writing

I started a new blog the other day…

/ For the Love of Books / 1 Comment

I have more than one passion I wish to share with the world and, so far, it has been an interesting but unproductive time trying to figure out how to make it work the way I visualize.

It seems to me these passions would be most effective if they were kept somewhat  separate, like food on certain people’s plates – not touching. It may be possible, on this site, to do what I have in mind, I won’t declare it isn’t, maybe I just need to learn more about the technical side of blogging to find there is a way it could be done. But so far it isn’t happening for me.

Another option just sort of jumped out at me a couple of days ago, I went with it and started a whole new blog. We will give it a try to see how it goes. Not everything in life is cast in stone, in my opinion, so changes can always be made later if it doesn’t go as smoothly as hoped.

My parallel passion to reading, is music. Two passions that have been with me pretty much my whole life, keeping me sane and happy, through thick and thin.

There are many days a song plays in my mind and I wish I could share it, as encouragement to someone who could use a glimmer of hope. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I have to throw some songs out there if I want a chance to encourage.

The other day I heard a song and wanted to share it here but the only blog option I could see for sharing looked to be on Blogger……. hence the new blog. musictonourishmysoul.blogspot.com   …………….. posting as “music lover”

I will keep the discussion of music, and genres enjoyed, confined to the new blog.

If you are booklover reading this blog and you love music too, drop by for some encouragement, and maybe even a little fun now and then.  I hope to post more frequently, songs aren’t as time consuming as books, and posts will add up more quickly.

Books won’t be taking a back seat to music anytime soon, there is no threat of that!

Several books  are ready….with more on their way.

Any book listed here was read and enjoyed…… just saying!

Drowning For Rainbows – Kristoff Chimes …..   impossible situations threaten the tenuous peace in Bosnia. Follow a police chief, a peace keeping doctor, and a young couple from both sides of the conflict, as they struggle to stay alive.

Any Blooming Thing – Marisa Logan….. a romance ,  these two books were downloaded from InstaFreebie. it is working out better for me than I at first thought. Give it a try if you are looking for more free stuff

 

Instafreebie and Autism

/ For the Love of Books / 2 Comments

*there is a list of books at the bottom of every post*  

A friend told me about a new site called Instafreebie. I am all over freebies so I’ve signed up and downloaded a few things. It hasn’t gone all that smoothly, compared to BookBub. There are more steps to be taken, there’s a bigger learning curve, and sometimes the authors require the reader to sign up for a newsletter first.

It’s unclear, at this point anyway, what the quality of the books will be, I expect the standard could be lower than usual for inclusion in the list and they may all be self published, which may or may not mean anything.

I think I will give it a whirl, to see if it’s worth the extra effort. Many of the books seem to be a little on the fringe, but that could just be my first impression. There could be some real gems in there……. I’ll let you know how it goes.

One of the books to come my way this week is on Austism and is written by a doctor as a story which helps demonstrate concepts she wants to get across. I don’t know enough about this subject to be a good judge of information being presented but this book  seemed to make sense to me. And since we need to spread all the knowledge possible on this subject I hope you will give this book a try. I think these concepts will give the general public a better understanding if they should happen to meet up with an autistic person; knowledge and understanding is always a good thing.

Books

Candyfloss Guitar  (The Reluctant Pilgrim book 1) – Stephen Marriot…….. he describes this book as the story of a modern day pilgrim taking the first steps on a journey of discovery. Stephen Marriot is a British author inspired by travel and walking the roads less travelled. This was on Instafreebie, and I liked it a lot.

Two Tocks Before Midnight – Clay Boutwell ….. a historical mystery from Instafreebie, a unique and enjoyable mystery. A scholarly club of men with strict rules for their members, and a puzzle to solve.

Autism Goes to School – Book 1 of the School Daze Series – Dr. Sharon A Mitchell…... A single dad facing many challenges……not only is his five year old son an autistic child he has never met, he knows nothing about being a dad and is totally on his own with this, at first anyway.

A Discovery of Hope (A Coming Home Again Novel Book 3) – T. I. Lowe….. another fresh take on life, an engrossing story.

A Fresh Start – Trisha Grace……. Paige leaves everything she knows to get away from something threatening. The theme sounds very familiar but it didn’t feel like I was reading the same book, again. Enjoyed this story.

