The first
Wednesday of every month is officially IWSG day. IWSG was formed by Ninja
Captain Alex Cavanaugh. Members post about their doubts and fears, discuss
struggles and triumphs, and offer words of encouragement to others who are struggling.
Twitter handle: @TheIWSG
Hashtag: #IWSG
The awesome co-hosts for the November 6 posting of the
IWSG are Diedre Knight, Lisa Buie Collard , Kim Lajevardi, and JQ Rose!
Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post.
These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience
or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it
inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
Remember, the question is optional
November 6 question - What creative activity do you engage in when
you're not writing?
My other creative outlet is gardening. Adding plants and moving
them around. And playing with my paver path, adding half-moon extensions, etc. AND
I like to snap pictures😊 What’s yours?
October/November Reviews
in no particular order.
*
Disclaimer. If I run into an occasional typo, I ignore them and don't factor
them into my review.
WHO
MOURNS ELECTRA by C. W. Hawes
Murder
again abounds in the 21st book of the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles.
This
page-turning story is built around Pastor Ember Cole and her soon-to-be husband
Harry Thurgood owner of the Really Good Wood-Fired Coffee Shop.
Crime
is still rampant in the small Texas town of Magnolia Bluff, and Ember and Harry
find themselves smack dab in the middle of it when several of the towns’
citizenry are brutally murdered and the police have their collective eyes on
Ember and Harry for the murders. The two will now have to do some serious
sleuthing to clear their names.
I
thoroughly enjoyed following these two amateur detectives through the homes and
streets of Magnolia Bluff as they track down the killer. What made it such a
fun read was the masterful job of world-building and character creation the
author generated, all the while drawing you into a whodunit filled with murder
and mayhem. Great job, author C. W. Hawes.
Available at Amazon
JOHN
TYLER America's 10th President
(ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRESIDENTS SECOND SERIES) by Betsy Ochester
This
was well-written and touched on the salient points of John Tyler's life. Best
of all, it held my interest😉
Available at Amazon
BORN
FOR REVENGE by Staci Troilo
Mean
girls are getting kidnapped.
Mean
girls have been kidnapped and ended up in the cold case files. When one of them
turns up alive Detective Holden Walsh and Cabe Paxton rush to discover who the
kidnapper is, who else he’s kidnapped, and if they too are still alive.
Ms.
Troilo checked all the boxes on this one. The characters are compelling. The
world is well-developed, allowing the reader to step into the story, walk the
city streets and sit beside the characters for a meal. Best of all, in my
humble opinion, the action doesn’t let up. The author puts her foot down on the
pedal at the beginning of the story and doesn’t let up till the end. It held my
interest all the way through.
Highly
recommended for thriller readers or those who love a good tale.
Available at Amazon
MIRACLES
AND GHOSTS by D. J. Finn
A
Treasure Trove of Christmas Stories with a Twist.
So
many treasurers in this wonderful compilation of ghostly Christmas stories. It
opens with a novelette about a young woman who as a child lost the people who
mattered most. Then is able to recapture the joy of Christmas years later.
Family and forgiveness figure large in WORDS HURT. In THE CHRISTMAS WALK a
lonely young woman meets a mysterious little boy when out walking Christmas
Eve. Another of my favorites was MIRACLE IN ER where miracles and Santa show up
at the ER. And last and possibly the most intriguing, RED TRUCK about a woman
who keeps having flashbacks of being hit by a red truck. Reminiscent of
Groundhog Day though much more eerie.
All
in all, a wonderful collection of reads for the season, written by an author
who specializes in bringing the phantasmal to life. An easy five stars.
Available at Amazon
JUST ONE GOODBYE: Poems from
the heart by Balroop Singh
Ms. Singh is a talented poet
whom I’ve been reading for several years. JUST ONE GOODBYE is the best thing
she’s written. I found reading it a humbling experience. It’s both raw and
heartbreaking. I can’t begin to imagine her pain. I can only mourn, as she
shares the loss of her husband—her soulmate—in this book of prose. Every poem
in the book is filled with imagery, emotion and awareness. If you enjoy her
poetry, prose in general, or have lost someone dear, I recommend this read. In
fact, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Available at Amazon
AND
Did you know that William Shakespeare invented at least one hundred and thirty five phrases used in the English language including: 'All of a sudden.'
For more information: 135 Phrases Coined By William Shakespeare - Phrase Finder