Hi!
Welcome to the second Creative Perspective Challenge. Here’s a mini recap. I’m sharing an image and if you are inspired, you have a week to write a poem or flashfiction. Post it on your website and leave the link to your post in the comments. I will share your links, along with my story the following week. For more information click here: LINK
Here it is:
Good luck! I can’t wait to see what you come up with 🙂
Hi welcome to the first Finn’s Forest of the year.
I haven’t been walking in the forest much even though the sun has been shining. I still miss my walking partner, our dog Sara. My husband gets home too late or dark for our walk. I don’t mind running into wild animals, but I’d rather not do it alone… Another reason to stay inside is the pollen from the cedars. It’s covered everything like a blanket of snow. So I’ve been making use of my mini trampoline.
Usually, the rains wash away this pollen this time of year. We’ve had a usually dry January. But it made me wonder about what the trees were doing. After some research, I found out they release pollen after a cold front and it’s dry and windy out. It is how they reproduce with the help of the wind. This requires a high amount of pollen to get the job done. This seems to work for them, I find little cedars everywhere. They’re considered weeds here since we need to keep our forest cleaned up for the fire season. The Ashe Juniper tree in Texas is in the cedar family and does the same thing.
Now I know why they do release their pollen in January, but digging deeper IÂ found some interesting information:
Our forest is filled with cedars. We have a huge one right outside our bedroom window protecting us. I won’t complain when they release their pollen anymore but it would be fun to add some of this to a story. What if a character is allergic and drank some tea? Maybe a character needs healing. Cedars can add that extra dimension to a story even if it’s just in the setting.
Embrace your inner child, take a walk in nature, and then read a book. D. L. Finn
I’m so excited to have Diana here today to share in her latest release, Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver! Here’s my five-star review 🙂 LINK
Thanks so much for kindly hosting me on Day 6 of my tour, Denise. It’s a delight to head south into northern California’s wintery weather today and visit with you and your followers.
Thus far, on my tour, I’ve been sharing the folklore origins of my magical beings, creatures, and monsters on which the characters of the Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver are based. Today, I’m going in a different direction and talking about my thoughts behind autumn and the personification of the season in the Autumn Prince.
He’s a main character, full of romantic possibility, and I couldn’t leave him on the tour’s sidelines.
To me, autumn is a season of contradictions. The days are getting shorter, the light fading. Gardens are going to seed. Worms and bugs are chomping on what’s left of the kale and squash. Rain and cooler weather are harbingers of the coming frost and snow and all the hardships winter brings. Autumn is in many respects a time of drawing back and dying.
And yet, autumn is also welcome, a reprieve from the heat of summer and a time of harvest and plenty. Most of all, it’s astonishingly beautiful. How clever of Mother Nature (or the Autumn Prince) to link such beauty with the process of letting go and dying—to the point that we almost don’t notice the approaching winter until it arrives on our doorsteps.
On the magical isle of Innishold, where glamour holds sway and life is always perfect and everlasting, the charmed courtiers lack emotional complexity. They’re immortal; they’re bored, and they fill their time with dancing and feasting and courtly drama. Suffering, especially human suffering, is alien to them. But not so with the Autumn Prince who lives eternally on the brink of loss.
And perhaps that’s why Erith, half mortal and half charmed, finds him so compelling.
Excerpt: Erith and Brynlan Firesage, the Autumn Prince
I graciously accepted the prince’s invitation, and he whirled me into a dreamlike waltz, his elegance effortless, his every movement a study in grace. Without pause, we transitioned into a brisk twirling sprint that left me warm to my toes. I begged off a third spin around the bonfire, needing a moment to catch my breath, and he accompanied me to the tables where mulled wines and buttery spirits spilled into silver-banded goblets.
“Water please,” I said when he reached for the wine.
“It’s all water.” He filled a goblet. “You will taste wine, smell its flavors, and feel its warmth, but only if you give yourself over to its glamour.” He angled a look at me, awaiting my opinion.
I swirled the ruby liquid rippling in my cup. Perhaps my human half prevented me from seeing the water for what it was. When I braved a sip, I tasted wine, smooth and sweet, infused with hints of winterberry and woodsmoke.
“Wine,” I said with a laugh, my guardedness surrendering at his feet. “You’re not an illusion, are you?”
