I thought we’d take a walk on the Magical Trail today. It’s a beautiful day, everything is still green and lush after getting 1.6 inches of wonderful rain last week. The sky is blue and it’s a warm 85 degrees outside. This trail was a gift to me from my husband. He keeps working on it and adding to new paths and decorations. It is where I find not only the magic in life but my poetry inspiration.
Thanks for taking a walk with me today! May it’s magic inspire you too 🙂
Happy Fall! This is my favorite time of year when Halloween is just around the corner and Christmas is on its way. The leaves are starting to change and the weather has finally cooled down. We even have some rain in the forecast. I’d like to think that means the end of our fire season. Fingers cross.
It’s time to put up the Halloween decorations, enjoy some fall baking, or maybe go on a Harley ride. It’s also a great time to read. There are some books that make me say wow when I’m done reading them. So I’m sharing them again because they deserve the extra attention. They are the books that linger long after you read them and take us to new and exciting places.
Here are my Fall picks with their blurbs:
A healer with the talent to unravel death. A stillborn child brought to life. A father lusting for vengeance. And a son torn between justice, faith, and love. Caught in a chase spanning kingdoms, each must decide the nature of good and evil, the lengths they will go to survive, and what they are willing to lose.
A healer and dabbler in the dark arts of life and death, Barus is as gnarled as an ancient tree. Forgotten in the chaos of the dying queen’s chamber, he spirits away her stillborn infant and in a hovel at the meadow’s edge, breathes life into the wisp of a child. He names her Aster for the lea’s white flowers. Raised as his daughter, she, too, learns to heal death.
Denied a living heir, the widowed king spies from a distance. But he heeds the claims of the fiery Vicar of the Red Order—in the eyes of the Blessed One, Aster is an abomination, and to embrace the evil of resurrection will doom his rule.
As the king’s life nears its end, he defies the vicar’s warning and summons the necromancer’s daughter. For his boldness, he falls to an assassin’s blade. Armed with righteousness and iron-clad conviction, the Order’s brothers ride into the leas to cleanse the land of evil.
To save her father’s life, Aster leads them beyond Verdane’s wall into the Forest of Silvern Cats, a wilderness of dragons and barbarian tribes. Unprepared for a world rife with danger and unchecked power, a world divided by those who practice magic and those who hunt them, she must choose whether to trust the one man offering her aid, the one man most likely to betray her—her enemy’s son.
~*~
From best-selling fantasy author D. Wallace Peach comes a retelling of the legend of Kwan-yin, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy. Set in a winter world of dragons, intrigue, and magic, The Necromancer’s Daughter is a story about duty, defiance, cruelty, and sacrifice— an epic tale of compassion and deep abiding love where good and evil aren’t what they see
The sweet pairing learn from each other and through Fern’s guidance, Devin embraces the power of magic to leave behind his troubled past to become The Musical Poet.
Poetry/flash fiction titles in section one of the collection include:
The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet, Rain Forest Love, A Forest Baby Boy, A Forest Baby Girl, A Modern Witch, Rock of Mine, Chester Don & I, The Network of Trees, More Trees Not Less, Two Boys Watching War, Mum Climbing Trees, Let’s Play, The Scorched Tree, Owl’s Holiday Home, A Man’s Holiday Home, A Child’s Excitement, The Teddy In The Woods, Run! The Organutans, All Hallow’s Eve Candy Girl The Forest Bash, Dreaming At Halloween, A Face on Bark, Golden Willow Tree, Rainbow – Parasol of Light, Lollipop Sunshine Tree,
In Section two I pay tribute to the following poets: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline, Ruby Archer, King Forest, Bliss Carman, Woodland Rain, Emily Dickinson, Who Robbed the Woods, Rupert Blake, Stopping by The Woods on A Winter Evening,Oscar Wilde, In the Forest.
With my poetry:
The Forest Weeps, The Forest King, Raindrops and Childhood Dreams, The Woodland Treasures, Winter Woodland Moon, Child Me.
I’m thrilled to welcome friends and fellow Story Empire Authors here today to share in their good news of a co-authored release! Here’s my review: LINK
Denise, thank you so much for hosting me today. I’m delighted to be here with you and your readers to share The Haunting of Chatham Hollow. I co-authored this novel with Staci Troilo, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was amazing to work with a co-author, especially someone as talented as Staci. She and I found we work great together, so who knows—maybe another down the road.
