Been working all day on revisions and edits of The Emissary 2, but I’m done for now, and it’s still ThorsDay! With that in mind, here are some random smiles for you! Enjoy!
😀
And finally! (You knew there’d be a cat, didn’t you?)
Author: Marcia Meara
#ShareAReviewDay – Mind Games by Stevie Turner
This afternoon, I have the pleasure of welcoming Stevie Turner to The Write Stuff. Stevie is sharing a super review of her book, Mind Games, which I believe you are going to enjoy reading and sharing far and wide! THANKS!
REVIEW:
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite
Mind Games by Stevie Turner is a contemporary fiction story about a troubled marriage between Frances Andrews and her husband, Martin. Martin struggles with an uncontrollable and invasive pornography addiction, one which Frances can no longer work to overcome. With a foot out the door and their marriage over, Martin makes a last ditch effort to keep his wife from leaving him and is able to coerce a reluctant Frances into marriage guidance therapy. At the behest of the counselor, the pair takes a vacation together on a cruise ship in an effort to salvage what’s left of their marriage and their lives.
Mind Games by Stevie Turner is an insightful read into an addiction that many don’t even know exists. Martin’s reliance on pornography has destroyed his relationship with Frances, and Turner holds nothing back as the unraveling is told through the points of view of both husband and wife. I found this formula to be fantastic in offering a peek into the psychology of a man who simply cannot control his fixation and a woman who simply cannot take it anymore. For me, it was Martin who was the most intriguing, even when I desperately wanted to shake him until some sense was knocked into him. But that wouldn’t have worked because, like all addictions, his is – first and foremost – an illness. I’d recommend Mind Games to anyone interested in a book that could be easily devoured in a single setting, but with enough complexity to make its condensed form interesting.
BLURB:
Frances Andrews is sick of her husband Martin’s addiction to pornography, and has lost her trust in him. Martin views porn as a harmless pastime, but when Frances threatens to leave, he is distraught and begs her to go with him for marriage guidance therapy. Counsellor Rhona suggests they take a holiday in the first instance, and start talking to one another again. Frances just wants out of the marriage, but finally agrees to go on a cruise…as long as they have separate cabins.
Told from both Frances and Martin’s perspectives, Mind Games shines a light on the effect that an addiction to pornography can have on a previously happy marriage.
Author Stevie Turner
Stevie Turner works part time as a medical secretary in a busy NHS hospital and writes suspense, women’s fiction, and darkly humorous novels in her spare time. She won a New Apple Book Award in 2014 and a Readers’ Favorite Gold Award in 2015 for her book ‘A House Without Windows’, and one of her short stories, ‘Checking Out’, was published in the Creative Writing Institute’s 2016 anthology ‘Explain!’ Her psychological thriller ‘Repent at Leisure’ won third place in the 2016 Drunken Druid Book Award contest.
Stevie lives in the East of England, and is married with two sons and four grandchildren. She has also branched out into the world of audio books, screenplays, and translations. Most of her novels are now available as audio books, and one screenplay, ‘For the Sake of a Child’, won a silver award in the Spring 2017 Depth of Field International Film Festival. ‘A House Without Windows’ gained the attention of a New York media production company in December 2017.
Some of Stevie’s books have been translated into German, Spanish, and Italian.
Buy Mind Games HERE
Reach Stevie on Social Media Below:
About Me: https://about.me/stevie_turner/
Website http://www.stevie-turner-author.co.uk
Amazon page: http://bookShow.me/B00AV7YOTU/
Blog: https://steviet3.wordpress.com/
Email: stevie@stevie-turner-author.co.uk
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#ShareAReviewDay – Twenty Years: After “I Do” by D. G. Kaye
Good morning, everyone! Please help me welcome an author many of us know and love: D. G. Kaye (or Debby Geis). Deb is sharing a fantastic review of her book Twenty Years: After “I Do.” I know you’ll like Colleen Chesebro’s thoughts on this one, and will share them on all your social media sites. Enjoy, and thanks!
REVIEW:
Colleen M. Chesebro
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved how this couple overcame adversity with humor and a steadfast love for each other.
Canadian author, D. G. Kaye has written a heartwarming memoir in “Twenty Years After I Do,” detailing the ups and downs of marriage to an older man. I was eager to read this book because I am married to a man who is older than me by a decade. I wasn’t sure what I’d find, but having read other books by this author, I knew I was in for a treat.
Kaye shares how she met her husband, Gordon, chronicling how he swept her off her feet with his captivating personality, and how he made her laugh. With a sense of intimacy, the writing draws you in, as if you are listening to a good friend. Their connection, a true love story, (so rare these days) was a joy to experience through her words.