He studied me through his dark lashes, his amused smile shaded with a melancholy he covered with a quiet chuckle. “Of course. To a degree. Aren’t we all, in some way, illusions?”
“No.”
“Is that so?” His eyebrows rose in challenge. “Tell me, are there times when you hide your feelings? Hold back your words? Pretend you are braver than you feel? Is it truly your nature to dress in black? I suspect those are all illusions.”
“In a sense. But I’m incapable of glamour. I’m half human, part of the mundane world.”
“A coveted mix.” He sipped his wine. “I envy your connection to the human imagination.”
I blinked at the odd confession and turned to the merriment unfolding within the fire’s ring of light. “For most villagers here, it’s the other way around. They envy the magic. They’re dazzled.”
“And those who fear us? Where are they?”
“At home, waiting for spring. They need the change in seasons more than the charmed do. Their lives depend on it.”
“And the charmed depend on them.”
“On humans?” I faced him, smirking at the strange perspective. “I’ve listened to village storytellers who spin tales about the charmed, and it’s usually the other way around. Some accounts are as gentle as a hare, others as fearsome as the wylyali. All wondrously fanciful, and not always true.”
“The difference is imagination.” He tapped his forehead. “Human beings are excellent storytellers. Better than the Mori Duglum. Leagues better than us. You shall see it for yourself.” I gave him a sideways glance, and he chuckled. “You’re skeptical, but I assure you, immortality leads to a numbing level of monotony. Day in and day out, little changes. Thus, it all becomes stale.”
“Unless one accounts for glamour. You can turn anything and everything beautiful.”
“Beauty without substance.” He raised his goblet to the bonfire. “Unlike in the mortal world where stories create history, shape the present, and write the future. What are we but the sum of our joys and tragedies? Where humans use stories to make meaning of their lives, the charmed rely on the human imagination to exist.”
“Already the animals starve. Soon the bonemen will follow, the Moss Folk and woodlings, the watermaids and humans. Then the charmed will fade. And all who will roam a dead world are dead things. Until they too vanish for lack of remembering. Still, Weaver, it is not too late.”
In the frost-kissed cottage where the changing seasons are spun, Erith wears the Weaver’s mantle, a title that tests her mortal, halfling magic. As the equinox looms, her first tapestry nears completion—a breathtaking ode to spring. She journeys to the charmed isle of Innishold to release the beauty of nature’s awakening across the land.
But human hunters have defiled the enchanted forest and slaughtered winter’s white wolves. Enraged by the trespass, the Winter King seizes Erith’s tapestry and locks her within his ice-bound palace. Here, where comfort and warmth are mere glamours, she may weave only winter until every mortal village succumbs to starvation, ice, and the gray wraiths haunting the snow.
 With humanity’s fate on a perilous edge, Erith must break free of the king’s grasp and unravel a legacy of secrets. In a charmed court where illusions hold sway, allies matter, foremost among them, the Autumn Prince. Immortal and beguiling, he offers a tantalizing future she has only imagined, one she will never possess—unless she claims her extraordinary power to weave life from the brink of death.
Bio
Best-selling author D. Wallace Peach grew up surrounded by her father’s well-loved paperback books. Fantasy was a staple, but it was Tolkien’s The Hobbit that planted the seeds which would grow into a passion for writing.
Peach started writing later in life when years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books. She was instantly hooked.
In addition to fantasy books, Peach’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of the arts in her local community, organizing and publishing annual anthologies of Oregon prose, poetry, and photography.
Peach lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.
Links
Hi!
I’m thrilled to participate in Staci Trolio’s Fourth Annual Virtual Cookie Exchange! This year I’m going with Paleo Almond Butter Cookies. The recipe was from Natalie at Tastes Lovely. LINK
These cookies are gluten and dairy-free.
Here is a ten-day early Books That Changed Me: 2024 Winter Edition! If you were looking to put books under your tree, like I do, one of these might be perfect for someone on your list.
I couldn’t narrow it down to just three picks this time. I had many recent favorites, some of which will appear in other seasons.
Here’s a fun fact: This is the second time two talented sisters have been on this winter list together.
These aren’t my reviews but the blurbs for the books. Click on the title for the Amazon purchase link!