For now, we hope others will enjoy our supernatural mystery which includes dual timelines, ghostly happenings, a town curse, murder, and rumors of buried gold. During our short promo tour, you’ll meet several characters who populate the book. Today, I’d like to introduce Victor Rowe, from the 1888 timeline. Spiritualism is a key thread in the book, so Staci and I thought we’d have each character sit down with a medium as a way of introduction.
Let’s listen in.
SPIRTUALIST: I’m honored you’ve taken the time to visit, Mr. Rowe. Your reputation proceeds you.
VICTOR: Thank you, but it’s not my habit to rest on laurels.
SPIRTUALIST: Yet I understand you’ve cut back with your profession, not nearly as active as you once were.
VICTOR: Since leaving Philadelphia, yes. I was far more engaged there—lectures, spirit circles several times a week, seances for the city’s elite. After the passing of my wife, I needed to step away from the whirlwind. Losing Constance was the catalyst to prompt my move to Chatham Hollow.
SPIRTUALIST: The town has certainly welcomed you. I believe it’s been, what—nine years? And your son, Jordan, lives with you. A young man in his early twenties.
VICTOR: (narrowing his eyes) You’re well informed.
SPIRTUALIST: Consider the subject. You’re a legend among those of us in spiritualist circles. Which is why I find it interesting a man of your standing would concern himself with an unknown like Benedict Fletcher.
VICTOR: I don’t recall saying I have.
SPIRTUALIST: Scuttlebutt around town says you and Fletcher have a rivalry going on.
VICTOR: Nonsense. We’ve crossed paths, yes. Our social circles have intersected with some of the same people.
SPIRTUALIST: The mayor—whom I believe is a good friend of yours—and his wife, Irene? There’s also her sister, Dorinda, and a particular young lady named Elayne Orrman.
VICTOR: I detest when people don’t speak plainly.
SPIRTUALIST: Then I shall… although you may think highly of Miss Orrman, I believe the opposite is true of Mr. Fletcher. I think you would enjoy discrediting him.
VICTOR: Then let me set the record straight. Point one—you will not mention Miss Orrman again. I will not tolerate having that young lady’s name sullied with common gossip. Point two—there is no need for me to discredit Benedict Fletcher. Anyone with a parcel of sensibility will recognize he disguises his lack of talent beneath gaudy showmanship. The man made a mockery of the Founder’s Day séance with his inept attempt at summoning.
SPIRTUALIST: You’re referencing his attempt to resurrect Ward Chatham’s ghost?
VICTOR: It’s beneath discussing.
SPIRTUALIST: According to the Chatham Hollow Chronicle you stepped in and saved the day. But then the editor, Aaron Brock, is a friend of yours.
VICTOR: Do I sense insinuation in your tone?
SPIRTUALIST: (smiling) Against the great Victor Rowe?
VICTOR: (stands) Consider this conversation over.
SPIRTUALIST: It’s interesting how no one really wants to discuss that séance, yet most feel the consequences will linger long into the future. Perhaps centuries from now others will look back and try to fit the pieces together. Maybe even attempt to decipher where Ward Chatham hid his gold.
VICTOR: A fool’s quest. Chatham and his treasure are better left where they belong—buried, and in the past.
____________
BLURB:
One founding father.
One deathbed curse.
A town haunted for generations.
Ward Chatham, founder of Chatham Hollow, is infamous for two things—hidden treasure and a curse upon anyone bold enough to seek it. Since his passing in 1793, no one has discovered his riches, though his legend has only grown stronger.
In 1888, charlatan Benedict Fletcher holds a séance to determine the location of Chatham’s fortune. It’s all a hoax so he can search for the gold, but he doesn’t count on two things—Victor Rowe, a true spiritualist who sees through his ruse, and Chatham’s ghost wreaking havoc on the town.
More than a century later, the citizens of the Hollow gather for the annual Founder’s Day celebration. A paranormal research team intends to film a special at Chatham Manor, where the original séance will be reenacted. Reporter and skeptic Aiden Hale resents being assigned the story, but even he can’t deny the sudden outbreak of strange happenings. When he sets out to discover who or what is threatening the Hollow—supernatural or not— his investigation uncovers decades-old conflicts, bitter rivalries, and ruthless murders.
This time, solving the mystery isn’t about meeting his deadline. It’s about not ending up dead.
_______
Thanks again for hosting me today, Denise. It was a pleasure to drop by—along with my unnamed spiritualist and Victor Rowe. (Victor, though a man of principal, is not without his share of rough edges). I invite your readers to pick up a copy of The Haunting of Chatham Hollow at the link below. Staci and I both appreciate the support and wish everyone happy reading!
