CaitlinDBurnside

THE blank page stares back at me, a silent, patient companion. For over forty years, this has been my therapy, my sanctuary. The clack of the keyboard is a steady heartbeat, a rhythm that orders the chaos of my own mind. It calms me, focuses the whirlwind into a single, flowing stream. THERE was a time, after the losses that hollowed me out, when the page remained blank for months. The words had dried up, buried under a weight too heavy for sentences to lift. Grief is a poor muse. YET recently, the world has felt… strange. An odd pressure in the air, a collective unease I can’t quite name. It’s in these darker, unsettled days that I’ve returned to my oldest friends: my characters. Not for a blog, or a vlog, or a journal for anyone else to see. For the pure, private act of it. Like a parent retelling a favourite bedtime story, I revisit their lives. THEY live in a world Centuries old, their Histories intricate and sprawling. I don’t force it. I simply sit with them. Some...

My Dearest Readers, I am writing to you today with a heart full of nervous excitement and a mind buzzing with the whispers of ancient oaks and bygone paths. You see, I’ve made a decision — one that feels both monumental and utterly necessary. I am rewriting The Oakwood Chronicles. It began as a simple reread, a nostalgic journey back to the story I first built from ink and imagination. Yet as I walked those familiar sites alongside Cassandra and Cayden once more, I heard it: the quiet, persistent hum of a story not yet fully told. The foundations were strong, the heart was true, but the roots… the roots wanted to dig deeper. The canopy wanted to spread wider. Therefore, I have taken a step back into the grove. The series you know, those four volumes that held our adventures, will be lovingly unbound and rewoven. From four books, the chronicle will expand to eight, maybe more... This is not merely a splitting of pages, but an expansion of soul. It is a chance to linger in the glens we r...

ALOE VERA PLANT To Readers, I'll hopefully help! I am writing this Blog to share a story about a long-held belief of mine, recently overturned in the most unexpected way. It concerns a humble plant: Aloe Vera. Back in the mid-1990s, shortly after we got the internet at home, I had an encounter with a cosmetic representative. I’ve never been one for much makeup, but she was promoting a new line that featured this new fangled ingredient, Aloe Vera. The introductory pack was at a rock-bottom price, so I gave it a go, selecting my colours. However, the transaction came with a stark warning that nearly stopped me in my tracks. I was told point-blank that a minority of people are allergic to Aloe Vera and that I should watch for a skin-wide reaction within five days. I didn’t apply the products daily, so the warned reaction arrived on Day Seven. I broke out in large, blotchy red spots all over my face and body (the kit had included bath products, too). I contacted the represe...

My pen names are "Caitlin D Burnside" and "Aspen Winters". I am a Storyteller. That is the title I claim, the mantle I wear with more pride than any other. “Novelist” feels too formal, too bound by the rules of a craft that, in my view, has forgotten its first and most sacred purpose: to tell a good tale. My process is simple. A subject finds me — a whisper of a theme, a ghost of an idea. It might be the weight of a forgotten oath or the chill of a shadow in a stone corridor. Then, I decide for whom I shall spin this yarn. The audience shapes the voice, you see. A story for the weary soul requires a different cadence than one for the curious mind. My “Creative Writing” education was not found in modern manuals that dissect plot structure like a surgeon. It was learned in the telling itself. It was in the patient drawing of a character, in tracing the intricate web of how they love, betray, and endure one another. The style? It was the rhythm of the paragraph, the de...

JUST ANOTHER DAY ANNE woke up to the soft sound of birds chirping outside her window. The sun peeked through the curtains, casting a warm light across her cluttered room. She blinked lazily, feeling the weight of another day pressing down on her. With a sigh, she swung her legs out of bed and padded to the bathroom.  EVERY morning was the same. She turned on the tap, letting the warm water fill the tub. As she soaked, she thought about all the things she needed to do. Work was waiting for her, piled high with papers and deadlines. Yet today felt different. Today, she felt a flicker of hope.  AFTER her bath, Anne wrapped a towel around herself and walked to her bedroom chair. She slipped into her favourite stockings, the ones that made her feel a little more put together, and stepped into her worn-out shoes. She took a moment to glance at her reflection in the mirror. “You can do this,” she whispered to herself.  AT THE office, the familiar hum of printers and phones gr...

Yes, when you open old boxes or, in this case, check out old USBs that still work surprisingly well after so long... I was living alone with our munchkins, my husband was once again away on a work assignment for another six months. After my day was done — taking care of bills, doing kitchen chores, cleaning the house, and most importantly, homeschooling our children — and finally looking after our pets... It filled up the days with fun and laughter, helping to keep the loneliness at bay. Thank goodness for our children. They were the reason I woke up each day with a happy heart. They were my whole world, my joy, my happiness, and my love during a really tough and lonely time. To make a long story short, I started writing again, just like I did in my early days when I was a loner at school. Creative writing was my extra activity from the very beginning, and I kept doing it all through my whole education. Whenever I wrote, it was a way to get away from real life. I made up worlds far fro...