Blood Red Dawn: Legends of Madeira Book Two
By Joan Hall
Honorably discharged, former Navy SEAL Connor Hughes returned to Madeira, New Mexico to start the next phase of his life. Now he owns a shooting range and volunteers with a veterans’ support group. He’s even overcome a misunderstanding with his high school sweetheart and has begun to mend those broken fences.
Abbey Lane’s gift of premonition once drove Connor away, and since they’ve reconnected, she’s sworn to not make the same mistake twice. When she learns the tragic tale of a young couple whose happiness was destroyed in the 1870s—a couple with whom she and Connor share uncanny similarities—she fears she may not be able to keep her vow.
Connor’s emotional baggage swamps him with doubts. As he wrestles with past demons, unable to leave the horrors of battle behind, someone bent on revenge emerges to destroy him. Abbey’s gift—a skill he once denied—may be the only clue he has.
And the only way to keep them both safe.
By Staci Troilo
Who once was lost now is found. But grace didn’t lead her home.
For the last year, the sinister shadow of unsolved kidnappings has haunted Detectives Holden Walsh and Cabe Paxton. Their cold case turns hot when one of the abductees returns, but her traumatized silence only sparks more questions.
As the detectives unravel a web of deception, they discover depraved horrors spreading further than either imagined. Confronted by secrets and stymied by lies, they finally uncover the truth—though not fast enough.
Another girl is taken.
With their friendship straining under the weight of the case, Walsh and Paxton race to find and stop the ruthless predator, all the while battling an unforgiving clock—and sometimes each other.
The past threatens to repeat itself. Because only some people are born to seek justice.
Others are born for revenge.
By Jan Sikes
A true testament of character, resilience, and the magic of never giving up.
The year is 1948 and folks in the sawmill town of Crossett, Arkansas, work hard and play hard. Oliver Quinn does both. Oliver is the son of Irish immigrants who firmly believe in pursuing the American dream. His deepest desire is to play major league baseball. He only needs one chance to prove himself.
Rose Blaine is living in a nightmare where dreams don’t exist. She’s suffered for years at the hands of her violent moonshiner father and his partner. During a brutal attack, she must fight back or die. The aftermath is devastating.
Fueled by desperation, Rose strikes a life-changing bargain with Oliver. If he’ll take her and her brother to St. Louis, Missouri, she’ll introduce Oliver to her uncle, a baseball legend.
While their journey is fraught with unseen perils, they forge an unbreakable bond and make surprising allies.
When destiny throws them a curve ball, they must find the courage to create a hopeful future out of the ashes of shattered dreams with newfound fortitude.
By Linda Broday
Secrets, lies, and danger hide deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas during the Depression of 1930.
For years, Sicily Rossi has tapped into nature’s remedies to try and ease pain and sickness in her small Texas town. With the Depression raging, most of the residents struggle to survive with no money and little food. When the town bully is found dead, rumors run wild and suspicion falls to Sicily who has been helping his tormented wife escape his clutches.
Though threatened and treated like a criminal, the law is slow to put Sicily away on gossip alone. As the stakes climb higher each day, she knows she will need some help if not a miracle.
It is not until the townspeople push back against tyrannical power and take hold of their own fate they see the faint glimpse of a better future. Their tenuous hope is on the line but will they grab hold of a better tomorrow and help Sicily, or will they give up and allow despair to wash over them once again?
Bonus one for the kids!
By Lauren Scott, Chris Mendez (illustrator)
Cora is a curious fawn who loves spending time with her parents. On one beautiful day, they take a stroll deep into the wilderness. They trot along on the trails, and Cora finds other animals fascinating. They skitter and fly around her with joyful purpose. Every unique sound catches her attention, stirring her curiosity to discover just where that sound came from. But suddenly her delightful family day takes a turn that begins to test the courage inside of her…
NOTE: My post tomorrow for the Cookie Exchange will be my last post of the year. Watch for my Newsletter also on the 12th. Then I’ll be on a holiday break until next year.
Embrace your inner child by giving the gift of an amazing story! Happy Holidays 🙂 D. L. Finn
Here is a second set of reviews. I thought it would be better to post Christmas stories and books you might want to put under the tree, instead of waiting until January.
