Hello dear readers. Earlier this summer, I read a book that continues to haunt me: The Choice, Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger. A survivor of Auschwitz, she offers an account of misery most of us will never experience or fully comprehend. I read slowly, stopping many times just to breathe. Over and over, I struggled with one question -- how can people be so cruel? 

When I walked this evening, I thought of Dr. Eger's book, and then stopped by the community flag and took this photo. For some, it's a divisive sign, but for me it is a reminder of our hard earned freedoms - to worship as we please, to choose our leadership, to disagree civilly, to earn a just wage, to live peacefully, and so much more.  

Dr. Eger wrote, "We're born to love; we learn to hate. It's up to us what we reach for." With her 5-STAR book in mind, I wrote a short tanka poem. I call it The Invitation. I hope you like it. 

Have a wonderful week! 

Hello blog friends, it's "TankaTuesday again and author Colleen Chesebro offers another prompt. She asks that we create a syllabic poem using synonyms for these two words: green and morass. It's the monsoon season in my area, and my contribution reflects this fact. I hope you like it and also hope you join in the fun.

​Have a wonderful week!

Hello blog friends! It's #Tanka Tuesday and author Colleen Chesebro invites budding poets to participate in her challenge. Because this is the first Tuesday of the month, Colleen asks that we choose any syllabic form. We're free to do whatever we'd like, as long as it is syllabic.

I've decided to try the 3-5-3 haiku. There's a story behind my piece, isn't there always? 😊

Two weeks ago my husband and I moved to Prescott Valley, Arizona. Though we're still living out of boxes and struggling with mail delivery and disappearing WiFi, miracles abound!

I walk in the early morning and always I'm struck by the incredible beauty surrounding me. Perhaps it's the elevation, perhaps it's the season, whatever the reason might be, my spirit soars. Literally. I keep my feet on the ground, but it takes effort. 

The scene below is from today's walk. Isn't it amazing?  

I'd love to hear if you experience delight in the early morning. Have a wonderful week! 

Hello dear friends, it's poetry time again!

​Author Colleen Chesebro's prompt for this week is a bit complicated. Participants are to: (1) choose their favorite syllabic poetry form and write the poem, then (2) give the poem different characteristics, and finally (3) name the new syllabic poetry form. 

Well... I've taken a simple path and decided on Haiku Squared. I hope you enjoy it. 💗

Hello dear friends! I’ve been silent for a while, but there’s a reason for my disappearance. My husband and I just relocated to Prescott Valley, AZ. The journey included unexpected hurdles, which still impact us. But in two days, we should have WiFi and with that gift, a means to visit your sites and respond to your posts. Right now, I’m limited to my phone and iPad—complicated at best. 

Here’s a short Tanka about the path we travel. Hope yours is bursting with life. ❤️

Hello reader friends! I have a poem for you today.

Author Colleen Chesebro brings us another prompt and invites us to create a syllabic poem. Since this is the second week of the month, we're to focus on synonyms of these two words: dawn and twilight. 

In just a few days, I'll be driving across the country to the great state of Arizona. It will become my new home. I love travel, but this is something other than pleasure. A move tugs at our hearts, because it is accompanied by goodbyes - to friends and to all that is familiar. Sleepless nights are common, but even more so - THE SUNRISE.

I'd love to know if you've experienced restless nights when moving or dealing with a trying situation. If you have, did the morning light lift your spirit? I'm always amazed by the healing power of just a glimpse of heaven's majesty. It always brightens my day. 💗

Hello friends! I'm on the road with author Joan Hall, helping her announce the first book of the Legends of Madeira series: COLD DARK NIGHT. Joan offers us an exciting excerpt and also includes the blurb. These two were enough to prompt me to run to Amazon! I'm looking forward to the read. 

Let's see what Joan has to say! 

​
Thank you for hosting me today, Gwen, on this stop of my promo tour for Cold Dark Night. As you mentioned, it’s the first novel in the Legends of Madeira series. Each book begins with a historical event that ties to modern day.

I often use real life experiences in my books. When I was younger, I had several dreams that came true. When creating my character Abbey Lane, I decided she would have premonitions in the form of dreams.

Readers first hear of Abbey in the short story prequel, House of Sorrow. She is the local librarian, grew up in Madeira and returned there after college. She lives in the house once occupied by Ruth Hazelton’s neighbor, Same.
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When Tami moves into Ruth’s house, the two women soon become friends. Abbey soon has the first in a series of dreams involving a house. She suspects it may be the one Tami lives in, but she’s reluctant to share her premonitions because of an experience with one of her best friends.