Connect with Mae Clair at BOOKBUB and the following haunts:
Amazon| BookBub| Newsletter Sign-Up
Website | Blog| Twitter| Goodreads| All Social Media
Connect with Staci Troilo at the following haunts:
Website | Blog | Social Media | Newsletter
Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads
Aster is the necromancer’s daughter. She and her queen-mother die when Aster is born. The healer, Barus, sees the baby and steals her away to bring her back to life. The king stays in the background but watches as the healer raises this girl as his own because he knows no one would accept a child brought back to life. When the King finally approaches Aster, his only heir, he triggers his enemies to act, who upends her peaceful life as a healer. Determined to set things right and help Barus, Aster sets off to find help. I love the people she meets along her journey, especially when she crosses the mountain. The son of her enemy is a very complex character. Although he helps her more than once, his upbringing and devotion to the Blessed One aren’t too far behind and weigh him down. Aster shows what genuine goodness is over those who use it to seek power. Even if Aster’s actions aren’t popular, her innocence and ability to do the right thing guide her through some dark times. This is a fantasy filled with magic, danger, love, loyalty, fantastic imagery, and dragons that I can highly recommend.
After a horrible crash that killed three adults and an unborn baby, Scott tries to regain his life. He has money and fame but lost a best friend and sister. Needing closure, he goes to see the bodies but runs into the Medical Examiner, Tracy, and a badly hurt dog. This throws them together while someone seems determined to add to the body count. On the other side is Scott’s best friend, Lucas, who is now an angel and is placed with a surly partner to help people. Lucas was the driver and carried the guilt of being responsible for the accident, but he also has depth and humor mixed in. He doesn’t understand what is required from him as he navigates this afterworld. I felt for all characters’ loss and appreciated the wit weaved into it. There is redemption and learning for these characters, plus some needed justice and forgiveness. I can’t wait to read the next book to see what happens next. A fast-paced paranormal romance with second chances I can easily recommend.
By Sandra Cox
Amulets #1 followed Maureen and her journey, “Rose Quartz,” focuses on her new friend, Bella. Back home, Bella quickly finds out that the killer being in jail doesn’t keep her or her amulet safe. She’s a painter gifted with beauty and creativity from her stones and has the help of Maureen’s ranch hand, Hank. He is the ultimate cowboy she is trying not to fall for but is used to using her charms and looks to get what she wants, which doesn’t go over well with him. Bella is a fun character who quickly discovers she can’t take on a madman alone. This leads her back to old friends she desperately needs and the introduction to another woman gifted with an amulet. I love the relationship developing between Hank and Bella and was rooting for them to work it out. This series is not only about the women wearing the amulets but a strong group of friends that look out for each other, especially when a madman is determined to be a god. Another fun read with love, magic, friendship, and danger perfectly mixed in for those who enjoy a paranormal romance.
I only post my 4 & 5-star reviews. If I don’t like a book, I won’t finish it. It doesn’t feel right to leave a review in that case. Life is too short not to enjoy every book you read!
UPDATES
Embrace your inner child by reading an enchanting story! D. L. Finn
Hi!
Today I’m over on Story Empire with my post: HEALTHY WRITERS-LESSONS FROM SCHOOL. I’d love for you to stop by and say hello.
Here’s Colleen Chesebro’s Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge #289. This week is a specific form: Shadorma.
The format is 3/5/3/3/7/5 and has a title. I went with an experience I just had with a little hummingbird when I finally got outside after the smoke cleared for the day. It was so beautiful and fresh that I thought it was a good day to write poetry. The hummingbird, a male ruby redthroat, came inches from my face and we looked at each other for several seconds—or eternity. I took it as a good message 🙂
A GIFT
gentle hymn
inches from my soul
hummingbird
angel’s note
nature lovingly dispatched…
hope & inspiration
I’m thrilled to have fellow author and friend Sandra Cox here today to share her latest release, Geller’s Find. Review to follow soon—after my re-read 🙂
Character Facts
Doctor Luke Geller is a full-time history professor and part-time
archeologist.
His specialty is Native American artifacts.
Instead of a gun, he carries a Hopi throwing stick.
He likes cats and horses and has a sense of humor.
Excerpt
“Dammit.”
His heels caught in a patch of fuzzy green and gray weeds. Buried in
their center was a large piece of chiastolite. Ancient markings all but
obliterating the standard graphite cross that long ago was used to ward off
evil. The hair on the back of his neck rose and his nerves twitched. He’d
never seen anything like that rock before. He nudged it with his foot. When
it didn’t budge, he bent to pick it up.
The ground under his feet trembled.
The chiastolite glowed. The markings shimmered.
What the hell?