Sun Haiku: 365 Days of Sunshine
“Sun Haiku” is a compelling collection of haiku for each day of the year, as well as bonus short stories and poems. It covers all aspects of the sun, including worship, warmth, and growth, nature, drought, and skin cancer. It offers views of different cultures and areas. Without the sun there would be no life, but it also can be destructive when it becomes too much, and this poetry showed this. I ended up with way too many highlighted haikus to share here so I will give a few examples randomly: “thin winter sunlight/streams through the panes of broken dreams/springtime never comes,” and “dusk colors the air/with pale yellow radiance/still—so very still,” and “clouds open up to/show the gateway to heaven/in sun’s golden rays,” and “raindrops hang heavy/from water-soaked trees—glisten/in the morning sun,” and “The sun sank into/the ocean and drowned. Hear the/cries of the dying!” I could easily see the pictures painted in those words. Plus, the bonus short stories, I thoroughly enjoyed, along with the Leap Year section and the poem Father Sun. It is a mixture of emotions, nature, fantasy, lore, and vivid images that captivated me, and I can highly recommend this to all poetry lovers.
Love Comes to Christmas (Christmas Stocking Sweethearts #6)
By Linda Broday
Gillian is a young woman who owns a Christmas shop in the late 1890s. Injured as a child, she walks with a limp but doesn’t let that stop her from doing things she loves like playing the piano. Her parents are out of town when things happen in her shop, leaving her to wonder if it’s haunted or if someone is messing with her. An unpleasant man approaches her to buy the shop. She doesn’t want to sell it. She meets a young girl, Meg, and forms a friendship with her and her uncle, Brett. I love the relationship between Gillian and Meg, but I adore the attraction that grows between Gillian and Brett. This is a story of love, family, friendship, and appreciating someone for who they are. I think my favorite part is when Brett offers Gillian a dog for protection and how he is always there for her. A sweet Christmas read that can be read in one night or enjoyed over a couple evenings. I can recommend this for holiday reading or anytime you want your spirits to be uplifted.
Hullaba Christmas: Lulu and the Snatched Santa
Lulu the flapper returns in this fun story. An abandoned subway station becomes her destination. Here, she discovers Santa is missing. Christmas might have to be canceled. I love the angel-bots and automation in the story. They are a delightful part of this diesel-punk fantasy. Lulu is a lot of fun and jumps right into things. She’s a strong character, which I appreciate, and determined to find Santa. Using 20s lingo brings that era to life and the insight into Santa’s world provides just enough magic for the reader to be there with them. It’s a fast read and can be read in a night, but it didn’t skimp on the story. I was fully entertained and can easily recommend this unique Christmas tale!
by Judy Mastrangelo
This is a charming collection of different angels and beautiful illustrations. Each angel has its own information, like the Gardening Angel, which is a little girl angel in a garden surrounded by rabbits, butterflies, birds, and a chipmunk. Here’s what Ms. Mastrangelo had to say about this angel: “She tends her Garden with Loving Care,/because Everything in it is a Beautiful living Being-/whether it be a Flower, Snail or Butterfly. This little Angel shows us the way to care for Ourselves-…” It is a sweet book to enjoy with young children, although as an adult I appreciated the uplifting passages and exquisite angels.
By Lauren Scott, Chris Mendez (illustrator)
Cora’s Quest is a sweet story about a deer’s family outing. Cora is enjoying the forest until things change quickly, and now she needs to find her courage. A fantastic story to read to your little ones or for young readers to enjoy. The illustrations are beautiful and full of color, and the story is woven into a lesson that will resonate with children and their families. Here is an engaging passage: “An owl hoots/from its lofty perch./ The wind howls,/swirling around Cora./Grunts and growls/in the distance/steal her courage!/ They act like thieves!” I can easily recommend this story for young readers and those who read to them.
Diane’s adult children take her on vacation to a year-round Christmas town. She isn’t in the mood to celebrate the holidays after her husband’s death in an accident the year before. She reluctantly boards the train that takes them there. It seems like the ideal little village with cheerful people, but Diane notices some cracks in this picture-perfect place that no one else does. Then the story takes a dark turn, and all Diane wants to do is leave with her family. This horror story was a quick read for me. I read it in one night. The hints were woven into the story, taking an interesting twist that led to a surprise ending. If you’re seeking a chilling holiday read, this is the perfect choice!