As always, look these books up on Amazon, or other sites you may know of, for a fuller description, to help give you inspiration. That’s how I get my mine.

Happy reading!

More books I am excited about.

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*there is a list of books at the bottom of every post*

This has been a week of great books, if you are a fan of the kind of books I like, I hope you will browse my list and maybe check out Amazon for a fuller story description, one that will help inspire you to read them too. Most of these books were recommended by Bookbub, so we know they are good to begin with as I hear it’s difficult for an author to have books listed on Bookbub, at least until they have a proven track record. You may want to check their lists out as well, for your own favorite genres.

I’m am hoping you will read some of today’s books for yourself, so you can verify my claim they are good books. You may not have heard of many of these authors but don’t let that keep you from trying them out, I hadn’t heard of some of them either but I took a chance and discovered they are good at their craft. Finding good authors, and good books, makes me want to do my part and tell the whole world about them.

My definition of a good book? One that makes me lose sight of  the words on the page, the sense of the author to put them there, and the fact that these people are not real – it makes me feel like real life is playing out right before my eyes, and I have to know what happens. This is my definition of a good book.

 

Now the Books!

I have to tell you about the last two books in the list. The thing that impressed me most about them was the simplicity of the story line coupled with the epic length. Not many authors can achieve this, a long, simple, story able to hold the reader’s attention to the very end. I liked book 1 enough to buy book 2, this says a lot, because I have so many others waiting to be read I don’t move on to the second book very often.

After A Fashion (A Class of Their Own Book 1)  Jen Turano …..  another romance with lots of twists and turns, it captured my interest and kept me reading much longer than I should have been when there were places I was supposed to be.

Wild Montana Skies (Montana Rescue Book 1) – Susan May Warren …… romance and rescue, rolled into one.

Because of the Rain – Deborah Raney ……. in town because of her husband’s business trip, Anna, inadvertently finding herself in a dangerous place, is brutally beaten and raped. This is a gripping story about life after that moment.

When Mockingbirds Sing – Bill Coffey…. Leah is a child from Away, shunned by her peers because of her stutter, she draws prophetic pictures based on conversations with her unseen friend, Rainbow Man. I enjoyed this book, a great deal!

The Letters (The Inn at Eagle Hill book 1)  – Suzanne Woods Fischer …. an Amish romance.

Instant Daddy: Inspirational Romance Noah’s Crossing Book 1 – Carol Voss…. Jessie is raising her sister’s son as her own and loves him fiercely. Life becomes complicated when the unknown, but unmistakable father, crosses paths with them and is shocked to discover he has a son.

Of Stillness and Storm – Michele Phoenix ……. a story of the call to live a sacrificial and giving lifestyle, and the heart breaking cost to family life, written with raw honesty.

When I’m Weak: Epic-Novel The Grace Series Book 2 – Staci Stallings…..  Jaycee’s world comes crashing down when injury causes the loss of her basketball career. Like many of us she is crippled by this and other difficult circumstances of her life, especially relationships. I could tell you more but that would spoil the book for you. This was another book worth reading.

Mirror Mirror: Epic-Novel  The Grace Series Book 1  – Staci Stallings ….. the captivating story of a fractured family’s brokenness, a story that draws you in, letting you feel all of the hurt, pain, and love.  a solid Five Stars

Happy reading, I hope you feel inspired today!

Stretch you reading muscles…..

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*there is a list of books at the bottom of every post*

One of the recent suggestions (in one of the many blogs I read, can’t remember which one) was to choose reading material from a variety of different genres, cultures, topics, or authors, in order to broaden our education and our reading experience.

More particularly, they said we should take suggestions from family and friends (young and old) and even strangers (of many different backgrounds), about books we would normally not even consider. We often stick with what we know and enjoy, while passing over books that would help broaden our understanding of our world.

While I’ve been trying be more conscious of this, when making my choices, I admit I still have a long way to go. It has been enlightening, though, to read some things I wouldn’t have chosen even a few months ago. Time, or lack of it, has also caused me to be more selective in my downloads. Between the time needed to write this blog  and the increased time needed by my day job, now that it has picked up again, there hasn’t been as much time left for reading as there had been. My book choices are more discerning now I think.

They also suggested we read things we don’t particularly enjoy, to help us gain a new perspective on the way others live and think. This world is made up of vastly different peoples, religions, and cultures, our uncomfortable reading selections could give us an appreciation for diversity in this world, and a greater understanding of a world broader than the one we live in. Out of all this would come tolerance, which would turn into love, and respect, for our fellow man. It will be like eating vegetables………good for us.