Excerpt:
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Abbey Lane sat at the breakfast table, hoping a second cup of coffee would revive her. She’d tossed and turned for the latter part of the night. It had been a long time since she’d had one of those dreams.

She was seventeen when she dreamed an uncle lost his job. Three days later, it happened. Another time she dreamed a classmate had been in an accident. When she went to school on Monday, he was late arriving. Abbey saw him in the hall later that morning, and he said he’d been in a car wreck. She told her sister about both dreams. Penny said it was a gift.

In a way, Abbey guessed it was. There were times she had been able to warn someone they were in danger. But others scoffed at the idea of someone knowing impending events. A neighbor once accused her of fortune-telling, saying it was evil.

She shrugged off the accusation. But when one of her best friends refused to listen to her warning, she looked upon her gift as a curse.

Please don’t go.

Abbey, I have to. I made a commitment and I’m going to stick with it.

I don’t want anything to happen to you.

It’s not like that’s going to happen. Anyway, it’s silly to think something would because of a dream.

Abbey shook aside the memory. After all these years it was too painful. Except for Penny, he’d been the one who never judged her.

As the years passed, the dreams became less frequent. Guess it was like any other talent. If you ignored it, the ability eventually went away.

Most of her visions were vivid and easily recalled. This time, she couldn’t grasp all the details no matter how hard she tried.

Someone was lurking outside a two-story house. She couldn’t tell whether the person was a man or a woman, only that they were intent on harming whoever lived there.

Last night’s dream meant something. She hadn’t felt this strongly about one in years. If only there was someone to talk to. Maybe she’d tell Penny.

Abbey glanced at the clock on the stove. There was much to do before the library opened. Sleeplessness or not, this was no time to dawdle. She rinsed her coffee cup in the sink, grabbed her purse, then walked outside.

Across the street, Tami sat in the porch swing, watching Jason drive away. Abbey called out to her, “Taking advantage of the mild weather?”

“Yeah. I hear it won’t last long, so I thought I’d enjoy the outdoors while I can.”

As Abbey slid into her car, a chill enveloped her. The house… older… two-story…

The memory faded as quickly as it appeared. Tami’s house was similar.

No. The house in my dream didn’t have others nearby. I’m sure of it.
​
But when she drove away, she couldn’t shake the feeling someone close to her would soon be in danger.

                                                                ><><><>< 

This isn’t the only dream Abbey has about an older house. Her dreams are a key role in solving the mystery.


Blurb:

New husband, new house, new town… and a new mystery to solve.
Tami Montgomery thought her police chief husband was going to be the only investigator in the family when she gave up her journalism career and moved with him to Madeira, New Mexico.

But after the historical society asks her to write stories for a book celebrating the town’s history, she becomes embroiled in a new mystery. If she can’t solve this one, she could lose everything. Her research uncovers a spate of untimely deaths of local law enforcement officials. Further digging reveals a common link—they all lived in the house she and Jason now share.
​
Tami isn’t a superstitious person, but the circumstances are too similar for coincidence. Then she unearths an even more disturbing pattern. And if history repeats itself, her husband will be the next to die.
​

Purchase Link at Amazon:
  ​
Cold Dark Night is available on Amazon. It’s on sale for .99 through June 15. After that, the price goes to $3.99, so this is a good time for readers to grab a copy. Just click on the image to travel to Amazon. 

It is my pleasure to welcome writer D.L Finn to my site today. She's just published another children's book and it promises to warm everyone's heart. I've read the first story and loved it, even though I'm a grandma, a couple years older than the targeted readership. 😊

​Let's see what Denise has to say . . . 

​Thank you, Gwen, for having me here today to share the release of my final children's book, Tree Fairies and Their Short Stories.

One night, over 25 years ago, I listened to an acoustic song my husband had just written. In that magical moment, I was inspired to write a poem about fairies. I could envision the fairies flittering through the trees and then decided the fairies would want to protect those trees. That's where this story originated. Here is the poem that is included in Tree Fairies:

Purchase Links:    AMAZON   SMASHWORDS 

BLURB:

When reality and magic meet in the forest
It's 1969, and twelve-year-old Daniel Burns is camping in the redwood forest with his family. Danny wants to listen to his music and read, but his family has other plans. S'mores around the campfire and stories end their first day. The family is sleeping soundly in their secluded tent when Danny wakes up and finds his sister, Colette, is missing. Assuming she went to use the outhouse, he goes after her. When he finds his sister, they discover there is a thin veil between reality and fantasy.
​
Two bonus short stories offer a glimpse into the magical world that finds Danny and Colette. These hidden beings not only share our world but have a role in protecting their forest.