Watch for the earlier edition of Books That Changed Me on Wednesday. Cookie Exchange will be Thursday and that will be my last post of the year.
Also, I usually tag people on Twitter/X but this time I’m trying the Bluesky tag to see how that goes.
Internet Tech coming today to fix our internet. Fifth visit, fingers crossed!
Embrace that holiday child by reading and gifting a good book! D. L. Finn
Although I have many wonderful Thanksgiving memories over the years, I have one that stands out. This is a tidied-up post from 2018.
It was a sunny day in the mountains. We decided to stay home alone for Thanksgiving for the first time since our move to the forest. Usually, our holiday consisted of a three-hour drive to the Bay Area and a three-hour trek back on the same day. Sometimes, we went to a relative’s house, other times we’d end up in a restaurant with family. There was always traffic increasing our traveling time or when we’d run into the dreaded fog. But, we felt it was worth it to spend time with loved ones. Then, there’d be occasions when people would come to our house, too. We’d spend our time entertaining and visiting them, then I’d collapse on the couch at the end of the day in exhaustion. This year, for many different reasons, we stayed home and had no guests. It was a first for our family of five.
I arose that beautiful November morning and got the 20-pound turkey in the oven. I turned on the Macy’s Day Parade and drank a cup of tea, while the rest of the family woke up. Then we ate a breakfast of pumpkin pancakes, bacon, eggs, and freshly squeezed orange juice and cheered on our favorite floats and balloons. We fantasized how it would be to have a hotel room along the parade route watch this in person and see New York during the Christmas season. Then came the excitement of Santa Claus’s appearance, signaling the end of the parade.
While our stuffed turkey continued to cook, it was time for me to get dressed. My husband took the kids outside to ride their bikes before the kids put on their holiday attire. My two pre-teen girls were on their mountain bikes, while my preschool son was on his Big Wheel. I slipped into my dress that would match my daughters and applied my make-up. Searching through my drawer I found the one pair of nylons that wasn’t snagged. Wearing my best jewelry and my slippers I was ready.  I stepped out of the kitchen, filled with the smell of turkey, into a beautiful fall day. I was greeted by my children all lined up behind my husband, who was in his white dress shirt, black slacks, and suspenders. They went by oldest to youngest, with my son wearing his favorite train conductor hat, as they rode through the pines and cedars.
I quickly grabbed my camera and recorded this pure moment. Smiles lit everyone’s face, including mine, while laughter was layered into the air. All was right in our world. I changed, grabbed my bike, and joined the fun.
It was a day when there were no schedules to honor, no traveling, or guests to entertain–it was just us enjoying ourselves. That memory still brings me joy many years later. I don’t remember if the turkey was moist or the pies were perfectly seasoned with a tender crust. What I do remember is we ate together and then played a family favorite “The Disneyland Game.” Who won? Didn’t matter then or now. It was a time of innocence and love. A time of laughter and joy that is etched forever in my mind as the perfect Thanksgiving Day that still exists in that magical place where memories dwell.
This year we are spending Thanksgiving just the two of us. The kids have their places to be this year, but they will be in our hearts and our memories.
My hope for the day is, that maybe, just maybe, we can create some more magic to remember in the years to come, that will compare to that day in the sun so many holidays ago.
I will be off the rest of the week. For those who celebrate in the US, I wish you a wonderful and magical day! D. L. Finn
Hi!
Today is day four of the blog tour! I’m celebrating over on Colleen Chesbro’s Blog. We’d love for you to stop by and say hello.
Below is the Blog Tour link and story excerpt included with that stop, along with the full schedule.
But, before you go, if you haven’t read a book by Colleen, check out her exquisite poetry collections over on Amazon: LINK
Here is the tour schedule for Miracles and Ghosts: A Christmas Collection
At the end of the tour, I will announce the two winners of the $10 Amazon gift card.
Sandra Cox: November 1st A Perfect Ghostly Christmas
Liz Gauffreau:Â November 5th Miracle in ER
John Howell: November 6thA Man and His Cat
Colleen Chesebro: November 7th At the Mall & video
Jacqui Murray: November 12th The Red Truck
Jan Sikes: November 13th Christmas Reunion
Here are the great books I read in October that were four stars and higher. Click on the book titles for the Amazon link.
