Alas! The time has come for my longgggggggg awaited winter break. And I can say with certainty how badly I need a break from winter! Here in very cold Canada, it feels as though we’ve… More
What Amazon’s ‘Ask This Book’ Feature Means for Authors | Kindlepreneur
I recently published my January Writer’s Tips before coming across this important article for authors, from the Kindlepreneur, I felt it was an important share. I don’t know about you peeps, but I don’t relish the idea of Amazon A.I. speaking for me.
Amazon’s A.I. is now describing our books – WITHIN our books! I couldn’t believe this when I came across the article from the Kindlepreneur. Since I recently published my January Writer’s Tips, this article didn’t make the cut, but so important for authors to know. It actually would have been nice had Amazon even bothered to email us and inform us, even though we have ZERO ability to stop it.
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From the Kindlepreneur:
“Amazon just rolled out a new Kindle feature called Ask This Book. It lets readers ask questions about whatever they’re reading and get AI-generated answers on the spot.
Right now, it’s available in the Kindle iOS app for U.S. customers, with plans to expand to Kindle devices and Android later in 2026.
Forget who a character is? Want a reminder of what happened earlier? Confused about a scene? You can now ask, and the system will tell you.
What makes this different from most reading tools is that it doesn’t send you back to the page. It offers its own explanations.
And it does it without the author’s involvement, permission, or ability to intervene.
That’s the problem…”
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My thoughts: Just no! I don’t appreciate Amazon OR A.I. describing what I MEANT in a passage of my book. I don’t appreciate A.I. translating what I intend for my readers.
Read the full article below:
Source: What Amazon’s ‘Ask This Book’ Feature Means for Authors | Kindlepreneur
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Then don’t forget to read the page where Amazon tells you all about it:
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/books-and-authors/kindle-recaps-feature-ebook-series-refreshers
I’m fuming! What about you guys?
©DGKaye2026
Sunday Book Review – Cat Thief: A Collection of Short Stories by Lynette Creswell
Welcome to my Sunday Book Review. Today I’m reviewing an entertaining book by Lynette Creswell – Cat Thief. This book is a delightful read having seven mixed genre of stories – some that touch, others dark-humored .
Blurb:
The new collection is diverse, dark-humoured, and deliciously bite-sized. A compelling collection of 7 thought-provoking and humorous short stories to keep the reader reading long into the night. You’ll find some of the stories have been previously published in magazines and anthologies. The collection is engaging, the characters linger in your mind and are the perfect companion for any fiction lover. 1. Cat Thief: When a witch’s love potion goes wrong, she doesn’t want to put it right. But why? 2. Forty Years Too Late: We all keep secrets from loved ones but sometimes skeletons don’t lay hidden forever. 3. Seventeen Pound and Thirty-Four Pence: An act of kindness from the last person you expected. 4. Lonely-Hearts: Love hits when you least expect it. 5. Glimpse into the Future: A young Romany gypsy has foresight. After dreaming the murder of a young woman, can Rosa decipher the clues in time to save her life? 6. Close Call: A duty firefighter is called to a house to coax a jumper off a roof. 7. Orange Truffle Surprise: Revenge is a dish best served cold. Especially when your husband is caught having an affair.
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My 5 Star Review:
This short story book of seven enjoyable stories fill the bill for a sneaky escape read. The first story, The Cat Thief, grabbed my attention right away. Evie is hired to make a love potion – gone wrong. But all is not lost because it serendipituously worked well on someone else. Accidentally!
Forty Years Too Late will remind us that big lies and secrets over the years – eventually become too big to keep.
Seventeen Pound and Thirty-Four Pence is a heartfelt story about a cat hit by a car, the owner who couldn’t afford the vet bill, and the most unexpected act of kindness from one who has less.
Lonely Hearts reminds that despite our determination to meet a significant other in life, sometimes, life has other plans for us.
Glimpse into the Future, Rosa is a Romany and seems to have visions of events before happening. Her recurring dreams of a girl being murdered, in clear details, turns out to be more than just a dream. Rosa tries to save the girl before the murder happens.
In Close Call, a firefighter gets on the ledge in hopes of saving one very unusual jumper.
Orange Truffle is a cleverly told story about one vengeful, betrayed wife.
All these stories were fun and quick reads, offering a variety of emotions from humorous to heartfelt.
©DGKaye2026
Writer’s Tips January 2026 – #Blogging Tips, Author #Scams, and #Writing Tools
Welcome back to my new 2026 Writer’s Tips. In this edition, Hugh Roberts offers great tips on how to avoid Blog Overload, Anne R. Allen has the latest Author Scams going on, and the Kindlepreneur shares the six best Writing Tools for 2026.