EXCERPT:

TREE FAIRIES CHAPTER 1 ~ 1969, somewhere in a redwood forest
 
     The sun was setting behind the mammoth trees as we returned to our secluded campsite. My mom rushed into the tent to add inspirational words to the book she was writing. They had come to her on our hike among the redwoods. Dad and my nine-year-old sister, Colette—who weren't as moved—collected wood for our campfire. They insisted it was a three-person job.

     They walked ahead of me, Dad engaged in another batch of endless questions from Colette. I wanted to be listening to the brand-new portable radio I'd gotten for my twelfth birthday, but there were no radio stations to pull in—not even AM. I wouldn't mind hearing the always-playing "I Heard It through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye, but my new favorite song was "Get Back" by the Beatles. Music filled my unsure spaces. Today, surrounded by trees that had lived more than one hundred lifetimes in contrast to mere humans, I needed some soothing tunes. I felt like I was a tiny grape in the vastness of a vineyard.

     Picking up a branch here and there, I followed my dad and Colette. Two fluffy-tailed western gray squirrels were chasing each other across the same massive tree my family had attempted to join hands around earlier. I stopped and added two more branches to my load. A hand suddenly waved in front of my face. Dad. I held back my sigh when I saw his frown.

     "Daniel Burns. Would you please join us on this hike?"

     I kicked a small, gray pebble off the trail. It rolled under a fern before I met Dad's firm stare. "I am with you."

     Dad folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Your body is here, but your mind isn't, Danny. Like I just said, we're headed to camp now because we have enough wood. Then we will all get the fire going and cook dinner." He turned his attention to Colette with a wink. "After that, we can roast marshmallows and tell stories. Maybe Mom will have a new story to share tonight."

     Colette returned the wink. "Can we make s'mores?"

     Her big blue eyes were enormous with excitement. Strawberry-blond pigtails bounced up and down in constant motion, and her smile's brightness matched her loud orange-and-pink-striped shirt. The combination of my sister's movement and colors made me dizzy. She would be a perfect cartoon character, like a colorful Tweety Bird in the Bugs Bunny cartoons.

     "I packed the chocolate bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers myself." Dad grinned. "Let’s go.”

     “Groovy!”

D. L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include adult fiction, poetry, a unique autobiography, and children's books. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.

D.L. Finn Links: Twitter   Facebook   Instagram   Pinterest   Blog 

It's the first of the month, and author Colleen Chesebro invites aspiring poets to create a syllabic poem of their choice. My contribution is a Tanka poem (5-7-5-7-7).

Of late, I've been struck by the give and take of life. Sometimes I haven't noticed the gift in the moment, but always a sunrise or sunset will awaken me. My poem speaks to that dynamic. I hope you enjoy it, and I wonder if perhaps you've felt something similar. Nature has a marvelous way of offering an embrace - just when we need it. 

​Andrew Watts is the USA TODAY bestselling author of Max Fend thrillers and The War Planners series. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2003 and served as a naval officer and helicopter pilot until 2013. During that time, he flew counter-narcotic missions in the Eastern Pacific and counter-piracy missions off the Horn of Africa.

He was a flight instructor in Pensacola, FL, and helped to run ship and flight operations while embarked on a nuclear aircraft carrier deployed in the Middle East.

Harmony Kent is an award winning, multi-genre author from Cornwall, England. She’s also an active member of Story Empire. When Harmony is not blogging or working on her latest and greatest, she is busy helping other writers with editing, proof reading, and manuscript appraisal.  

Harmony explains, “I spent 13 years in a Buddhist temple—10 of those ordained. For a shaven-headed, black-robed novice, the days were long and the life hard. And at the end of it all, a new woman emerged, as a beautiful butterfly from a chrysalis, and spread her wings. She’d learnt how to fly. In 2013, I returned to the world and wrote my first book." ​

Hi blog friends! I'm just extending a quick invitation to join the conversation at Story Empire. If you've the time and interest, here's the link to Hidden Diversity Among Writers. 

Hello dear blog friends! I've just returned from a trip to Nevada and Arizona. It was an exploratory journey, as my husband and I are relocating. Most likely you've moved a few times, so you know the challenges. It's an unsettling experience at best to feel out of control, but alas, there's an end to the madness. We just have to hold tight and ride it out. 

When I read author Colleen Chesebro's prompt this morning, Travel/Journeys, I thought, "How perfect!" My Tanka focuses on just that.  