He flapped his arms, trying to balance himself as the ground dropped
an inch. A perfect circle below his feet gave way, the stone still in place.
He fell into a mineral cylinder.
The bottom dropped.
His stomach flopped and he swirled down.
The wind whistled in his ears as he tumbled into a black hole that went
on forever. The chill in the air fell away. The further down he went, the
hotter the air. The rocks around him began to glow. Good God. Either he
was heading for hell or the earth’s core, and neither was where he wanted
to be. His grip on the rifle tightened as he bounced off the hot stones that
closed around him as he whirled in a tube of rock.
Time had no meaning. Seconds, minutes, maybe more passed as the
cyclone of air spun him around. His stomach pushed up to his throat and
he fought off nausea.
With a scraping sound, the spinning lurched to a stop.
Then as if an elevator button was punched, he started upward. Only
unlike an elevator there was no floor, just rough rock gravity glued him
against.
Up. Up. Up. Faster and faster. Then momentum stopped. His body
quivered. A force thrust upward and opened.
He dropped.
Hard earth rose to meet him.
With a thud, he landed.
Sandra Cox has written over thirty books. Her works consist of all things Western and more. Sandra is a vegetarian, Muay Thai
enthusiast, animal lover and avid gardener. She lives with her
husband, their dog and cats in sunny North Carolina.
Foodie Facts:
She spent a number of years in the Midwest chasing down good
Southern BBQ. By the time she moved to North Carolina where Southern
BBQ is practically a staple, she’d become a vegetarian.
Pineapple is a must-have on pizza, along with black olives and onions.
She loves pumpkin waffles. Pumpkin cream cheese, not so much.
Links:
https://sandracoxwriter.com
https://cowboytrivia.blogspot.com
Maureen wakes up in the hospital after a car accident. She is badly hurt and missing an important piece of jewelry. She needs to find this, to not only heal her injuries but keep the stones safe. I love Maureen and her connection to animals, especially horses. Her protective ranch hand is there for her, but someone wants what she has and doesn’t care who they hurt to get it. What Maureen comes home to after an interesting hospital stay is a man who needs his horse healed. Her kind heart can’t let the poor horse suffer even though she doesn’t trust the man who brought the horse. He offers to stay on to pay her back for her kindness, but the only person she can trust is her ranch hand—and herself. I enjoy how Ms. Cox can weave magic into the real world and make me care about what happens to the characters. A fun read that I found hard to put down. Recommended for those who love romance sprinkled with some magic and danger.
This was a quick, fun read for all those adventurous souls who love to travel or read about it. It took us back to days of more effortless traveling, to current times when there’s a lot more involved. Told in a personal, humorous tone, I immediately connected to the antidotes told. I’m glad I’m not the only one who over packs and then had to pay for it when checking the luggage. I shook my head, knowing how hard it is to get traveling purchases home in luggage — and through customs. Luckily, I’ve only had my bags searched once. I can’t imagine being a target when I came back to my country. I thoroughly enjoyed this; it not only made me want to travel but long for the good old days when planes offered more room. This ends with some sound advice for traveling that includes a luggage scale. An excellent read for travelers!
Catling’s Bane (The Rose Shield Book 1)
Catling’s selfish mother wanted to eliminate a mark on her young daughter’s face so the mother can move up in the harsh world they lived in. Eventually, the mother sells her marked daughter. After leaving a cruel life behind, where hangings are enjoyed, Catling settles into a bit of peace. Yet as time goes by, it becomes apparent there is something special about her mark and her. Some brutal scenes are mixed with vivid images of a world ruled by influencers and power. The relationship between Whitt and Catling was heartwarming, and I rooted for them. But the world she was thrust into was cold and calculating. I loved the beasts that lived in the water as the boats navigated on top of their world. Although Catling was only thirteen when the story ended, she was stronger than most adults around her. This was a story I couldn’t put down as I had to keep reading to see what happened to Catling, and I will eagerly continue this journey by reading the next book.
I only post my 4 & 5-star reviews. If I don’t like a book, I won’t finish it. It doesn’t feel right leaving a review, in that case:) Life is too short not to enjoy every book you read!
Embrace that inner child by reading an amazing story! D. L. Finn
I’m honored to have Miriam Hurdle here today to share her story. This was a heartfelt story and my review is below.
Thank you for hosting my launch tour today, Denise. I’m thrilled to be here to share my new book with your friends.
During the launch tour, I want to talk about memoir writing. Here is my topic for today.
