Fiona Ingram's Blog, page 58

The Rhythm of Life, Music and Poetry with Mary Muhammad

Please welcome guest number eleven on the Virtual Book Tour. My special visitor today is author and poetess Mary Muhammad who has written books of poetry and two children's books.

Poetry and children's books are an interesting combination. I've asked Mary to tell us in her own words where her inspiration comes from, and what her aims and goals are in sharing her emotions and messages with readers.



Mary on Poetry
My love for poetry stems from two areas in my life—jazz music and recitation...

Escape to An Enchanted World with author Danika Dinsmore

No, there's no mistake. Please follow the link below to my great interview with Danika Dinsmore, author of Brigitta of the White Forest. Danika is an award-winning writer, spoken word artist, and educator. Danika has been working with children of all ages for 18 years. Faerie Tales from the White Forest is her first novel series. Brigitta of the White Forest is Book One of Faerie Tales from the White Forest.


Danika grew up in Northern California. She earned her MFA in Writing and Poetics from ...

The Art of Murder (Writing)

I love murder! I should qualify that statement by saying I love a good mystery and if it includes a dead body or two in the library, so much the better! From Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's canny detective to Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, to Midsomer Murder's Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby, to the slew of murder and mystery thriller writers on the shelves today, each writer has something fascinating to offer in the way of (dare I say that word again?) murd...

Book Review: The Devil and Sherlock Holmes

The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness and Obsession by David Grann



My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Inspired by a review on Galleycat, and being a devoted fan of Sherlock Holmes, I purchased this book with eager anticipation. I have mixed feelings about it because I really did want more of Sherlock Homes. Only the first story deals with the famous detective, but I already knew that from the review I'd read. However, the book is riveting adventure reading. An acclaimed New Yorker staff...

Book Review: the Lost Ark of the Covenant

Lost Ark of the Covenant by Tudor Parfitt



My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tudor Parfitt's epic twenty-year quest for the lost Ark of the Covenant is a real page-turner! According to the Bible, the Ark contained the Ten Commandments given to Moses and possessed a divine, awesome power. It was used by the ancient Israelites in battle and, by Bible accounts, had the devastating powers of a modern-day weapon of mass destruction. Regarded as the holiest object in the world by the Jewish and Islamic faiths,...

A Different Kind of Romance with Margaret West

Lucky me, my Virtual Book Tour authors are becoming more interesting with every post. Please say hi to my tenth guest, paranormal romance writer Margaret West.

Born in Croydon, Surrey, Margaret is married with two children. She has always found writing to be a creative as well as a cathartic process, especially during difficult periods in her life. She found her true writing voice after becoming a spiritualist. Her love for literature extends from writing to reading and she is always willing ...

Vampire Alert: Carpe Noctem!

Yes, it's true, I am knee deep in vampire writers it seems because my ninth Virtual Book Tour guest is vampire author Katie Salidas.

The youngest of four children, Katie has always had a desire to entertain. Since, early childhood, she's dreamed up fantastical characters and scribbled them into pages of various journals and notebooks. Taking an interest in vampires at an early age, she devoured every book, featuring those blood sucking creatures, in any genre she could find. She claims that, o...

How Books In the Home Boost a Child's Education

How Books In the Home Boost a Child's Education

Inspired by a recent article on child literacy and books, I have written an article on the effect of having books in the house on a child's education. What many of us take for granted is reading, being able to read properly and fluently, and the availability of books. I am sure many people never even think about how they learned to read; I am sure that for many people, including myself, it seemed that you just 'knew' how to read. How many people ...

Jo Davis & "Domestics"

Say hello to my eighth Virtual Book Tour guest. Jo Davis has published two books, several short stories, and numerous web content pieces throughout the World Wide Web. She also writes periodically for the local news and is currently working on another local history text. Jo holds a bachelor's degree in English from Purdue University. When not writing, Jo helps others get their writing right. Her company Bylines by Jo specializes in content creation and editing. The BBJ team is comprised of...

Podcasting and Promotion, Part 1 of 2

Podcasting and Promotion, Part 1 of 2

This is an excellent post/link by Lillian Cauldwell explaining the difference between podcasts and audio interviews, and how to get the very best out of this marketing format. I've had several podcast interviews and although it's initially nerve-wracking, once you're in the hands of a good interviewer, it's a piece of cake! Many people have said how much they enjoy hearing a favorite author speak, and explain things about their work that perhaps have never...