This book is a memoir in the real sense of the word, where the author details her relationship with her husband based on her knowledge of his battle with prostate cancer. As time trudges along, and more health issues crop up, this couple finds themselves confronting their mortality head-on. Most people would crumble under the stress of these burdens, but not Kaye. Because of the love that she and Gordon share they discover that they can overcome whatever life throws at them.
What I enjoyed was Kaye’s willingness to share the innermost details of her life experiences so others could learn from her example. There was no glossing over here, and she does tell it like it is. Ultimately, she leads the reader to the conclusion that love and humor conquer all. I’ve taken many of her insights and tucked them away for future reference.
A quick read, “Twenty Years After I Do,” will touch you with warmth and sincerity, as the phrase “…till death do us part…” takes on new meaning.
MY RATING:
Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 5
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 5 out of 5 Stars
BLURB:
In this personal accounting, D.G. Kaye shares the insights and wisdom she has accrued through twenty years of keeping her marriage strong and thriving despite the everyday changes and challenges of aging. Kaye reveals how a little creative planning, acceptance, and unconditional love can create a bond no obstacle will break. Kaye’s stories are informative, inspiring, and a testament to love eclipsing all when two people understand, respect, and honor their vows. She adds that a daily sprinkling of laughter is a staple in nourishing a healthy marriage.
Twenty years began with a promise. As Kaye recounts what transpired within that time, she shows that true love has no limits, even when one spouse ages ahead of the other.
Author D. G. Kaye
Debby Gies is a Canadian nonfiction/memoir author who writes under the pen name of D.G. Kaye. She was born, raised, and resides in Toronto, Canada. Kaye writes about her life experiences, matters of the heart and women’s issues.
D.G. writes to inspire others. Her writing encompasses stories taken from events she encountered in her own life, and she shares the lessons taken from them. Her sunny outlook on life developed from learning to overcome challenges in her life, and finding the upside from those situations, while practicing gratitude for all the positives.
When Kaye isn’t writing intimate memoirs, she brings her natural sense of humor into her other works. She loves to laugh and self- medicate with a daily dose of humor.
Buy Twenty Years: After “I Do” Here:
Please feel free to connect with Debby on social media and any of her author and blog pages at:
www.dgkayewriter.com
www.goodreads.com/dgkaye
www.amazon.com/author/dgkaye7
www.twitter.com/@pokercubster (Of course there’s a story to this name!)www.facebook.com/dgkaye
www.about.me/d.g.kaye.writer
www.linkedin.com/in/DGKaye7
www.google.com/debbydgkayegies
http://www.instagram.com/dgkaye
www.pinterest.com/dgkaye7
Come join our Literary Diva’s Library Facebook group for writers and authors
Click on these links to visit D.G. Kaye’s books:
Conflicted Hearts
P.S. I Forgive you
Twenty Years: After “I Do”
Words We Carry
MenoWhat? A Memoir
Have Bags, Will Travel
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Smorgasbord End of Summer Party – Brunch Meet Robert Goldstein, Victoria Zigler, John W. Howell, Becky Ross Michael, Jemima Pett, Marcia Meara, Luna Saint Claire and Anita Dawes
Yesterday, I was invited to attend brunch at Sally Cronin’s HUGE, 2-day “End of Summer” Party, and what a feast she laid out for us, indeed. Lovely dishes prepared by Sally herself, amazing music selected by each of the brunch guests, and loads of fun people to hobnob with. (Virtually, of course, but still great fun, none-the-less.) I had to eat and run, since I had a speaking engagement clear back across the ocean in Florida, but it was STILL worth the trip. And I snuck a doggy bag of yummy treats home with me, too. Shhhhhh. We can let that be OUR secret. 😀 Hope you’ll stop by and meet some of Sally’s other brunch guests, and then check out the ongoing party, as it progress to afternoon tea, dinner, and a final meal today. THANKS, Sally! I had a lovely time! 🙂 ❤
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#MegaSale – $.99 “The Kids Are Back in School” Sale!
If you’ve been thinking about checking out any of my books, now’s your chance to save a bundle! All eight of my eBooks are on sale from today until next Saturday, for the low, low price (yes, I actually said that!) of $.99 each. Heck, that means you can download my entire 3-book (so far) Riverbend series for a mere $2.97! The Emissary and Summer Magic are available for the same price, as well.
The kids are back in school and fall is upon us. Time to sit back and relax with a cup of tea (or whatever it is the rest of you drink) and find out what’s happening in the spooky hills of North Carolina, or the sleepy little town of Riverbend, Florida. Hope you’ll help me spread the word, too. Thanks!