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Hugh Roberts has some helpful Blogging Tips
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Anne R. Allen’s Author Scam Updates
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The Kindlepreneur offers this year’s best Book Writing Tools
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©DGKaye2026
Sunday Book Review – Bogie in a Human World – Book 2 by Cheryl Spears
Welcome to my Sunday Book Review. Today I’m happy to share my friend and children’s author, Cheryl Spears’s new release in her Kitty Cat series – Bogie in a Human World, book two. The Bogie stories are tailored for adults, as her Finn the Kitty stories are for children.
Blurb:
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My 5 Star Review:
Bogie the sarcastic cat is back again in book two with more complaints about humans. He introduces himself by letting us know he’s already large and in charge as he says he has ‘trained the family and claimed the house’, and he isn’t kidding!
In this book, Bogie wants us to know how he handles the family and how he navigates emotional chaos, reminding this ain’t no cuddle house cat story, lol. Bogie makes fun of his family how they’re run by clocks and routine, while he runs on instinct. He also likes to teach his family lessons when they do wrong or dumb things – spiteful, if you ask me. And don’t even try letting him hang around you if you’re doing a Zoom call. He also claims to be the best solver of human problems. He claims to be the therapist the family all needs. He even knows Feng Shui!
He doesn’t negotiate, he just occupies. His doctrines are hilarious. He’s opinionated, yet chill in other ways. He’ll take over any space he feels – whether you’re in it or not. And he knows well, how to get your attention.
Sound familiar cat lovers – or not? Either way, this book made me laugh out loud.
A few quotes by Bogie: His thoughts about guests, (whom he refers to them as ‘chaos’) : “They arrive. They speak loudly. They smell like other animals. I vanish or I don’t. Depends on my mood.”
“I am the therapist they didn’t know they needed. I charge in silence, I bill in naps.”
I can’t recommend this book enough if only just to make you smile or even, laugh out loud. It’s an adult storybook with great pictures and hilarious sarcasm from a cat who rules!
©DGKaye2026
About the MMR Vaccine – What We Don’t Know – Are Boomers Still Protected from Measles?
There’s a lot of question marks out in the ethers from many of us wondering if vaccinations we had as children against Measles, Mumps and Rubella are still protective. I, for one, was quite curious as to whether or not I’m still protected against Measles, mostly because the epidemic is alive and well, back in circulation.
Before I went to my doctor in December for my annual physical and labs to be done, I was searching around for information wanting to learn if I was still immune to Measles, in particular. After reading several inconclusive articles, I decided to plug in my questionning concern into ChatGPT. Granted, this is an AI conversation, and it is known to scrape around the net for answers. Although I wouldn’t accept anything from ChatGPT as the gospel, I was nonetheless interested in what it had to say about immunity lasting.
Below are the answers I received from ChatGPT. Then of course, I discussed this dilemma with my doctor. As you can read below, the years we were vaccinated as kids and the availability of different vaccines and timelines caused me some confusion. I know I was vaccinated, but did I have the second shot? Did I have the non-lasting one? The shots from 1963-67 (when I most likely had mine), looked a little dodgy to me, having me question if I’m still immune.
You will note at the end of the discussion, it is suggested to have the Titer test to check if we still have immunity from Measles. My doctor sent me the requisition to have this test done to check my questionnable immunity. It was a free test offered by the Government of Canada.
Read what ChatGPT had to say below, in answer to my questions, and after I will share my report on my status of immunity:
From ChatGPT
Are children who were vaccinated against Measles in the 1960s still immune?
Whether children vaccinated against measles in the 1960s are still immune
depends largely on the specific year and type of vaccine they received.
While most people vaccinated with a live measles vaccine (the standard since 1968) are considered protected for life, those vaccinated between 1963 and 1967 may not be.
Summary of Immunity by Vaccination Year
- 1963–1967: During these years, two types of vaccines were used: a “killed” (inactivated) version and a “live” version.
- The Inactivated Vaccine: This version was later found to be ineffective and did not provide long-term immunity.
- Unknown Type: Because it is often difficult to determine which version was administered, health officials generally recommend that anyone vaccinated during this period be revaccinated with at least one dose of the modern MMR vaccine.
- 1968–1988: Most people in this group received a single dose of the live vaccine, which is about 93% effective for life. While most remain immune, a second dose (introduced as the standard in 1989) is often recommended for high-risk adults, such as healthcare workers or international travelers, to reach 97% effectiveness.