I'd love to hear your thoughts on moving or any other life journey. 🙂 

​Hello friends! It's Tanka Tuesday and author Colleen Chesebro provides us with another prompt. Because it is the third week of the month, fledging poets like me are asked to write an Ekphrastic poem - a poem written in response to an image. Writer Trent MacDonald supplied the above photo.

My Ekphrasic response is a simple Haiku. The words came easily when I focused on the motion in the photo. Perhaps you'd like to submit one too? I'd love to read it.

Hope you have a great week!

Hello, blog friends!

I'm excited to welcome C.S. Boyack to this site today. Most of you know and appreciate Craig through his books. He's a prolific writer and amazing storyteller. His latest publication, Lunar Boogie, just became available, and Craig's going to tell us about it. We're in for a ride, because the entire series is laced with hilarious and unforgetable scenes.

C.S. Boyack has a wonderful way of taking reality and masking it in a fantasy. Through laughter and quirkiness, he opens our eyes to possibility. That's no small achievement. 

Let's see what Craig has to say!

Be sure to check out Craig's contact links: 

Blog     My Novels     Twitter     Goodreads     Facebook     Pinterest     BookBub 

​Hello readers! It's time for another poem.

Because this is the second week of the month, author Colleen Chesebro invites writers to use synonoms of two selected words in their poem. This week the words are LIFE and MOVE.

I've chosen a challenging topic and the Butterfly Cinquaina, nine-line syllabic form (2-4-6-8-2-8-6-4-2) for my poem. I hope you like it. 

For the first week of a month, author Colleen Chesebro encourages writers to pen a poet's choice! By that she means, writers choose the topic, the image, and the poetic form. 

Over these last months, I've been deeply moved by the unsung heroes in our midst. Some fight crime, others run into flames, still more race to save a failing heart. These men and women in uniform follow the call of compassion. Because of their leadership, their faithfulness, and their selflessness, we have hope for our collective humanity. 💗

My tanka poem, In Pursuit of Compassion:

Author Colleen Chesebro offers a new poetry challenge this week. Interested poets are to choose a flower and explain why it is special to them -- using a syllabic form.

When I was 19, I transferred to a university in San Francisco. To my surprise, daffodils were everywhere present. Venders sold them on the street corners, and the yellow blossoms blanketed vast areas in the parks. I fell in love with them, and to this day, they are my favorite flower. I've tried to capture their magic in my tanka poem: Dancing In The Moonlight. 

Hello friends! I've another poem to share.

Every third Tuesday of the month, author  Colleen Chesebro  invites writers to respond to a photo prompt for their Tanka poem. Author Anita Dawes provided the one below. If you don't know Anita, please consider visiting her blog site. She's an extraordinary poet. 

When I saw the photo, I was brought back to my childhood. My father grew up during the great Dust Bowl, and he'd often share stories. As frightening as these stories were, I was also entranced by the courage and determination of the people. Severe poverty and the unrelenting winds of dust left them bereft of all that we consider essential to life.

My Tanka poem (5-7-5-7-7 syllables) is simply called THE DUST BOWL.

Hello friends. Today I posted on Story Empire and focused on personality types and writing. If you haven't already visited, I invite you to join the discussion. Here's the beginning of the post:​   

My husband and I are regulars at Panera Bread. With masks on and social distancing practiced, it’s a setting where we relax and chat about the latest crisis of the day. Whenever we go, I’m amazed to see a number of writers tapping away on their laptop – while music plays and people converse six feet away. It’s these writers who prompt my post today.
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I’m fascinated by those who can write amid storms of any kind. These Panera colleagues sit with their coffee and breakfast roll, and when their phone rings, they laugh freely and enjoy the brief exchange. After goodbyes, they’re back to writing – unfazed. And when someone walks by, they often look up and say hello, and may even chat a bit before they return to tapping.
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I marvel at these unknown writers, because they do what I cannot do.

I need silence when I write. I need to focus on the story that tugs at me. If a phone call disrupts my train of thought, when I return to writing, I must reread what I written and start over again. The same is true if my husband stops by to tell me about the woodpecker outside. I enjoy the excitement, but before I start writing again, I must reread what I’ve written and start again. This pattern is an integral part my day. Starts and restarts. But somehow the writers in Panera aren’t affected in the same way.

To read more, just click here.  

​Have a great week! 

Purchase Link:
https://www.amazon.com/House-Sorrow-Legends-Joan-Hall-ebook/dp/B091HX4BHR

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