Find my books on Amazon HERE
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Timeless Echoes – NEW #PoetryCollection from Author Balroop Singh
NOTE to Balroop and ALL: Please accept my apologies for making a mistake on the title of Balroop’s book. (You’d think that even with my terrible vision, I’d have noticed!!) The correct title is, of course, TIMELESS ECHOES
I love poetry, in all its many variations. I have loved it since I was five years old, and that love has only grown over the years. Therefore, it makes me extremely happy to share Balroop Singh’s newest book, Timeless Echoes–a lovely collection of poems, indeed! Many of you already know Balroop from her friendly visits and support to the online writing community. She’s always there to offer a virtual smile and a word of encouragement, and now it’s our turn to offer the same. I know you’ll all help tell the world that Timeless Echoes is now available! Thanks!
BLURB:
Certain desires and thoughts remain within our heart, we can’t express them, we wait for the right time, which never comes till they make inroads out of our most guarded fortresses to spill on to the pages of our choice. This collection is an echo of that love, which remained obscure, those yearnings that were suppressed, the regrets that we refuse to acknowledge. Many poems seem personal because they are written in first person but they have been inspired from the people around me – friends and acquaintances who shared their stories with me.
Some secrets have to remain buried because they are ours
We do share them but only with the stars
The tears that guarded them were as precious as flowers
Soothing like balm on festering scars.
While there are no boxes for grief and joy, some persons in our life are more closely associated with these emotions. Their separation shatters us, their memories echo, we grieve but life does not stagnate for anyone…it is more like a river that flows despite the boulders. When imagination and inspiration try to offer solace, poetry that you are about to read springs forth.
EXCERPT:
Moments That Echo
Each moment is precious
We try to cage it within our heart
Where it perches in perfect rampart
Embalmed by memories!
Moments of love croon around us
Offering eternal passion that blinds
Drowning in the deluge of delusion
Validating ephemeral enchantment!
Moments of joy glisten on the sand of time
Fleeting away faster than dappling light
Peeping through the corridors of life
At the mercy of others’ delight!
Woeful moments smile through strife
Each one stretching far and wide
Into every nerve and sinew
Sneering at our impertinent divide!
Each moment an experience in itself
We grow in its glow to wend and win
Divesting the ignorance of our thoughts
Solace echoing within!
Author Balroop Singh
Balroop Singh, a former teacher and an educationalist always had a passion for writing. She is a poet, a creative non-fiction writer, a relaxed blogger and a doting grandma. She writes about people, emotions and relationships. Her poetry highlights the fact that happiness is not a destination but a chasm to bury agony, anguish, grief, distress and move on! No sea of solitude is so deep that it can drown us. Sometimes aspirations are trampled upon, the boulders of exploitation and discrimination may block your path but those who tread on undeterred are always successful.
When turbulences hit, when shadows of life darken, when they come like unseen robbers, with muffled exterior, when they threaten to shatter your dreams, it is better to break free rather than get sucked by the vortex of emotions.
A self-published author, she is the poet of Sublime Shadows of Life and Emerging From Shadows, both widely acclaimed poetry books. She has also written When Success Eludes, Emotional Truths Of Relationships Read FREE with Kindle Unlimited and Allow Yourself to be a Better Person.
Balroop Singh has always lived through her heart. She is a great nature lover; she loves to watch birds flying home. The sunsets allure her with their varied hues that they lend to the sky. She can spend endless hours listening to the rustling leaves and the sound of waterfalls. The moonlight streaming through her garden, the flowers, the meadows, the butterflies cast a spell on her. She lives in San Ramon, California.
Buy Timeless Echoes HERE
Find Balroop on Social Media below:
You can visit her blog at: http://balroop2013.wordpress.com
Connecting links: https://twitter.com/BalroopShado
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Emotional-Shadows/151387075057971
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BalroopSinghsrao/posts
https://www.pinterest.com/balroops/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7340810.Balroop_Singh
https://www.amazon.com/Balroop-Singh/e/B00N5QLW8U/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
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#ShareAReviewDay – Amanda in Spain: The Girl in the Painting by Darlene Foster
Lovely to have Darlene back again this afternoon, this time to share a very special review she received directly from a very young reader, who had no adult help with the writing. I know you’ll enjoy this one and will be happy to pass it along to all your contacts! Thanks!
