Friday feels…phew! Exhausted.
Friday Feels…Exhausted: Fortifying Battlements When Everything Goes Tits-Up
Poem: The Reader
They say you only have one life, that this is it for good,
But you can have so many lives, no matter where you’re stood.
This I know with a surety, I’ve had plenty more than that,
All because I am a reader; I’ve donned a literary hat.
100 Word Wednesday: Escape
She ran her hand through the long grass, each blade thumping against her fingers, and she sighed deeply. It wasn’t meant to turn out like this. It was meant to be good. She closed her eyes and let the warm sun embrace her face. The calmness of the field enveloped her. If only she could make them see sense, make them see how everyone is suffering now but…
She sat cross-legged on the damp earth, the tall grass reaching above her head and she felt safe, if only for a moment, hidden from the world and protected by nature.
Thanks, Bikurgurl!
Review: Bermuda Phoenix by Jo Roderick
Meet Andy. Andy’s moved to Bermuda after some troubles in New York, and he settles into an idyllic island life with sunshine and cocktails. How could it get any better? Enter Emily…
Bermuda Phoenix, at its heart, is a romantic comedy. Yeah, yeah, I know – I hate romance. How could I possibly find any joy in this book then? Well, I’m not going to lie, I’m still not a fan of romance and this is most definitely a romance, but it’s more than that too. The plot, thank goodness, is more than a simple ‘boy meets girl’. There were other plot lines that weaved neatly into the main drag of the story, and these plot lines kept me going through the sickly sweetness of the romance (and speaking of other plot lines, I do love a cleverly tied-in title – but I won’t ruin it by saying more).
The Science Behind Why We Read
I love reading, and I can give you a few reasons why: I like the escape, it’s entertaining and relaxing and educational all at the same time, I get to experience things I perhaps would never have a chance to do otherwise. There are loads of reasons, but none of them really get to the heart of the matter, the why of it or what that thing is that drives us to pick up a book, let go of ourselves, and vanish into someone else’s life for a few hours. Is it really just a hobby, something we go back to again and again because it’s familiar and pleasant? Or could it be something more?
Guest Post: Memoirs of a Bookworm
Memoirs of a Bookworm
It’s not very hard to spot a bookworm these days.
In fact, we can even play that game right now. If you’re in a café, or in a restaurant, or any other place that lures the above mentioned rare species, turn your head around and start your quest of finding one! Though I’d strongly advise against observing strangers up close, you’ll easily manage to recognise others of your kind.
Three Line Tales: Fisherman’s Friend
“Red sky at night, sailors delight,” he muttered to himself as he glanced up at the sky and pulled tight the final knot of his fishing net.
He sighed and gruffly rubbed the tilted head of his curious Yorkshire terrier.
“Tiger, it’s gonna be a fruitful day’s fishin’ tomorrow, me thinks,” he said to the dog with a bright certainty he didn’t feel. “Here’s hoping, ‘ey?”
Thanks Sonya!
You’ll find full guidelines on the TLT page – here’s the tl;dr:
- Write three lines inspired by the photo prompt (& give them a title if possible).
- Link back to this post (& check the link shows up under the weekly post).
- Tag your post with 3LineTales (so everyone can find you in the Reader).
- Read and comment on other TLT participants’ lines.
- Have fun.
Happy three-lining!
Short Story: Fireplaces and Pickled Toes
“Is it…is it a fireplace?” Sam asked. The leaves rustled as she crouched to get a closer look, not daring to take a step forward. Her arms were ballooned in a puffy purple jacket and the ear muffs of her furry red trapper hat cushioned her chubby cheeks as she talked.
Bookshop Bistro
There’s a little gem hidden in this wonderful internet of ours, a little gem that not enough people know about. It’s called Bookshop Bistro, and today I’m going to tell why it’s awesome.
Book Club: Someone is Watching by Joy Fielding
It’s that time of month again. No, not that time, thank you. It was book club time! We had an almost-sort-of-full-house too. Unfortunately, Mandy couldn’t make it but we had a newbie, Bev, in her place (I do love a newbie). After some munch and a couple of beers (okay…I think the beer thing only really applies to me, but still…) we got discussing this month’s read, chosen by Emma: Someone is Watching by Joy Fielding. It’s a psychological thriller all about smart and sassy Bailey Carpenter and her reaction to a horrific attack that we read about in the very first few pages. It garnered quite a range of responses too, from our lowest score of 4/10 to our highest of 9.5/10.
Three Line Tale: Death at River Road
So I was happily browsing WordPress this morning when I came across a post at Only 100 Words with a writing prompt and I thought I’d have a go. Here’s the prompt:
You’ll find full guidelines on the TLT page – here’s the tl;dr:
- Write three lines inspired by the photo prompt (& give them a title if possible).
- Link back to this post (& check the link shows up under the weekly post).
- Tag your post with 3LineTales (so everyone can find you in the Reader).
- Read and comment on other TLT participants’ lines.
- Have fun.
Happy three-lining!
And here’s what I came up with:
Death at River Road
It happened as the elders had always warned; all I wanted was some lunch, but what I got was something quite different.
