. This guide assumes you 

are building your document in Word and intending 

to add a ‚call to action‛ page at the 

back of your book. If you aren’t sure what 

a ‚call to action‛ is, a quick internet search can 

clarify it for you, as well as the benefits you gain 

from it. 

Step 1: Copy and paste your image into 

your ‚call to action‛ page. You will need to right 

click and change the size, though when you upload 

your book to Amazon they will handle automatic 

resizing based on their templates. 

Step 2: Immediately after the image, put the text 

of your ‚call to action‛ so that it wraps from the 

bottom to below the image. Make sure the image 

is aligned where you want it on the screen, 

often on the left-hand side. 

That’s it. When you upload your Word document, 

the Amazon system translates the file into HTML 

code, which looks something like this: 

 

https:// 

www.theLocationOfTheImage.com 

 

This is how Amazon actually embeds the image 

and makes it clickable. One important thing is that 

Amazon will actually read the above link tag and 

re-translate it for their own system, which means 

that on different devices your image will be sized 

differently. This is because a phone image size 

shouldn’t be the same as a Kindle image, and 

honestly if they didn’t resize, or if you declared 

sizes specifically in a file and forced the upload, it 

could result in a very bad user experience for 

readers. 

Step 3: Hover over the image and select the 

‘tight’ format for text with images. This will pull 

the text up to alongside the image, and you can 

play with the formatting to make it look how 

you want. 


A few extra notes: 

1. When you are using a hyperlink, be careful 

that you DO NOT put 

in Amazon Associate links. Your book is 

considered offline, and Associate links are 

not allowed to be included offline. For this 

reason, it is often best to build a landing 

page on your website for the book you are 

promoting and direct all traffic to it, and 

then from there direct back to the book 

on Amazon with Affiliate tags. 

2. If you are attempting to generate email 

subscribers, then often a very good way to 

do this is to either offer a free book or a 

free sample of a book. The best way to do 

this is through Instafreebie. You can integrate 

with Mailchimp and force signups 

(though with a small monthly fee). In general, 

people are more likely to subscribe 

with a tangible benefit promised instead of 

an eventual contact from you through a 

simple ‘signup’ field on a web page. 

3. Amazon has begun updating their system 

to strip out links but leave images. This isn’t 

necessarily a bad thing and only applies to 

certain formats of devices (for example, if 

you include an image with a link halfway 

through the book, there is a very good 

chance that Amazon will remove the link 

but leave the image). This creates a better 

reader experience, so you should leave your 

links in the back of your book. You can, 

however, include images or promotion 

things throughout to hopefully drive increased 

awareness of your books and covers. 



The Light Won’t Go Out 


The Light Won't Go Out, is a collection of short stories and poems 

from several authors wanting to make a difference. Each 

story was written and donated to help promote a sense of hope 

for anyone under any circumstances. This book will be raising 

money to donate to the charity the Light Won't Go Out which 

supports children with cancer and helps their families get 

through tough times while they deal with the financial burden. 

Publishing Manager’s 

Note 

The book was published on 15 of December 2016 on Amazon. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1541025873/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1? 

s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481835232&sr=1-1- 

fkmr0&keywords=the+light+on+go+out+cassandra 



CHRISTMAS CARDS 

By Sheena Macleod 

Snow-filled clouds gathered outside the highrise 

flats. Inside, in a small sitting room on the 

ninth floor, Janie MacKay’s gaze drifted back to 

the official-looking envelope on the mantelpiece. 

Sitting beside the letter, a clock mocked 

her as it ticked off the minutes until the contents 

came into force. Many others throughout 

Scotland would have received the same standard 

letter. The only difference would be the 

name and address on it, she thought. 

Chewing on a fingernail, she wondered what 

to do. She had grown up in the care system 

and learned early to let other people make decisions 

for her. Her mother had died when 

Janie was two-years-old, and she had no idea 

who her father was. Having been moved about 

between foster homes, she had grown up feeling 

on the periphery of life. Though she was 

made welcome in these people’s homes, she 

had no recollection of what it felt like to be a 

‘real’ member of a family. 

Ten years ago, when she turned sixteen, a 

social worker had brought her and her meagre 

possessions to this flat. A sitting area, 

bedroom, kitchen and bathroom within the 

large multi-story complex soon became her 

home. She had been taught to cook, shop 

and clean. No sooner had she stepped 

through the door that first day, when a large 

van arrived with the new ‘white goods’ and 

household basics that she was entitled to 

from the Council; a fridge-freezer, washing 

machine, cooker, bed, chairs, and more. She 

had stroked it all, unable to believe her eyes. 

Every week she received unemployment 

benefit and, by setting some aside, had 

saved enough for a second-hand multimedia 

screen with a built-in social network 

box. 