I’m not sure how well I will do at reading uncomfortable things, as I contemplate this thought, but I hope I will at least try. I also hope this discussion will start some wheels turning and maybe inspire others to try with me. Our world needs love to survive.

On to some books now.

I like reading books with a different slant on things, covering topics that are new to me, this week has been good for that. You will notice, it has also been a good week for some much needed, lighter, reading.

Shaded Light: The Case of the Tactless Trophy Wife (The Manziuk and Ryan Mysteries Book 1) – J A Menzies ………. This was written like one of those murder mystery weekends…. a group of people gather for a weekend house party, and someone dies… who was the murderer?? This book was well written and full of surprises and intrigue.  I liked it a lot.

Meet Me in Myrtle Beach (Hunt Family Book 1) – Brooke St James …… newly graduated from University, with doubts about her chosen profession, a chance encounter changes everything. I love it when clues are handed out along the way and it is impossible to see the end right from the beginning. Another well written very enjoyable, unpredictable, book.

The Templar’s Cross: A Medieval  Mystery (The Sir Law Kintour Mysteries Book 1) – J R Tomlin …….. a wounded Knight whose protector has died, must find a way to provide a living for himself; instead of a living, he finds himself accused of a murder he must solve to prevent being hanged. A well written book, thoroughly enjoyed.

Leaving Oxford (Southern Hearts Series Book 1) – Janet W Ferguson …… a young  woman moves home after a series of traumatic events, only to find herself a prisoner of panic attacks. Her prayers for healing only seem to result in an ugly puppy and an arrogant football coach. I couldn’t leave this book alone for too long either.

Sapphire Ice (Inspirational Romance) (The Jewel Series Book 1)  Hallee Bridgeman …..  a young woman, with a strong sense of responsibility toward her two younger sisters – coupled with a strong distrust of men- all due to an abusive childhood, meets a charming, successful, entrepreneur who brings out the worst in her.

A Trail of Crumbs – Susie Finkbeiner ……. the story of a young family in Depression Era Michigan, written in the voice of a young girl, so well done you forget to notice it isn’t written by a child.

(I confess, these last few books have so interesting they’ve kept me reading when I should have been working, now I feel guilty, the next one needs to be a book I don’t like very much, to make up for it.)

Happy reading!

The Truth is…..

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Photo courtesy of my caring brother

*There is a list of books at the bottom of every post* 

THE other morning, as I was trying work up enough motivation to take a  shower, I got to thinking, again, about my long held theory in regard to old people and showers….. and clean houses. My thinking has been, as has that of many others’, I’m sure, now that they are old, because of failing eyesight, they  no longer seem to notice these needs.

I am officially an old person now, and since at this stage of life it seems I am aware of my motivational failings, then the truth must be; failing eyesight and sense of smell  have nothing much to do with the neglect of self and home, at least not for  many,  otherwise healthy, old people. Obviously, there has to be another reason.

I know what the reason is for me, when I am honest with myself. And it probably is the same reason for many other older, still healthy, people who find themselves leading a life free of the multitude of obligations and responsibilities they once had – depression and loneliness is that reason for me.

Sometimes it takes a jolt for me to see the truth about myself. Like the jolt delivered by the accident pictured above, in a moment when only a quiet thought went through my mind as I tried my best to stop, before hitting some elk standing in the middle of the road,  I wondered if this crash would take my life. I guess I will soon find out – I thought. Or, like the one received when on returning home after an extended work related trip, several years later,  and finding myself in a state of over-the-top distress at coming home to an empty house. It has been empty for over a decade, what makes this time so different? On later reflection,  these responses appeared to be inappropriate to the situations,  and  reflection on that thought caused me to examine the depths of the depression and loneliness I seemed to be ignoring in myself.

I think a lot about all of this, in relation to aging. I can be classed as old by some  while others insist I am not THAT old yet, but even at this age, I know I am not yet to the greater stage of reduced activity my future holds, and I know for sure, if I keep breathing, I will be there one day. I think about older friends and family members and what their lives were like with the level of understanding we had back then. I hope our quality of life as seniors will be better if we have a greater understanding of depression and loneliness  and how it  affects the elderly.