REVIEW:
By Catrin (8 Years Old)
I really enjoyed this book. I like books which have a mystery plot to them, and this book really caught my attention – I read it all in one go! The story kept me guessing until the end. In some parts, the reader is held in suspense while in other times you can almost guess what’s going to happen so I had to read on to find out if I’d got it right or not. My favourite character was Dona because she is a Spanish performer and I like performing as well. I like books in which I can relate to characters that are around my age. I enjoy books that are set in different countries, as I like geography and finding out about places. I especially liked the detail of the settings. This book was so fantastic, I was really engaged. Thank you, From Catrin (eight years old)
BLURB:
Amanda Jane Ross is certainly becoming a world traveller; she’s now in sunny Spain on vacation with her friend Leah. While there, she encounters a mysterious young girl who looks eerily like the girl in a famous painting she saw in a Madrid museum. Even weirder, the girl keeps showing up wherever Amanda finds herself – Madrid, the remote mountains of rural Spain, the beaches on the Mediterranean Sea, a lively fiesta and the busy streets of Barcelona. Amanda wants to help this sweet, young girl and her beloved pony escape the clutches of a mean horse-dealer. Come with Amanda on her next adventure as she attempts to unravel the mystery behind the Girl in the Painting while she treks across Spain – always one step ahead of danger!
Author Darlene Foster
Brought up on a ranch in southern Alberta, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. She also believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true. It’s no surprise that she’s now an award-winning author of children’s adventure books who divides her time between the west coast of Canada and Orihuela Costa, in Spain.
Buy Amanda in Spain: The Girl in the Painting HERE
Reach Darlene on Social Media Below:
Website: Darlene Foster
Facebook
Amazon author page
WordPress Blog
Goodreads
Twitter
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#ShareAReviewDay – For the Sake of a Child by Stevie Turner
This morning, please help me welcome author Stevie Turner, who would like to share a review of For the Sake of a Child. I know you’ll find this a subject of importance, and will help us get the word out far and wide. Thanks!
REVIEW:
A haunting book
on June 12, 2018
Also on Robbie’s Inspiration
I listened to the audio book of this haunting story about the dark and disturbing world of pedophilia. The narrator, Janine Haynes, had a lovely voice and her narration was well paced and enjoyable.
Ginny Ford is an ordinary and hard working woman. Her loyalties lie with her family comprising of her husband and young daughter. Ginny is a writer of children’s literature and supplements her income by working in the early hours of the morning as a cleaner at the offices of FhizzFace Inc.
When Ginny accepts a promotion, cleaning the offices of the directors of the company, she stumbles across information that involves her whole family in the sinister and desperate world of a ring of pedophiles. Ginny and her husband’s initial attempts to bring the information to the attention of the local authorities is thwarted by collusion and cover ups at high levels. The couple are faced with a situation where they have to chose between saving their family and taking a significant bribe or pursuing their attempts to incriminate the perpetrators. Their decision has far reaching consequences on the mental well being of them both, in particular, Ginny, who cannot get the harrowing scenes she has witnessed out of her mind. Ginny feels huge guilt and ultimately is led to making a different choice that puts her family at risk again.
I enjoyed this book and, while it did delve deeply into the dark side of pedophilia and the wickedness of those involved, it also highlighted the goodness of many people and their courage in tackling situations like this. It was vindicating to read about people who are willing to risk a lot to obtain their desired outcome.
BLURB:
Ginny Ford is pleased to win the coveted job of housekeeper to the directors of PhizzFace Inc. However, her joy becomes tarnished by an accidental find whilst cleaning, leading her to suspect that all is not as it should be on the managerial corridor. Delving deeper, she is shocked to uncover corruption and a secret paedophile network that has remained hidden for years, involving the very people she has come to know and trust. Unable to live with her conscience any more, she decides that she cannot keep quiet and that she must find a way of helping all the children involved. However, by trying to help the children she discovers that she has unwittingly put her entire family at risk…
Author Stevie Turner
Stevie Turner grew up in the East End of London and was fortunate enough to attend an excellent primary school which encouraged creative writing. After winning an inter-schools’ writing contest, Stevie began to keep a diary and often added little stories and poems to it as the years went by. However, she did not take up writing seriously until 2013. By this time her two sons had left home and she had more time to herself.