Janie looked over at the media screen. She 

recalled the soaps she used to watch, the dramas 

and sitcoms. She missed them all. Her 

electricity had been cut off over three months 

ago. Sometimes she replayed her favourite 

media programmes in her head. 

Janie’s attention returned to the mockmantelpiece, 

and a distant memory of a similar 

one filled with Christmas cards flashed before 

her eyes. Unable to help herself, she lifted the 

letter down and re-read it. Tomorrow, the 14th 

December 2036 she would receive her last 

phased payment of unemployment benefit. 

The government no longer had the funds to 

pay benefits of any kind. Arrangements had 

been put in place to drop off a food parcel to 

her twice a week. She could remain in her flat, 

but no services or repairs would be provided. 

Janie’s low mood deepened. She had been 

blighted by depression for years; unable to 

work she had found ways to exist on her own. 

Though she had had lots of virtual people she 

chatted to on her social network box, she had 

no real-time friends who could help her now. 

With no electricity, she had been unable to log 

in. She missed her friends from the therapy 

group, the members of the exercise class, her 

chat site ‘buddies’. At the flick of a switch they 

had been removed from her life. The pain she 

felt had been no less acute than if they had all 

suddenly died. She had grieved for each and 

every one of them. 

These people had seemed real to her then; they 

had been the centre of her life. She had been 

delighted by each of the virtual birthday and 

Christmas cards they had sent her. In her mind, 

she had visualised their hands passing their 

cards to her in friendship. With no real-time 

social outlets, they had made life liveable. Apart 

from food shopping, she rarely ventured outside. 

Truth hit her like a punch in the chest; she 

was isolated and lonely, and had been since 

she moved here. People surrounded her in the 

numerous flats throughout the complex, but 

she had never spoken to one of them. Like her, 

they were unemployed and rarely ventured out, 

and when they did they kept their heads 

bowed low. 

Sighing, Janie pulled on a warm coat and made 

her way outside. It was late and starting to get 

dark. She needed to think, plan what to do. 

While she walked around the multi- story 

building, she picked up an armful of twigs. Returning 

to the front entrance, she sat down and 

scrunched the letter in her hands. Using a twig, 

she dug a small hole and placed the letter into 

the stony ground. She flicked her lighter and lit 

the paper. Then, she settled twigs on top. 


Sitting cross-legged in front of the fire, she 

started to sing. Gently at first, then her voice 

rose as it did when she sang along to the social 

media church. Soon, other people from 

the complex gathered beside her and joined 

in the song. Most brought wood for the fire. 

As their voices filled the air, Janie felt a sense 

of exhilaration she had never felt before. It 

was as if her spirit had been set free. 

The following evening, they gathered 

around the fire again and told each other stories; 

some dramatic, some funny. When soft 

flurries of snow started to fall, Janie looked up 

and let the flakes glide onto her face. She 

couldn’t remember the last time it had 

snowed in December. She wondered if it was 

a sign; an omen. 

Evening after evening, Janie joined the others 

who gathered around the fire outside their 

building. Within a week, they had started to 

meet during the day. Together, they pooled 

their resources and provided for each other. A 

group soon formed to carry out household 

repairs. Another group set up to alter, refashion 

or repair clothes. Janie joined a group who 

looked after the children so their parents 

could work in a particular group. Someone 

even suggested pooling a small sum of money 

to buy seeds to plant in the spring. 

As Janie glanced around the smiling faces 

surrounding her, she realised that these people 

had become her real-time friends. She 

could hardly remember any of the virtual 

people she used to speak to on her social 

network box. They had been no more real 

than the virtual Christmas cards they had 

sent her. Thinking of this made her recall the 

pens and paper she had in a drawer. She 

hoped she had enough sheets of paper to 

make each of her new friends a real Christmas 

card. She would start making them tomorrow. 

On Christmas morning, Janie found an envelope 

that had been pushed under her door. 

Brushing back a tear, she opened it and 

placed her Christmas card onto the mantelpiece. 

When she joined the others around 

the fire, she handed out her home-made 

cards. Later, someone dragged out a fake 

Christmas tree, and the children decorated it 

with ribbons made from strips cut from an 

old sheet. 

Sitting around the fire with the others, Janie 

Mackay looked up at the star-filled sky; a sky 

filled with hope. A few weeks ago she had 

grieved for the loss of her virtual friends; 

never again would she see their light shine. 

Today, she knew this star would never go 

out. She recalled what she had read about 

her ancestors being cleared from their 

homes and sent to live on the barren cliffedges 

in the remote highlands of Scotland. 

They had survived losing their homes and 

became stronger in the process, and so 

would she. 


Contact Us 


Publishing Team 

ompmagazine@gmail.com 


www.theonemillionprojectcom.wordpress.com 

@JayGreenfield

One Million Project Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?