- Born before 1957: Most people born before 1957 are presumed to have lifelong immunity because the virus was so widespread that nearly everyone contracted it as a child.
How to Check Your Immunity
If you were vaccinated in the 1960s and are unsure of your status, you can:
- Request a Blood Test: A healthcare provider can perform a measles titer test to check for antibodies.
- Get Revaccinated: The CDC and other health authorities state there is no harm in receiving an additional dose of the MMR vaccine even if you are already immune.
This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional. AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more
If you were born in 1959, you likely would not have received a measles vaccine as part of your routine childhood immunization in Canada.
Health authorities in Canada generally assume that anyone born before 1970 has natural immunity because the virus was so widespread before routine vaccination programs were established.
Key Facts for Birth Year 1959
- Vaccine Availability: The first measles vaccine was not approved in Canada until 1963. By the time it became available, you would have been approximately 4 years old.
- Routine Programs: Routine childhood immunization programs for measles did not start in most Canadian provinces until the early 1970s.
- Presumed Immunity: Because measles circulated widely during your childhood, it is highly probable you were exposed to and contracted the virus naturally, which provides lifelong immunity.
Current Recommendations
While you are generally presumed immune, current Canadian guidelines suggest you may still need a dose of the MMR vaccine in the following specific circumstances:
- Healthcare Workers/Military: You may be required to have documented evidence of immunity (a blood test or two doses of vaccine).
- International Travel: If you are traveling to an area with a known measles outbreak, a single dose is often recommended if you cannot prove natural immunity through a titer test.
- Post-Secondary Students: Some institutions may consider one dose of MMR for susceptible students born before 1970.
If you are unsure of your status and are in a high-risk group, you can consult a healthcare provider for a blood test or simply get an MMR dose, which is safe even if you are already immune.
I never had measles, do I need an MMR?
While you may have received a vaccination in your later childhood, it is highly unlikely you received the combined MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine during the 1960s, as it was not yet in use in Ontario.
Timeline of Vaccines in Ontario
- 1963–1969: Only separate (monovalent) vaccines were available. If you were vaccinated during this time, you likely received an early version of a single-component measles vaccine.
- 1971: The combined MMR vaccine was first developed, but it was not immediately used in routine provincial programs.
- Early 1970s: Ontario introduced routine single-dose measles vaccination programs.
- 1983: The routine MMR combination vaccine program for infants was officially established in Ontario.
What This Means for Your Immunity
If you were born in 1959, you were 4 years old when the first measles vaccine arrived in Canada and 12 years old when the MMR was first developed.
- If you received a vaccine between 1963 and 1967: You may have received the “killed” (inactivated) vaccine, which was used in Canada during those years and is now known to be ineffective for long-term protection.
- If you received it after 1968: You likely received a live attenuated vaccine, which generally provides lifelong immunity from a single dose.
Recommendations
Because you never had the measles disease and the type of vaccine used in the 1960s is often difficult to confirm, health authorities recommend the following for adults in your age group:
- Check for “Yellow Cards”: Look for old paper immunization records or contact your local public health unit to see if historical records exist.
- Blood Test (Titer): A healthcare provider can order a test to confirm whether you have protective antibodies.
- Safe Revaccination: If you are traveling or at high risk, getting one modern dose of the MMR vaccine is safe and effective, even if you were previously vaccinated.
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THE RESULTS:
After receiving the results from this test I took, it appeared a bit ‘grey’ to me. Why? Because it said that it looked as though I had some immunity because it appeared that my bloodwork showed some Measle remnants, also stating it appeared I ‘may’ have already had Measles as a child. Except, I didn’t. So this caused more confusion for me.
After all my labs, including this Titer test, came back, I had a telehealth call with my doctor to go over all the results. When we discussed the result of the Measle test, my doctor advised that I never had the Mumps or Rubella vaccine, and because the Measle result was a tad questionnable, that it would be advisable for me to have the MMR vaccine in the summer, adding there was no danger to having another. I’m waiting for summer to have it because in April I’ll be having shot #2 of the Shingles vaccine, and shot #1 was no picnic. My arm was in literal pain for a few days, not just stiff, and it was some kind of sore to the touch for three weeks after! But hey, I’ve witnessed a few friends who suffered with Shingles and I know for a fact it’s a painful thing to go through, so if I can avoid it, I’m in.
Now, I have to ask, do any of you here know the status of your own Measles immunity?
