March Book Reviews

Hey, Readers. I’m way behind on posting reviews. Matter of fact, I was behind on writing them. Lesson learned – don’t wait until days or weeks later. Because of my procrastination, my reviews are shorter than usual. I’m also going back to posting them once a month rather than weekly. Because I didn’t post at the end of February, there are a few books I read during that month.


Variety is the Spice of Life by Sally Cronin

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Variety is the spice of life and Sally Cronin did a wonderful job in putting together this eclectic collection of short poems and flash fiction. But don’t let the length fool you. The stories and poems are well-written. Proof that a lot can be said with so few words.

Like with any collection, I had my favorites. Of the poems, “Face in The Mirror” is something many of us can relate to. “Kinship” is about the bonds we form with others—family and friends. It is especially touching as Sally dedicates the book to the online writing community in which she has played a huge role in bringing together. Of the short stories, I loved, “The Neighbourood Watch” and “Miss Lloyd’s Robin.”

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the poems that are snapshots from Sally’s garden. This book is an easy and quick read, but nonetheless delightful, and one I highly recommend.

The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Having become interested in books featuring Native American characters, I read my first Tony Hillerman novel last year—one of the Leaphorn and Chee novels. I enjoyed it, so I decided to pick up the series from the beginning.

This book, first published in 1970, didn’t disappoint. Writing styles were different in those days, and at first, the pace seemed a little slow but picked up. Although Joe Leaphorn is the main character, his friend Bergan McKee plays a big part (and has more action) than Joe. It’s always a plus for me when I’m kept guessing until the end, and I did with this book.

I look forward to reading more of this series.

Redemption by Gwen Plano

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Redemption is a mix of family drama and thriller. When Lisa returns home for a visit, she’s barely in the door when someone murders her father and severely injures her mother.

Lisa, her brother Trace, and family friend Ryan set out to discover the truth. Neither sibling has fond memories of their father and the secretive life he lived.

The action is well-paced and the characters well-developed. The message of redemption at the end is a thought-provoking one that reminds readers of the importance of forgiveness.

Vampire of the Midnight Sun by Priscilla Bettis

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This is a short, easy-to-read duology. Although listed as horror, there is nothing overly graphic. The first story is set in the Alaskan Wilderness and follows two friends who try to make their way back to civilization after a failed rafting trip. I like the twist on the title. Can vampires live in sunlight? If you believe they can’t think again.

The second book was set in drought-raged Texas when a wildfire threatens a town’s existence. I loved how the author used an old steam locomotive to enhance the plot—and the suspense.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys horror stories that don’t go over the top on graphic images.

Wake-Robin Ridge by Marcia Meara

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I read Meara’s Riverbend series a while back, and I’m not sure what took me so long to begin this debut novel.

Wake-Robin Ridge is a mix of suspense, romance, and paranormal. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the author did a wonderful job of describing the setting. I felt as if I was right there to see the beautiful sights and smell the delicious scents of autumn.

This is a dual-timeline story, set in the 1960s and in the twenty-first century that wraps up in a satisfying ending. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy books set in different timeframes.

Sorrowful Soul by Harmony Kent

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Sorrowful Soul is the third collection of poems in Harmony Kent’s Soul Poetry series. The subject of this collection, grief, is something we will all face at one time or another.

Each section takes readers through the stages of grief. Some are hard to read, but most readers can relate to the emotions associated with the loss of someone you love.

I recommend all three books in this series.


That wraps it up for this month. I’ll have more reviews to share in April. Happy reading, everyone!

Me? Writing Poems? No Way!

Although I dabbled with poetry in high school, I am not a poet. I might add those attempts were sweet little rhymes mostly about the latest boy I had a crush on. Lots of us gals did that in those days. Maybe they still do, I don’t know.

Last week, I wrote that I had rejoined the Vocal writing community. I submitted two short stories, one of them for a contest. No word on that yet, but my flash fiction piece Where is Gunnar was selected as a top story earlier this week! Woo hoo!

I have several of my earlier fiction pieces that I plan to dust off and publish there over the next few weeks and months. I also want to write some new ones, as I have tons of ideas.

But what’s this about poetry? Oh yeah. Vocal has a new contest called Ludicrous Limericks. After two friends, Harmony Kent and Staci Troilo, submitted several, I decided to give it a try. I came up with four.

Two are more on the humorous side and one is a nature poem. The fourth was inspired when I began brainstorming my third Legends of Madeira novel. It’s titled The Road.

Royalty-free photo by Nathaniel Luckhurst | Dreamstime.com

It’s easiest to see all the poems by visiting my Vocal Profile. They immediately follow the three pinned stories.

If you’d prefer, here are the individual links:

I’m not giving up prose, and I may never write another limerick or any other poem again, but these were fun to do. If you have time to read and share, I’d appreciate it.

I’m On Vocal!

Hey, Readers. A couple of years ago, I joined a site called Vocal. It’s a place where authors can publish stories of various genres in both fiction and non-fiction. Authors also earn money when stories are read. Vocal + members can enter contests.

I published one story, but I didn’t have the time to devote to it. This weekend, I decided to join again, and I’ve already published two additional stories and entered one into a contest.

The first one, Where is Gunnar, is a flash-fiction story. You can read it by clicking here.

The second, The Great Adventure is a short story that I entered into the Tall Tale contest. Click this link to read.

Both are a little different from my usual genre, although Where is Gunnar contains an element of suspense. I’d be grateful if you’d pop over to read and share. You’ll need a Vocal log-in to comment, but there’s no cost involved for that.

Gracias!

Menagerie Book Tour: Day Twelve With Judi Lynn

Hey, Readers. Welcome to stop number twelve of the Menagerie blog tour. At each place, I feature a different story in the collection and tell what inspired the idea. Today’s story is titled, “Seven Days,” a contemporary fiction piece that almost everyone can relate to these days.

Judi Lynn is my host today. She is a USA Today best-selling author for her book, The Body in The Attic. She began her writing career with urban fantasy, then switched to romance, and now cozy mysteries. Judi is a busy writer with her popular series, The Jazzi Zanders Mysteries as well as The Karnie Cleaver Mysteries. You can find all her books on her Amazon author page.

Below is a list of the stops. Links will be updated as each post goes live. Comments are closed here, but pop over to Judi’s site and visit me there.

Menagerie Book Tour: Day Ten with Stephen Geez

Hey, Readers. The tour continues today. Only three more stops after this one. I’m grateful to all of you who have visited me along the way. Today’s featured story is “Stony Creek,” another contemporary piece. As you probably know, I love small towns and while growth is inevitable, sometimes it’s not always for the best.

Stephen Geez is the newest member of Story Empire. He is a prolific writer having several published books under his belt, including a series of “How To” books on writing. He’s a retired TV producer and composer/producer of music for television and is now a publisher for Fresh Ink Group publishing.

Below is a list of the stops. Links will be updated as each post goes live. Comments are closed here, but if you haven’t already, I hope you’ll join me today at Stephen’s site.