Hello blog friends! I've a poem to share. This week, author Harmony Kent  provided the theme for Colleen Chesebro's prompt and it is KINDNESS. She explained that November is Kindness Month. Who knew? I certainly didn't but I'm going to look for ways to celebrate it. 

For my poem, I've chosen a Butterfly Cinquain -- a nine-line syllabic form with the pattern 2-4-6-8-2-8-6-4-2. I hope you like it. 
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Have a wonderful weekend, and if you live in the U.S., have fun with the little monsters that may knock on your door.  🎃

Hello blog friends! I'm super excited and want to share why.

Last month my husband and I moved to Chino Valley, a quiet area near Prescott, AZ. We finally have a home to call our own. With boxes unpacked and pictures hung, this weekend I focused on the back yard.  

The prior owners had a water feature. Though it looks good in the photo below, there were serious problems. After much consideration, I decided to create a vegetable garden instead. I didn't know if that was possible, but I wanted to try and in the end, I surprised myself. 

I moved all the rocks, gathered up the artificial plants, siphoned the water from the pond, shoveled out all the gunk on the bottom, then dug around the edges of the pool, and finally lifted it out. This 4 x 8 foot monster nearly crushed me. But I did it! 

The next step was to fill the hole. Well...after several trips to the local nursery and Home Depot, the hole is now almost completely filled. Hubby tells me it looks like a grave, but I think it's a jewel. 

By the end of the week, there will be a 4 x 8 foot raised bed over the old pond area. Then next spring, it will hopefully look like the photo below. 

My excitement? I actually did it - created an area for a vegetable garden. I didn't know if I'd have the strength to pull it off, but I did.

You may not have fought with a buried pond like I have, but I suspect you've faced similar challenges - maybe your WIP, or a new oil painting, or some other project. And if you're like me, finishing feels soooo good because you did it!

​Have a wonderful week and let's celebrate our achievements big and small.

Hello blog friends! Today I've another poem to share. Author Colleen Chesebro posted a #tankatuesday prompt which is irresistible. 

​Using the photo to the left by Sangeetha, we are to create a syllabic poem. Because it's brilliantly sunny outside, I've decided to play a bit. Sangeetha's photo is now part of a larger scene.

​I hope you enjoy my poem and find time to play during the day. We so need to, don't you think?

​Big hugs...​

Hello blog friends, I've another poem to share. Author Colleen Chesebro posted a new challenge which includes the stipulation that participants use synonyms for the words TWILIGHT and HUE. 

I've written a simple tanka poem for this week's syllabic submission. As you'll read, it follows a familiar theme. I hope you enjoy it and also hope you'll join in the fun.

                                                                     * * * * *

Have a wonderful weekend! 💗

Hello blog friends. I've a treat for you. It's my pleasure to welcome colleague and award-winning author Mae Clair to my site today. Mae is one of the founders of Story Empire, a writers' organization of which I'm proud to be a member. 

Her latest book, Things Old and Forgotten, just hit the Amazon shelves, and all who have read it trumpet its creative genius. I've almost finished the collection of stories, and I'm in awe. I think you will be as well. 

Let's hear from Mae.
​                                                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Resurrecting Merlin, one of the stories I’ve included has been rambling around in my head for decades. In various ways it’s influenced some of my longer works, including my current WIP. A story of brothers with a toxic bond, it’s the tale of a man unable to let go of the past or the brother he both loathed and adored. In the excerpt below Alec is speaking to an otherworldly confessor. The first section is set in the present, the second is a memory from his past.
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EXCERPT:

“When did Sebastian die?” The phantom shifted, stirring the reek of the Netherworld to life.

“I can’t remember.” Alec glanced away, dropping to a seat at the lip of the cave. The .38 dangled from his limp fingers.

“Did you kill him?”

The question opened something black and unholy. He lurched to his feet. “I promised we’d never be separated.” His voice was shrill, combative. He shrank from the tone, confused by the lash of words. “I didn’t kill him.” His gaze strayed to the revolver in his hand, and he blanched. With a curse, he sent it spinning end over end into a tangle of briars. “I didn’t kill him.”

****
The dark-haired boy approaches the coffin. The face framed by white satin is smooth and serene, an angel’s visage graced by a halo of golden hair. The boy hesitates, staring at the face of his brother, the face of his Merlin. He shuffles past, ushered forward by an aunt he hasn’t seen in three years and a cousin he never knew he had. His mother sobs into a lavender handkerchief, streaked black with mascara. He marvels that he should notice this as he takes a seat away from the others. His feet swing above the floor, barely touching.

“Poor child.” His uncle whispers to a woman with auburn hair. “They say he fell from a tree-fort, playing with his brother.”

The dark-haired boy bows his head, secreting a smile. He remembers how thrilling it felt to be the aggressor. How exhilarating to shove Sebastian to the ground. He is thinking of Merlin and trolls when Sebastian’s voice sidles into his head.

“I’m coming back for you, Alec. You swore an oath. You said we’d always be together.”

He lurches to his feet, but no one notices his distress. Hushed conversation continues around him. Jittery, he funnels through the crowd, winding his way to the casket. It is only cold flesh that greets him when he beholds his brother’s still form.

And yet the voice returns, creaking like a rusty seesaw.

“You swore an oath.”

BOOK BLURB:

A man keeping King Arthur’s dream of Camelot alive.
A Robin Hood battling in a drastically different Sherwood.
A young man facing eternity in the desert.
A genteel southern lady besting a powerful order of genies.
A woman meeting her father decades after his death.

These are but a few of the intriguing tales waiting to be discovered in Things Old and Forgotten. Prepare to be transported to realms of folklore and legend, where magic and wonder linger around every corner, and fantastic possibilities are limited only by imagination.

                                                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thanks again for hosting me today, Gwen. In honor of my love for autumn—a fantastic time to curl up with a book--Things Old and Forgotten will be on sale for .99c through October 31st.

PURCHASE LINKS:  Amazon US   Amazon UK

Connect with Mae Clair at BOOKBUB and the following haunts:
Amazon| ​Amazon UK| BookBub| Newsletter Sign-Up
Website | Blog| Twitter| Goodreads| All Social Media

Dear blog friends, won't you join me for a cup of coffee with author Rox Burkey? You can reach the exchange here. We talk life, books, and all that's in-between. Let's chat! 💗

Hi blog friends!

It's the first of the month and Colleen Chesebro has designated this week as a Poet's Choice. She encourages writers to follow their whims to create something beautiful.

That was an easy assignment for me, because a couple of days ago, I walked outside to find a magnificent rainbow. The photo below was taken from our driveway. Pretty amazing, right?  

I've entitled my poem DREAMERS and I've crafted a Tanka with syllables of 5-7-5-7-7.  I hope you like it. 

Have a wonder-full and magical week. 💗

Hello blog friends! Today I'm sharing three wonderful poets with you--Elizabeth Gauffreau, Sally Cronin, and Colleen Chesebro. Each of them has recently published a book of poems. I've now read all three and I'm officially up-in-the-clouds happy.

Liz's collection is a reflection on her family's life. It is beautiful and poignant. Sally's selections also focus on her life, but from a slightly different vantage point. Both poets include photos that charm and draw you into your heart. Colleen Chesebro's book incorporates the work of thirty poets. I found it invigorating and enlightening because of the breadth of syllabic verses. And there was an undeniable elegance. 

My sincere CONGRATULATIONS to all three writers. It was a pleasure reading your 5-STAR books! 💗

So friends, do you enjoy writing poems? I'd love to see some of your work. Won't you share it? Have a wonderful day. 😊