©DGKaye2026
Sunday Book Review Special – About the Real Stages of Grief – Graffiti Lux Art & More – Resa McConaghy Interview and Review with D.G. Kaye
Welcome to my Sunday Book Review – something a little different. Kismet happened. The book I recently finished, didn’t make it to the cut for a Sunday Book Review. My mantra about reviewing books is – if I can’t give it at least four stars, how can I recommend it here to my polished readers? And as serendipity happens, I received an email from Resa McConaghy, telling me she was writing one of her ‘classic Resa book reviews’ for my book! If you aren’t familiar with Resa, she’s an amazing artist, writer, photographer, fashion gown designer, and one of the most unique book reviewers I’ve met. I was absolutely stoked when Resa contacted me to collaborate with her by answering select questions.
Today’s Sunday Book Review is a reblog of my interview with Resa.
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About the Real Stages of Grief
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How does one review a heart, soul and mind book like this? Does one say it’s well written? It answers very human questions in an ordinary way that all can understand? Many of us will go through this, so it’s a helpful read?
A Journey Through Loss
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Written by D.G.Kaye, after the death of her husband, the love of her life; this helpful book speaks from the pain of experience. She is not a therapist, nor a psychiatrist, nor a professional healer of any sort. And she is right up front about that fact.
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In her own words “I devoured books on everything from grief to the afterlife, always striving to make sense of the roller coaster ride I was on,”
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I think the best way to impart something more of this book is to speak directly to D. G.
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Resa – The cover of your book has the words: Shock, Fog, Anger, Triggers, Guilt, Anxiety and Denial swirling in a circle. At first I thought the words were repeating in order, but upon a closer look, I realize that they are not in any order, but do repeat. How did you come up with it? Why the words are not in any order?
D.G. – For this cover, the concept came to me immediately.
Grief is like an ongoing spiral with ups and downs. The words inside are just some of the phases grievers experience. The fact that the words are in no particular order and some not repeated is precisely how grief works.
We may visit phases over and over again through time, and some may dissipate with time. Thus, the grief spiral is far from linear but, more chaotic.
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It was above 0c and cloudy out, not a peep of sun in the sky. A perfect day to shoot a shadow free piece of wall art, that seemed perfect for this post. It was only a 20 minute walk to get there.
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Suddenly, as I arrived, it became a sunny day with nary a cloud in the sky. There was a barren tree’s shadow over the painting. I shot it anyway. To me, there is something poetic in this image, that relates to grief – something about the shadow.
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Resa – Debby, can you see why I think that? Can you put it into words?
D.G. – Oh wow Resa. I love the shot with the tree’s shadow. If I were to relate it to grief I would say that when you love deep, it’s like carrying sunshine in your heart. And when you lose that love of your life, despite all the horribleness, there will be days when the obstinate clouds clear and the sun shines through, although the shadow of grief is never too far away.
Resa – Perfectly, poetically and profound said.
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After the pics were taken, there was still not a cloud in the sky. So, I hopped on a streetcar, heading home. About 3 stops later, Suddenly, it clouded over. There was nary a crack of sun to find.
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Resa – This seemed mystical to me, Debby. Does this touch you, or am I just a sentimental fool?
D.G. – Oh no Resa, you may be sentimental – like me, but no fool. I love that you were working on this post and came across these poignant images in your travels.
Remembering that grief is love with nowhere to go, the image reminds that even without sunshine, the shadow of love always sticks with us. Not to mention, it reminds me of the Tree of Life – rain or shine, we are branches off the Tree of Life where memories live deep within, sometimes shadowed, but always there.
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Please head over to Resa’s blog to read the conclusion of this heartfelt and beautiful display of Resa’s copyrighted artwork and mural captures she chose to weave through our words . . .
Source: About the Real Stages of Grief – Graffiti Lux Art & More
©DGKaye2026
Hello 80’s Leg Warmers – What’s Old is New
Happy New Year! I needed a digital week off and it was well appreciated. And while I was off, we’ve had nothing but arctic temps here in Canada – mainly, Toronto. This brings me to the point of this post – Leg warmers.
Remember them? Ya, when I first think of leg warmers, I’m taken right back to the 80’s and Jane Fonda workout videos, lol. But why did I remember them? Heck, I honestly never wore them when they were a fashion thing.
So what brought these relics back to mind was the unbearable cold I have to endure everyday – just from the car to the gym and back again. When temps are minus twenty, and despite wearing full winter garb, I’m still only wearing thin lycra legging tights for gym. Yes, I’m typically always hot, hence I also wear a tank top in gym classes – least clothes on me the better when working out; I wear a hoodie under my coat to stop the frigid air from going up my coat sleeves, but what about my legs?