By Jan Sikes
I read and loved the first book “Beggar’s Bargain” and was eager to jump into a new story in the series. Oliver Quinn took care of his loving family after his father was killed in a work accident. His dream is to become a professional baseball player. Rose Blaine takes care of her family after losing her mother. The difference between the two is in one home there is love and respect while the other one is full of fear and abuse. When they meet at a local dance, Rose immediately captures Oliver’s attention. A friendship develops as Oliver tries to figure out how to help Rose. When Rose’s home situation reaches a critical point, she and Oliver strike a bargain. He will drive Rose and her brother to their aunt and uncle in St. Louis and they will introduce him to a famous baseball player, her uncle. This is a story of strong contrasts. On one side Oliver’s family is there for each other and they treat each other with kindness whereas Rose’s father and business partner are both cruel and each day it’s a challenge for Rose to survive. Some heavy subjects like abuse and rape were addressed, and Rose’s home situation had me worried. Yet, she had a strength that I could admire that bloomed under some kindhearted help. Oliver’s nonjudgmental nature and willingness to do the right thing, regardless of personal gain, were admirable. It was nice to see characters from the previous story and catch up on their story too. Oliver’s family and Rose and her brothers captured my heart, and I lost sleep not being able to stop reading. This is a story I highly recommend, and think is Ms. Sikes’ best yet.
Pilgrim: Volume 1
by Frank Prem
“Pilgrim: Volume 1” is a thoughtful collection of poems woven together with the word pilgrim. The blurb called “Pilgrim” small wisdoms, but it felt bigger to me as it touched on our journey through life. There are little illustrated feet that creatively guide us to the next poem. A quick but powerful read. Here are only some of the words that touched me: “listen pilgrim/do you hear/the stillness/even the sound/of a cicada/is embraced/in the silence…”—thought sound, “…listen to the sound/of your inner self/when you contemplate/your transformation/you know/this too/is an elemental magic”—elemental alchemy,” and “this is the nature of time/and what is a life/but time/spent/waiting”—natural waiting. These are poems that are meant to be read more than once. I highly recommend this poetry collection!
By Linda Broday
Sicily lives alone after losing the only man she loved years before and is the town healer. She gathers herbs and mushrooms to help the local people. She was the closest thing they had to a doctor during the Great Depression. One day, she finds a dog on her doorstep and later finds the young teen who has been hiding in the woods. She takes him in and helps everyone she can including abused wives. I was invested in Sicily and the town from the first page. There were some kind people but also some cruel and corrupt and Sicily had the strength to stand up to them. The story deals with serious issues such as abuse, hunger, mistreatment of children, and corruption, but at its heart, it’s about Sicily’s kindness and determination to do what’s right. I loved the relationship between her and Tate and how she handled a person from her past. The setting was lush, and I could easily picture living in this town during a difficult period in our history when people had so little. But this is where Sicily shone a light and offered solutions instead of despair, making this a hard read to put down. A well-written historical story that captured my heart, I can highly recommend it.
Guarding Her Christmas Secret: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance
Hannah Simpson moves to one of my favorite fictional towns, Bluebell, CO. She wants to start over after a tragic loss. Cody Beckett becomes the legal guardian of his best friend’s six-year-old twin girls, McKenzie, and Madison. He gets a call that McKenzie is causing some issues and has to deal with the teacher, Hannah. Although he trains companion dogs, he has no idea what he is doing with the girls. Hannah and Cody have different opinions about how to handle McKenzie. But soon they find themselves thrown together to plan a Christmas festival. The twins are thrilled to have the four of them spend time together, and Hannah is drawn to the dogs in training. I’m happy whenever I visit Bluebell and see old friends. I loved how Cody stepped up by taking the girls, but at the same time didn’t trust himself to raise them. He has a big heart that shines through to the girls and pups. But it’s the slow-burning friendship and attraction between Hannah and Cody that makes this a page-turner. He is patient with Hannah, even not knowing her story and having his fiancé break up with him while Hannah has to deal with her past and loss. Of course, it helps they both have the local grocery store owner looking out for the two of them, along with the girl’s intentions. It’s a heartwarming Christian story that focuses on hope, family, and second chances. I can highly recommend this, especially for reading around the holiday season.
