Surviving the Winter

Winter is still in full swing and the coldness only makes our family more hungry. With too many mouths to feed and not enough nourishment, every day is a struggle to survive.

As the matriarch, I work in the morning to get the resources needed for the family to have at least one meal each day and I am not above killing the neighbors' chickens if I have to. Today, I have to. I am not not proud of this fact, but it keeps the family going, at least for a few more days.

With three hungry offspring and a partner that works the overnight shift, it is up to me to keep them all fed during the day. When you have triplets to care for, every day brings with it a new dilemma. On the edge of starvation and not one friend in the neighborhood to offer me any help.

Read the rest in "Chickens, Hawks and Grump Goats: Five Years on a Farm"

Summer Break - On Hiatus from Writing

In case no one noticed ... I have taken a hiatus from working on my writing. I have decided to enjoy the summer and read, read, read.  Well, and write reviews for the books that I have enjoyed reading this summer.

Aside from reading other indie books and writing reviews, I am also researching subject matter for my next book and several short stories.  This research includes travel to some very exciting places.

The first destination was to Washington, D.C. earlier this summer.  Needless to say, D.C. was a fountain of writing material just waiting to be written.

The other destinations we traveled to earlier this summer included Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.  All of these states had great things to see and do while we were traveling in our RV. Yes, these locales have definitely given me more fodder for my upcoming writing efforts.

But, the summer has only started ... There will be many more books to read, more reviews to write and most importantly, more places to visit and enjoy before autumn and winter rush in.

Hope everyone has a wonderful summer!

Book Review Spotlight - Small Town Witch by Kristen S. Walker

"Small Town Witch" by Kristen S. Walker is a wonderfully unique story of small town witches in a world where magical powers and sorcery are commonplace.

The story is told through the eyes of Rosamunde, a teenage witch who lives in a small town in California. Although Rosamunde is human, she made a pact with a fae in order to have magical abilities like those of her mother. As with any teenager, Rosamunde is in a hurry to grow up and use the magic powers that her mother has taught her over the past few years. But, her mother believes she needs more training - much to Rosamunde's dismay.

The nice little town of Madrone is painted so vividly in the beginning of the story that I felt as though I were there along side Rosamunde. As the story progresses, there are hints and foreshadowing that everything is not as it seems and a more sinister plot comes to the surface.

The daily trials and tribulations of teenagers are sprinkled throughout the book, no matter that they are not normal teenagers - their lives still echo the thoughts and feelings of any normal young adult. When you add the layers of witchcraft, sorcery and magic to the mix, the outcome is an explosion of emotion and drama that keeps the reader interested and engaged in the story to the very end.

I found the characters to be believable and each one was fully developed to my satisfaction. The plot had many twists and turns that kept me guessing and made me eager to turn the page to see what would happened next. Although the ending was a slight cliffhanger, it only made me want to read the next book right away.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Small Town Witch" and look forward to reading the sequel.

Book Review Spotlight - Seeking Dr. Magic by Scott Spotson

"Seeking Dr. Magic" by Scott Spotson is an urban detective fantasy that delivers a well-developed story full of suspense and a good amount of "magic".

The story opens with Ninjas effortlessly performing stunts on a high-rise building in New York City, only to disappear in front of the large crowd of on-lookers. Former FBI agent, Tony Hetfield is now a detective who is tasked with solving the mystery of the Phantam Ninjas, only to be taken from his office in Chicago and dropped thirty stories off the Morgan Stanley building in New York within a matter of minutes. Hetfield is then caught inches from the ground by Dr. Magic - all is recorded and the media is in a frenzy about it.

Throughout the book, both Dr. Magic and Detective Hetfield reveal more and more "human" characteristics, not just the surface traits initially portrayed in the beginning of the book. Hetfield becomes more likable as a character as he develops a bond with Dr. Magic. Hetfield has a gut feeling that Dr. Magic is not evil, just misunderstood. Dr. Magic realizes that he is just a kid in need of a friend that he can trust.

The only thing that bothered me while reading this was that the ending felt a bit rushed, but not to the point of detracting too much from the story line.

If you are looking for a quick read this summer, "Seeking Dr. Magic" certainly fits the bill!