One day after following my routine after returning home from gym, I went directly into a very hot shower and stood in it for a good ten minutes – mostly to turn my frozen legs warm again then I put on my fleece homewear. As I was doing so, I started to think about this ongoing situation of my freezing legs. I began thinking about the ‘snowpants’ I wore as a kid walking to school across huge snowbanks and thought about how nice it would be to have snowpants again. And as I thought of the snowpants, the leg warmer idea followed.
I wondered where on earth I may find such things in the 21st century, and my go-to was Amazon. Sure enough, leg warmers were there o’plenty! I ordered a pair that were faux fur lined and came up to the knee. I wore them to gym keeping them on to toast my shins when several girls and the instructor came up to me asking where I got the leg warmers. LOL. Did I just start a vintage trend?
For those of you who aren’t familiar with leg warmers, they must be quite old because I couldn’t even find the right picture on image sites, so I saved this image from Amazon
I’ve been wearing those babies to gym daily for the past two weeks, and although my shins were toasty, the tops of my thighs weren’t. Later that evening, my good friend Zahra called me to tell me she ordered thigh-high leg warmers from Amazon. Of course I had to order another pair!
They work! Although I have no problem wearing the shorter ones in class, I remove the thigh-highs once I arrive in class. Those babies are great for the outside, but keep me heated inside. But I’m so glad I found them.
Now, I know not all of you have to live through arctic temps, but if so, think about investing in a cheap pair. Whether or not they are fashionable or fashion faux pas, they work!
Of course I want to know if any of you reading here wore leg warmers in the 80s, and if you may be possibly wearing them again in this century? 😊
©DGkaye2026
Sunday Book Review – So Shall Ye Reap – Book 2 in Terry Tyler’s Revenge series
Welcome back to my Sunday Book Review 2026. I’m kicking this year off with the second book in Terry Tyler’s delicious revenge series – So Shall Ye Reap. Payback can be a bitch.
Blurb:
“Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”
-Galations 6:7
Call it karma, call it poetic justice – two novellas that explore the cunning way life can exact its own revenge, in a way that no amount of foresight can ever fully predict.
Ordinary Joe
A phone call on a cold November morning summons Joe Carter from Vienna to Brazil, to meet up with his old travelling buddy, Ziggy. But Ziggy’s changed. He has a new crowd, different values, and a clever way of reeling Joe in.
Soon, Ziggy will make an offer Joe could refuse, if he really wanted to. When he agrees, he has no idea of the dark path he will travel down.
Some roads don’t let you turn back.
King of the Playground
The path between love and hate is narrow indeed.
At six years old Jerry and Mikkel become inseparable, the brothers each other never had. Mikkel is generous, funny, adventurous, the leader of the gang, the king of the playground. Jerry feels honoured to be his second-in-command, but over the years his resentment grows. Why can’t he be the king? Why does Mikkel always turn up smelling of roses?
As they become men, Jerry acknowledges that this choke hold of emotions that intensifies as the years pass, has consumed him.
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My 5 Star Review:
I was looking forward to the next two novellas in this story, and as always, Terry Tyler never disappoints.
In the first story – Ordinary Joe, Joe is invited by his old pal Ziggy, to join him in Brazil. The two men have been friends, bar buddies, and always looking for a fast buck to be made together. Now Ziggy has a new proposition for Joe to help make some quick cash – just one time. We all have choices to make, and this time Joe makes a decision that lands him into a scary situation. But it isn’t until his new friend Eroica alerts Joe to the real circumstance that got him landed in jail. And guess who was behind it all? Then years later, after Joe is set free again, he once again meets up with Ziggy, now knowing what Joe knows, what could go wrong?
In King of the Playground, two best friends since childhood, Mikkel and Jerry, will find themselves at a crossroads when all is said and done.
As Mikkel and Jerry grow into their early thirties, their livelihoods and women take them in two different directions – Mikkel follows his desires and ends up in Greece for a while, doing some geological digging, while Jerry is an intent growing, real estate entrepeneur. Their worlds converge again when Mikkel comes back to Shipden with his Bohemian lifestyle wife, Lark.
Jerry has always felt secondary to his friend Mikkel, but nonetheless their friendship remained. Both are nice guys in different ways, and soon, Mikkel’s new venture of opening up a surf shop keeps him busy back at home, while Jerry and Lark become new friends. No spoilers!
Two cautionary tales of manipulation and betrayal among friendships. Human nature.
Terry always writes great characters and the rich details have a propensity to keep us glued.
©DGKaye2026
DGKayewriter.com 