Once upon a time, I came to know a gorgeous furball. She was a mixed Persian/Short-Haired Blue-Grey female cat. She didn't belong to me. She belonged to a relative who had no ideas as to what a cat required for a long and happy life. No matter how many time this relative had been told what bare minimum was required, it was completely ignored... "Blue Girl" renamed by myself, I brought her the specific foods she required every time I visited and/or babysat. I'd sit crossed legged on the floor after my chores were done and she'd climb in and curled up in my legs. This would be followed by a unending purring session. If I needed to get up for anything, I took her in my arms or if I needed my hands, I would wrap her around my neck, her warm  soft and light body resting on my shoulders. She would gently dig her claws into whatever I wore to hold on. She loved it. She only lived for 8 short years, dying of advanced diabetes due to malnutrition. It was very s...

DECEMBER 1961 “CHOCHONE , you’ve outdone yourself,” my Papa chuckled, peering into the basket. “Look at ‘em, all curled up like little black pearls.” “They’re precious,” I agreed, stroking the soft fur of the cat with a single white paw. She was the runt of the litter, but she had the loudest meow. “I’m thinkin’ we should call this one Spot, for that dash of white,” he suggested with a twinkle in his eye. I nodded. “Spot it is.” The house was filled with the comforting sounds of purring and the occasional squeak as the kittens played. It was a stark contrast to the howling wind outside, which had been a constant companion since the first snowfall. Chochone had picked the perfect time to have her litter. The warmth from their tiny bodies seemed to radiate through the basement, even though the furnace was chugging away just a few feet away. FEBRUARY 1962 “IT’S GONNA be a cold one tonight,” Papa warned, peering through the dusty basement window. The snow had already started t...

Taking into consideration the various mottos found as well as ancestral roots, I've created my own shield. It represents how I feel, how I do things in life and my outlook on the future, by combining the past and the present. The various branches of customs, cultures and languages, in general, a beautiful diversity of people and traditions. What you've learned from yesteryears, helps you to understand more deeply who you are today. Blessed be!

YOU know I love the Paranormal, I always did. From the Summer of 69, I discovered so many answers. It was eye-opening! Below, is a story based on a true situation. Names, places have been changed to the protect the privacy of all involved. IF YOU enjoy stories of life-after-death and a belief in Souls being an eternal piece inside all of us, then just read... THE SOUL'S ENCOUNTER! JULY  arrived in a blaze of heat. Unrelentless high temperatures. Overall the month had an average of 27°C (81°F). The amount of wild fires and the ones as a result of fireworks falling on dried grass... SADLY and unexpectedly, 5 July saw the end of Gramps' life (See the story; 4 Funerals and 1 Wedding; coming soon). From the Monday, 7 July, he rested at the Funeral parlour for 3 long days. INSIDE it was freezing, the AC being on to keep the bodies cold. Turned up much higher due to the constant stream of mourners. All three days were very busy, Gramps had family, friends and loads of acquaintances...

HELLO , you have found my profile page. This is me, CDBurnsideAuthor... Document Publishing Specialist (former) Full-time Carer & Home Engineer (currently) Novelist & Storyteller (since the 1990s) Historical Paranormal Romance Fiction Aries & 60s child Archer (for over 50 years) Yoga/TaiChi Enthusiast Widow w/Daughter + Pet Cat Lives in Scotland 💗♥️💙💛 Author's Name: Caitlin D Burnside Coming Soon! ETERNAL LOVE SERIES WIP HEAVENLY Trilogy  Also, I really like coffee! My Coffee Donations link is below! ALL MY LINKS ARE HERE: Milkshake Website:  CD BURNSIDE AUTHOR Coffee Contributions & Purchases:  CD BURNSIDE BUY ME A COFFEE OR MORE... YT Channel:  CDB FIERY ARIES FOR EBOOK VIDEOS (Coming Soon) AUTHOR'S WEBSITE AT MILKSHAKE Where you can read the synopses for each book and how to buy them as well. BLOGGER I'm typing this blog via the Android app. BUYMEACOFFEE For Coffee Donations where you can get the first book of my series. Otherwise, y...

11 June 2024 CAITLIN D BURNSIDE (Novelist) TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW MANY BOOKS YOU HAVE WRITTEN. I had written many of my Father's stories as school's homework. Papa was an amazing storyteller and I've inherited that cool talent. I'd managed to publish one whole series, but something happened online and I decided to delete it. During the Pandemic lockdowns of 2020, I wrote two new series. "Eternal Love Series" contains four full-length novels. "Heavenly Trilogy" is my current WIP. So nearly 13 books. After beta-readers recommendations, I've simplified the titles, updated the covers and projected publishing year. I also created a series of characters for both series. I intend to make two eBook video trailers from it. WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR LATEST BOOK AND WHAT INSPIRED IT? My current WIP is about an Angel "Bound For Earth" and the life she'll live as a human. It's based on a true story to which I've the ri...

I had to revert that post to DRAUGHT as the whole story didn't upload properly. I'll repost as soon as I've time to fix the problem, sorry but technology sometimes gets the best of us 😂. Meanwhile, there's plenty stories to read and enjoy! Blessed be!