Stevie has now written 10 novels, 6 novellas, 1 memoir, and 18 short stories, winning a New Apple Book Award in 2014 and a Readers’ Favorite Gold Award in 2015 for her third novel ‘A House Without Windows’. You can find details of all her books on her website http://www.stevie-turner-author.co.uk
Stevie still lives in the same picturesque Suffolk village that she and husband Sam moved to in 1991 with their two boys. One of her short stories, ‘Lifting the Black Dog’, was recently published in ‘1000 Words or Less Flash Fiction Collection’ (2016). She has also written an article ‘Look on the Bright Side of Life’ which was included in the 2016 book ‘They Say I’m Doing Well’ which are articles about mental illness, proceeds of which go to the charity MIND. Her screenplay ‘For the Sake of a Child’ won a silver award in the Spring 2017 Depth of Field International Film Festival, and gained interest from an independent film production company based in New York.
BUY For the Sake of a Child HERE
Find Stevie on Social Media Below:
Amazon.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stevie-Turner/e/B00AV7YOTU/
Website: http://www.stevie-turner-author.co.uk
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Stevie-Turner/e/B00AV7YOTU/
Amazon Author Page (worldwide): http://bookShow.me/B00AV7YOTU
YouTube: https://goo.gl/E8OHai
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7172051.Stevie_Turner Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevieTurnerAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StevieTurner6
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/stevieturner988/
WordPress Blog: https://steviet3.wordpress.com/
Audible: http://goo.gl/sz1cXS
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/preview?vpa=pub&locale=en_US
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/105747643789021738179/posts/p/pub
BookSprout: https://booksproutapp.com/author/875/stevie-turner
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#ThorsDaySmile
Haven’t shared any Gary Larson cartoons for a while.
How about a few examples of his take on animals?
Twisted & bizarre? Of course. It’s Larson, after all!
😀
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#ShareAReviewDay – A Boy Named Rabbit by Marcia Meara
Today, I’d like to welcome ME to The Write Stuff. 😀 I’ve run out of reviews from others to schedule this week, so I’m sharing one of my own that I’m especially proud of. Hope you’ll indulge me. (And if you have a new or favorite review you’d like me to share here, please feel free to email me. All instructions are in the link in the Menu Bar at the top of the page.)
But for now, I hope you’ll enjoy this review of A Boy Named Rabbit, and will share far and wide. THANKS!
REVIEW:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rabbit Stole My Heart
By writester on May 15, 2018
Every now and then, an author manages to write a character so distinctive and impactful, he becomes difficult to forget. Sometimes it’s someone inherently evil; other times the character is a beacon of good. But seldom does such a character elevate himself past memorable — to do so is to vault over a rather high bar.
Marcia Meara’s Rabbit is one such character.
I can tell you she’s written another lovely book with a solid plot. I can tell you her settings are vivid and her villain chilling. All of that is true. Yet none of it matters.
I recommend this story because of a little boy named Rabbit who climbed down off a mountain and strode right into my heart.
This is a heart-warming tale of love and family, one that’s sure to tug at any reader’s heartstrings. It’s also a story you don’t want to miss. It’s a must-read.
BLURB:
“Evil’s comin’, boy…comin’ fast. Look for the man with eyes like winter skies, and hair like a crow’s wing. He’s the one you gotta find.”
The remote mountain wilderness of North Carolina swallowed up the ten-year-old boy as he made his way down from the primitive camp where his grandparents had kept him hidden all his life. His dying grandmother, gifted with The Sight, set him on a quest to find the Good People, and though he is filled with fear and wary of civilization, Rabbit is determined to keep his promise to her. When he crosses paths with Sarah and MacKenzie Cole, neither their lives, nor his, are ever the same again.
The extraordinary little boy called Rabbit has the power to change the world for everyone he meets, but can he save himself from the one person his grandparents had hoped would never find him? His dangerous and bittersweet journey will touch you in unexpected ways, and once you’ve let Rabbit into your heart, you’ll never forget him.
Author Marcia Meara
Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years, four big cats, and two small dachshunds. When not writing or blogging, she spends her time gardening, and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. At the age of five, Marcia declared she wanted to be an author, and is ecstatic that at age 69, she finally began pursuing that dream. Her belief in the redemptive power of love is a unifying factor in both of her popular series and her poetry. Today, she’s still going strong, and plans to keep on writing until she falls face down on the keyboard, which she figures would be a pretty good way to go!
BUY A Boy Named Rabbit HERE
Marcia has published six novels, one novella, and one book of poetry to date, all of which are available on Amazon:
Wake-Robin Ridge
A Boy Named Rabbit: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2
Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3
Swamp Ghosts: A Riverbend Novel
Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2
That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3
The Emissary: A Riverbend Spinoff Novella
Summer Magic: Poems of Life & Love
You can reach Marcia via email at marciameara16@gmail.com or on the following social media sites:
The Write Stuff: https://marciamearawrites.com/
Twitter: @marciameara
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marcia.meara.writer
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marciameara/
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