Depression is a complex subject, affecting all ages, not just the elderly, and there are no easy answers, There are differences in our chemical makeup, life experiences, and personalities, to say nothing of genetics, and probably other factors too.

Admitting the truth to myself is a big first step for me. Paying attention, to those things  which noticeably help make life seem worth living, has worked for me too.

I haven’t happened upon any one thing that would cause depression and loneliness to leave me but this new venture in writing has been making a noticeable difference. There is a pressure release in expressing myself in print, probably because of having to find a way to say things so they make sense, this form of expression, demanding complete thoughts, helps cast a different light on things. For sure, it helps me understand certain aspects of my life better. Added insights are always good. Cecil Murphey in Unleash the Writer Within declares that he has saved many thousands of dollars in therapists fees by pouring himself out on paper. Saving money is good too!

This morning, after rereading my words from last night, I feel a renewed lightness, a sense of hope. I hope this spark of hope is catching, especially if you are needing a spark of hope too.

Now, on to books read since last post!

A number of the books recommended for me this week have again been about historical wars. Over the course of my reading life, there have been a large number of books relating to the many wars fought on this earth, most notably, the American civil war, World War 2 and Brock and Bodie Theone’s two series about the Jewish point of view, pre and during WWII, to name just a few. In spite of the many books written it appears  there are still many more stories to be told, and the books this week did lend a perspective new to me. Not all of the books this week were about war though.

Through The Barricades: Winner of the SCBWI Spark Award 2017 – Denise Deegan …. a story of bravery, and dual struggles that divide rather than unite. A story of Ireland and WWI.   Another Good book!

Daffodils (The Katherine Wheel Book 1) – Alex Martin …… A story of war, young love, and class distinctions that fade as men and women from both classes fight together in a horrific war, that became theirs whether they wanted it to or not. A good book!

Kidnapped: The Beginning – Book 0  – J. S. Donovan ……. a mystery surrounding a ???   can’t tell you, because the author gives out clues in layers, and if I told you what it is about, why, that would be a spoiler, and the author definitely asked for reviews with NO spoiler alerts. It does involve a kidnapping – I can tell you that much. And I enjoyed the book.

Thunder (Stone Braide Chronicles Book 1) – Bonnie S Calhoun ….. post WWIII, Landers are being tracked and sold as slaves. a young girl encounters a Lander, which sets of a series of unimaginable events. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the sequel one day.

Sanctuary Lost (WITSEC Town Series Book 1) – Lisa Phillips …. I’ve read book 2 as well, previously,  and enjoyed the mystery of them both. Small towns are not always what they seem, especially when peopled with those under witness protection.

The James L Rubart Collection: Rooms, Book of Days, and The Chair ….. these books are written in a  style similar to author Frank Peretti. There is a huge spiritual dimension to these books…. rooms in a mansion that weren’t there yesterday but are today: a book that is being pursued by many but no one knows for sure if it is real or just legend: a chair with healing properties, passed down through generations, fought for by the power hungry.

Happy reading and, hopefully, writing too!

 

 

 

 

A welcoming bunch of ladies

/ For the Love of Books / 1 Comment

*there is a list of books at the bottom of every post*

Several more finished books to tell you about, finished reading that is, as opposed to writing – not that you were getting the wrong idea here, but you never know. Lots of books started, for one reason or another, but still unfinished as there were too many distracting things happening over the last couple of weeks. I’m not complaining, mind you, it is a treat to have a bit of a life again for a change.

I was invited to the regular meeting of the Winnipeg chapter of Manitoba Christian Writers Association on Saturday. It was a worthwhile and interesting time, I am glad I went and I plan to go again, on a regular basis if I can. The ladies were friendly and welcoming, to both of us newbies, which made the afternoon that much more of a treat.  It was also an unexpected and pleasant surprise not to be the only new one.

The meeting was held in a heritage house built in 1875, now used primarily for seniors activities. The house looks to have been left pretty much the way it was originally, which is good to see, it’s nice to try to visualize what life looked like for people back then. There wasn’t much time to look around, because of all the time spent visiting, but I’m hoping  there will be a chance to take a better look next time. It appears to have been one of the nicer homes back in 1875 so it will be fun to check it out a bit more.