“Haiku for the Midnight Hour” is a collection of what Ms. Pisturino calls experimental, with a fun twist of darkness. There are seventeen categories, including Home Alone, Creatures in the Night, Fairy Tales, and From Outer Space. I did read it as close to midnight and thoroughly enjoyed it. Here are just a few of my favorites: “ramshackle old house-/ready to fall—hiding ghosts/abandoned spirits”—House, “full moon at midnight/stares boldly at old tombstones/dead come back to life”—Tombstones, “snakes slight through the/grass with eager hunting for/hypnotized victims”—Snakes, “mummy wrappings and/gray ash trail across the floor/unholy wand’ring”—The Mummy, “Cthulhu calling/stretching his tentacles through/space fracturing minds”—Cthulhu, and “moon maidens dancing/under full moon waxing big/pregnant with magic”—Moon Maidens. This is a fantastic poetry collection for Halloween reading, but also for any time of the year. A read I will enjoy more than once and can highly recommend it to poetry lovers.
By D.G. Kaye
I read “Conflicted Hearts” and understand what the author grew up with. I could easily relate to an unhealthy childhood and what it requires as an adult to get past it. In “P.S. I Forgive You” Ms. Kaye has cut off communication and contact with her mother to heal and live a better life. But when her mother is dying, a pang of guilt creeps in and another layer of healing comes into play, forgiveness. Whether you do it in person or allow yourself to forgive from a distance, it can heal that pain carried around. This book was a journey to understand her mother while taking care of herself. We all must walk our paths in life and Ms. Kaye found a powerful one that inspired me as a reader and survivor of a damaging childhood. In life, love and liking can be separate truths. We can wish them well but not aspire to be a part of their lives, and we can forgive them to heal ourselves. The author incorporated this wisdom into an interesting reflection on her life and the lessons she learned. I can easily recommend this, especially if you come from a not-so-perfect family too.
Giovanna lost her business and fiancé because of a clever con artist. She goes on a cruise with her grandmother to the Galapagos Islands to regroup and perhaps run into the con artist. Giovanna’s relaxing snorkeling trip takes a dark turn when she realizes she has been left behind and the woman she was with is missing. Everyone ignores her inquiries about her new friend and then tragedy hits the cruise ship, and the police become involved. Giovanna is immersed in more than one mystery, with her past coming into the mix. Giovanna is a fun character who is determined to find answers. Her relationship with her grandmother, who has a strong mind adds a lot of depth to the story. But it’s the islands that captured my attention. The setting was beautifully brought to life through the descriptions. I could feel the ocean breeze, see the fish when they snorkeled, and imagine the island’s celebrity turtle, Tio Armando, the passengers were all eager to see. Giovanna’s investigations lead her into danger and an attraction to the local detective. “Secrets of the Galapagos” was an entertaining mystery with a few twists and turns, and an exotic setting that I’d love to visit someday.
Blog Tour Schedule for Miracles and Ghosts
Sandra Cox: November 1st A Perfect Ghostly Christmas
Liz Gauffreau:Â November 5th Miracle in ER
John Howell: November 6th A Man and His Cat
Colleen Chesebro: November 7th At the Mall & video
Jacqui Murray: November 12th The Red Truck
Jan Sikes: November 13th Christmas Reunion
Engage your inner child by reading a book! D. L. Finn
Hi!
Today is release day! I’m celebrating over on Sandra Cox’s Blog. We’d love for you to stop by and say hello.
Below is the Blog Tour link and story excerpt included with that stop, along with the full schedule.
But, before you go, if you haven’t read a book by Sandra, you are really missing out on her outstanding westerns or paranormal stories. Check her collection over on Amazon: LINK
Here is the tour schedule for Miracles and Ghosts: A Christmas Collection
At the end of the tour, I will announce the two winners of the $10 Amazon gift card.
Sandra Cox: November 1st A Perfect Ghostly Christmas
Liz Gauffreau:Â November 5th Miracle in ER
John Howell: November 6th A Man and His Cat
Colleen Chesebro: November 7th At the Mall & video
Jacqui Murray: November 12th The Red Truck
Jan Sikes: November 13th Christmas Reunion