The Role of Research in Memoirs
Memoirs always require research. They are stories based on real-life events. Fact-check everything can be fact-checked, such as names, dates, places, weather, and events. One person wanted to write a family memoir, but she was not sure if her great-grandmother’s name spelled Emily or Emely. Her research shows Emely was the correct spelling. You can’t make up this information. The inaccuracy takes away the credibility of your story.
Example: In The Winding Road, I wrote I was holding the “10 feet” tall IV stand as my cane to walk on the hospital floor after my surgery. My writing group laughed. One said, “The IV stand feels like 10 feet tall to you because you’re short.” I then Googled the height of IV stands and changed my story to “The IV stand looked like 6 feet tall.”
Another part of the story was that my surgeon told me I had a CT scan right after the surgery. I asked my husband Lynton if there was an imaging facility next to the operating room. He wasn’t sure, but it’s unlikely. My research showed a portable CT scan can be moved to the operating room to perform a scan. The surgeon can look at the scan result to determine if the margins of surgery are clear.
My memoir is about a medical journey that involved medical terms and medical procedures. I needed to describe them accurately rather than in layman’s terms.
Examples of research for my book:
The stages of melanoma
The procedure for CT/PET scan
The procedure of laparoscopic surgery
Healthcare personnel titles
Anatomy of inguinal lymph nodes
Accurate description of my bio-chemotherapy
Proper Admission and discharge procedures
Medical equipment names, such as incentive spirometers rather than handheld breathing machine
The correct names of places such as St. John’s Health Center rather than St. John Hospital
Fact-check on dates, times, and locations of events
Distance from home to hospital
Distance from home to my husband Lynton’s work
The Importance of Feedback
I’m grateful to my writing group for their skillful and constructive feedback. We conduct our meetings on Zoom. Members take turns reading their chapters. After one person reads, the coordinator facilitates to have feedback from the members. The writers often feel that the ideas are clear to them, but they may not be clear to the readers. When there are any unclear ideas, we encourage the writers to clarify or to do fact-checking.
The accurate facts make my story flow smoothly. The readers have the information needed to understand my immediate events and my overall story.
Blurb
In the summer of 2008, Miriam Hurdle was diagnosed with melanoma-an aggressive and invasive cancer in her internal organs. The survival rate before 2008 was low. Besides risking harsh treatments for a slim chance of survival, Miriam had hoops to jump through. By the time she received treatment at the beginning of 2009, her cancer had progressed from stage II to stage IV. It was a rough and uphill winding road. But alongside her was support and encouragement. Accompanied by the love of her family and community, this is Miriam’s journey of faith and miracle. It is a heartwarming story of resilience, courage, and the will to live.
My Review
“The Winding Road” is a heartfelt memoir that takes the reader through a cancer diagnosis to the outcome. I felt like I was experiencing this journey with Ms. Hurdle, as she not only talks about how she is feeling, but how she had to deal with insurance, appointments, and the physical toll of the treatments. Once Ms. Hurdle learned how rare and deadly the cancer was, a decision was made to try experimental treatments for six months. I’m not sure I could have handled what she endured. Being so ill during the treatments with no guarantees would be hard, but a strong will to live shined through and balanced that out. This was a painful insight into the reality of cancer, mixed with her belief that life is precious, that left me inspired and full of hope. A read that not only shows us the darker side of life when illness strikes, but how the love and support of family and friends can help carry some of that heavy burden. A highly recommended story that can inspire anyone going through not only illness but other challenges.
Purchase Links
The Winding Road Trailer
https://youtu.be/HBzt5B3xa9Yhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBzt5B3xa9Y
About Miriam
Miriam Hurdle is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Her publications include Songs of Heartstrings, and the children’s book, Tina Lost in a Crowd. Her poetry collection received the Solo “Medalist Winner” for the New Apple Summer eBook Award and achieved bestseller status on Amazon.
Miriam writes poetry, short stories, memoir, and children’s books. She earned a Doctor of Education from the University of La Verne in California. After two years of rehabilitation counseling, fifteen years of public-school teaching, and ten years in school district administration, she retired and enjoys life with her husband in southern California, and the visits to her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters in Oregon. When not writing, she engages in blogging, gardening, photography, and traveling.
Contact Miriam at
Website/Blog: https://theshowersofblessings.com
Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/Miriam-Hurdle/e/B07K2MCSVW
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17252131.Miriam_Hurdle
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mhurdle112
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miriam.hurdle.1
Here is Colleen Chesebro’s Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge #288. This week is Taste the Rainbow—Color Poetry.
lonely gray morning
lingers heavy in the sky
oppressive whispers
from autumn-colored flames
smoldering dreams fall like snow