IWSG Wednesday and Did You Know

 

 

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 

 

April/May Reviews in no particular order.

* Disclaimer. If I run into an occasional typo, I ignore them and don't factor them into my review.

 

BADLANDS by Jacqui Murray

BADLANDS is the second in Ms. Murray’s Savage Lands Trilogy. In it, prehistoric man takes on nature in all her fury and survives.

While Yu’ung’s tribe led by B’o, Yu’ung’s hunting partner, and Shanadar, a rather unique young man😊, journey to a safer land, Yu’ung and Ocha, the proto-wolf, accompany Old One, the tribal elder, on his final journey.

Danger is faced on all fronts by the split tribe. Stalked by predators both two-legged and four-legged, they race to stay ahead of nature, whose rumblings are loud, long, and life-threatening.

Once again, the author delivers a fascinating fictionalized version of man’s history, wrapped in fact. A must read for Jacqui Murray fans—of which I am one—and for those who love prehistoric fiction or just enjoy a good tale.

Available at Amazon

 

 

TAXMAN by MK Alexander

This is a short fiction about the dangers of trying to improve on democracy, especially where money, politicians and special interests are concerned. The author takes a simple idea for revising the tax code and leaves the reader wondering, what if….

A well-written, thought-provoking read that I thoroughly enjoyed.  

Available at Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

MILLARD FILLMORE: AMERICA’S 13^TH PRESIDENT (ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRESIDENTS SECOND SERIES) by Dan Santow

I enjoyed learning about our 13th President. I knew very little about him. Let me rephrase. I knew nothing about him. 😊

My take aways: He grew up very poor, had little schooling, and pulled himself up by the bootstraps. He read everything he could get his hands on and bought himself a dictionary to familiarize himself with every word he came across that he didn't know. AND he belonged to the Unitarian church, which I didn't realize had been established in the 1800s.

To summarize, I found the book well-written, interesting and salient.

Available at Amazon

 

MURDER SHE GLAMPED by April Nunn Coker

This is book 34 of 34 in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles and take place at a camp resort near Magnolia Bluff. As frequently happens in the Magnolia Bluff vicinity, people are getting murdered and it’s happening on Mamie’s watch while she temporarily manages the campsite.

There are plenty of interesting characters to go round in this latest addition of the Chronicles, including two cute dogs and a hedgehog. Christian Cozy Mystery Readers and Christian Romance Readers will especially enjoy this one.

Available at Amazon 

 

 

 

SCANDAL BROTH, M’LADY RIDES FOR A FALL, FORTUNES OF THE HEART, LADY HARRIET TAKES CHARGE, SIR SHAM, ESCAPADE, GEORGIANA, MISS OSBORNE MISBEHAVES by Marian Devon

I had a Marian Devon reading fest. In my humble opinion, no one wrote Regency Romance like Marian Devon. The best in her genre, bar none. When I’m depressed or have jangling nerves from reading too many thrillers, I turn to these old friends. They are light, frothy, humorous and always well-written. Highly recommended if you are looking for fun escapism.

On a personal note, I always love to hear about authors who taught at community colleges. This one taught at Central Piedmont.

Available at  Amazon

 

SAND CITY MURDERS by MK Alexander

This is the first of the Tractus Fynn Mystery Series

Tractus is a polite, well-spoken, time-traveling detective who soft and hard jumps back and forth through time in pursuit of the murderous Mortimer.  He makes friends with Patrick Jardel (again), a small-time reporter with an excellent memory, and enlists his aid in the hunt for Mortimer.

Solving the murders hinge on shoes…or lack thereof.

Besides creating distinctive and well-developed characters, the author excels at world building, making the reader feel they are strolling down the streets of Sand City right beside its citizenry. The mystery is woven into Jardel’s daily life as he tries to solve multiple murders in a timeline that keeps changing. 

Recommended for folks that like their mysteries intertwined with small town goings-on or just enjoy a well-told tale.

Available at Amazon

 

And

 

Are you journaling or writing poetry on the back of a motorcycle like Denise does? There's all sorts of uses for this beautiful notebook. You can find it at the Gratitude Store.

And

Did you know, the term green-eyed monster came from Shakespeare?

150 Interesting Facts About Our Favorite Authors [Infographic]

 

 

 

 

IWSG Day AND Did You Know

 

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 21^st 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