Something sharp jabbed my cheek and I was wrenched through the water – slowly at first then faster and faster until my world whirred right past me and I shot up through the surface into the hot, dry sunshine.
My skin began to crackle, my eyes were sore with drought, and I knew, at last, it was time to meet my maker.
Thanks Sonya – that was fun. I’ll be sure to join in for the next one too 😀
Short Story: The Taxi Ride
She sits in their awkward silence, handbag on her lap and her shopping bags squashed down by her feet. He’d offered to open the boot for her, but she didn’t want to trouble him and besides, she’s rather keep her shopping close. She didn’t want to lose anything that might roll out of a bag and wedge itself into the corner of his car. Her hair is dishevelled from a day of rushing around, and her cheeks are a deep shade of red as a flustered heat envelopes her. She presses her lips together and sighs.
Ten Questions with… Maria Gibbs
Check out DM Miller’s fantastic interview of Maria Gibbs – friend, author, and previous interviewee. It’s well worth a read. She’s just released a new book and whilst I haven’t got around to reading it yet, I’ve only heard great things about it and I can’t wait to get started.
Whilst we’re on the topic of good reads – I’ve heard fab things about DM Miller’s books too. Gah – I need to find more time to read!!
Maria Gibbs is the author of the newly released novel, A Boy from the Streets, about twins living separate lives, one of privilege and the other in poverty. Though this book is her first full-length novel, the British writer has three thought-provoking novelettes, all of which I’ve read and highly recommend: A Lifetime or a Season (A Woman’s Journey to Self-Awareness), As Dreams Are Made on, and The Storm Creature.
Intrigued by her writing, I wanted to find out more about the author and her work.
Hi Maria. Thank you for sitting down to answer a few questions. First off, I’d just like to say that I find your writing so creative and unique, and your descriptive language really pulls me in as a reader. Do you have a background in writing, or how did you get started?
Hello Dana, thank you for asking me to…
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In Defence of Clichés
I’ve got a confession.
I love clichés. I mean, I really love ’em. I know I’m not supposed to. I’ve heard it said over and over again. Clichés are bad. Delete all clichés in your writing. Clichés suck. Your writing sucks if it is full of clichés. It’s been said so often that it’s almost a…well…cliché.
Short Story: The Lecture
The noise around her becomes a murmur, words turning into indistinguishable sounds. The room slowly darkens and the sentences merge from distinct to abstract. They distort and and make no sense. They come alive, colourful swirls in the darkness that she leaps up and tries to reach, until…
Author Interview: Wayne Farrugia
Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Wayne Farrugia has been writing since his early childhood. He loves to create new worlds and diverse characters – and he’s certainly done that with his series: The Valadin. Volumes 1 and 2 are out now, and Volume 3 won’t be far behind it! I was lucky enough to get early copies of all three volumes to proofread, and now Wayne has agreed to answer my rambling questions. You can check out my review of the first two volumes here.
Bookish Bonus Material
You know that feeling when you’ve finished reading a book that you loved? I mean, really really loved? That feeling of deep sadness and loss, that kind of hung-over feeling of bewilderment. What are you meant to do with your life now? What’s happened to Jill/Bob/character-name-of-your-choice? It’s a kind of blown-away, ‘I can’t believe I found this magnificent thing only to have it end so soon’ feeling. It’s the holy grail of reading, that feeling. It’s the elusive thing that we’re all searching for and only come across once in a blue moon. It’s something all bookworms crave and fear at the same time. It’s bloomin’ awesome.
COVER REVEAL!
So here they are, my beautiful new covers, as designed by the wonderfully talented illustrator and graphic designer, Maria Jose Galvan. Her portfolio is well worth checking out, she’s done some truly fantastic work. So what do you think?
On Why I Don’t Like Self-Promotion…And Why That’s Going to Change
Self-promotion sucks. I find it really hard, at least in the context of my writing. I’m not a natural bragger and I don’t want to boast about my work. I don’t want to intrude on people’s days or twist conversations unnaturally so that I can talk about my books in the hopes of getting a sale or two. I hate it when authors do that to me, so why would I want to do that to anyone else? It’s not for me. I’m not interested. Since I’m not really in this writing lark to make money, I quite simply decided not to bother with the self-promotion. I’ll talk about my book if it comes up in conversation naturally, I’ll continue writing my blog (albeit very sporadically…oops) because I find it fun, I’ll take pleasure in any sales or reviews as they come but I’m not going to push it and I’m not going to be disheartened if they don’t come. Ever since I came to that decision, I’ve enjoyed writing a whole lot more.
Friday Feels…Positive
Friday feels…positive (mostly).
I’m a natural stress-head. Not about everything but about little things. When it comes to big things, I’m surprisingly calm. I can handle it. But for little things, stupid things mostly, I’m a stress-head. I stress about time a lot. How am I going to find the time to get everything done? What if I die soon? I’ve taken on too much work…again! I stress about doing things well. You could have done that better, Riley. You’re not very good, are you Riley? I stress about stressing even. Chill out! What’s the matter with you? I snap at my poor, unsuspecting husband when I’m stressing too. I can’t help it. It’s like little worms burrowing into my brain and making me behave irrationally – irrational because stressing rarely helps.