 The main part of the meeting was spent listening to, and then critiquing, either poems or stories. They were very interesting, there are some good writers in this group. I am hoping a couple of them will post their readings on their blogs so I could have the chance to share them here too, I think you would enjoy them as much as I did. A couple of them were pretty funny. I’ll ask about it at the next meeting, if I remember.

So… here are the books referred to at the beginning of this piece….

Remembering Dresden (Jack Turner Suspense Series Book 2) – Dan Walsh …. Dresden was heavily bombed during World War 2, with 3,900 tons of high explosive bombs and incendiary devices, delivered by 722 British heavy bombers and 527 US bombers.

Following a local family’s struggle through the middle of the heavy bombing sets the stage for the move into present day with the lone survivor, looking for revenge.        There is much controversy around the justification of such heavy bombing on a non military city and this story  takes the perspective that it was a war crime. I found it interesting (aside from the fact it was well written)  because I wasn’t aware of this tragedy. How many other tragic things are out there that most of us don’t know about? This story tells me we should never take anything for granted.

Lion 0f Babylon (a Marc Royce mystery/thriller) – Davis Bunn ….       one of my favorite authors, his books are always good.                           

Strait of Hormuz  (a Marc Royce mystery/thriller) – Davis Bunn …. Marc is no longer an agent, having been fired for taking personal time for a sick and dying wife, but is pressed back into service for under desperate circumstances.

Happy reading!!.. and maybe a little writing too!!

Is this really such an important question? – “Why do you want to write?”

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*there is a list of books at the bottom of every post*

I have been chewing on this question all week, trying to figure out why it seems to be so important.

There was a one day writer’s seminar here in town last weekend. I was there at the urging of a writer friend who knew I would find it helpful. I’ve attended seminars before but never one with writing as the purpose. I admit to feeling a little out of place, especially identifying more as a reader than a writer. I say a little bit, rather than a big bit, because they gave me a warm welcome and didn’t seem to be too bothered by my rather minor writing aspirations or the fact that I was a stranger to them all.

The topic of the keynote address was authentic writing. I was looking forward to this  because it was lining up with my thoughts about the style of writing I should be using and I was sure it would be helpful, which it was.  Meeting with this group of ladies was a positive experience I hope to repeat in the future.

My chewing on the question of motive came after the fact, you know how it goes, it’s all over and now you go back and take more time to think about those things that stood out through the course of the day.

This question – why do you want to write? –  was asked at the beginning and the end of the day. And, to make matters worse, it was asked again on the first page of the book I won as a door prize. On reading this page, suddenly, all my deliberations were coloured by  the appearance of my many insecurities.

Several days ago, looking for resolution to all this negative self talk, I decided to reread the first page of the book, to see if maybe I had gotten off track somewhere. This time I read it with a more positive, open frame of mind and found, I was off track. Now I am looking at this question in a more positive light and  want to read the whole book to see what all he has to say after asking such a question.  The book, in case you are interested, is  – Unleash the Writer Within by Cecil Murphey.

I’m sure there are times when speakers and other writers ask this question with the wrong motive in their mind, we are all human after all. I think, in this case though, rather than trying to discourage us from writing, the question was meant to encourage us to take a more realistic look at our motives and expectations. I can see that it would be difficult to do a good job of writing if our reasons for writing spent more time in the clouds that they did on the ground.

Maybe a good analogy, from another part of life, would be, the view people have of love and marriage – some people love the idea of marriage, some people love the person they are about to marry. Successful marriages are those where the person, not the idea, is loved.

Maybe it needs to be the same way with writing. We need to love being a writer, rather than loving the idea of being a writer, because, like marriage, writing is a lot of hard work and just loving an idea won’t work out all the well for us.

My mind is still going round and round about all this and the subject has not been exhausted yet. That’s okay, there is still lots to learn.

Maybe I am so worked up about this subject because I know everyone has a story that needs to be told, even if they are not writers by the normal definition of the word. The writer benefits by telling her/his story, and even if there is only one, or maybe no, other person in this world who reads their story and benefits, then the writing has still been worth it.

OK, time to quit because my day job is calling, loudly, and this subject is not finished by any means. I feel like I am just getting started! 🙂

I will only mention one book this time since I am out of time

The Elusive Miss Ellison (Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace) – Carolyn Miller…. this book is written in a similar style to Pride and Prejudice. I quite enjoyed it.

Happy reading!…… and think about writing your story! Someone in your family may thank you one day, even if you are not around to hear them say it.