Ronda J. Del Boccio's Blog: Writing is pure Bliss, page 22
October 6, 2015
Book Review of Humorous Paranormal Dog Tale Twilight Bone byDevin O’Branagan
Welcome back to another Write On Purpose book review. Each week, I review a well-written book, highlighting what makes it good from the reader’s perspective and what writing skills and techniques make it an irresistible read. Thus, each review serves both writers and readers.
This week, I'm reviewing a fun and touching book told from the point of view of show dog Tally. This book has certainly gone to the dogs. O'Branagan anthropomorphizes dogs, and I often don't like when authors do that. You'll find out if this is an exception shortly. Here is the description:
Twilight Bone by Devin O'Branagan
In this tale of the paranormal, Talisman the Australian Shepherd is a feisty, young show dog with psychic gifts who is called upon to ghostbust at a prestigious dog show. Tali's companions include her neurotic sisters, the hilarious spirit of Mae West, a hyper, freestyle-dancing Border Collie, and her heart person Valentino DeMitri--who has just found his own heart person. In this humorous novella, Tali must deal with star-crossed love and a terrifying ghost haunting the dog show she is attending. Can her innate ghostbusting abilities save the day? Funny and exciting, touching and inspiring, The Twilight Bone is a chewy treat for humans of all ages!
What makes this book a worthy read?Positive Message
What is it about the plethora of shows and books that are so darned intense and edgy? Twilight Bone is sweet. There is definitely conflict and tension, but it's not gory, life-threatening and dark. It's an uplifting book about the power of love that lasts beyond death.
Interesting Canine Characters with Strengths and Flaws
I like that the leading dog Tally can find the best in her canine friends while having a hard time accepting a new human handler. She is flawed. She has a vain streak. AND at the same time, she can help her canine friends realize their value.
You'll meet one dog who seems to be afraid of almost everything, one who's a good dancer, and a stadium full of dogs who come together to overcome a menacing spirit.
I mentioned earlier that I don't often like books from an animal's point of view. Some people do truly strange things that do not follow the true nature of their animal hero. Dogs are dogs. They have tendencies and personalities. A border collie acts much differently from a golden retriever. O'Branagan demonstrates an understanding of canine nature as she gives each dog his or her own personality. that's why the Show Dog Diaries series works for me.
About #1 Best Selling Author Devin O'Branagan
Bestselling author Devin O’Branagan writes novels about uncommon heroes. Her genres include young adult urban fantasy, paranormal romance, paranormal thrillers, and romantic comedy. She’s been published by Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books, German publisher Heyne Verlag, Turkish publisher Dogan Egmont, and indie publisher Cornucopia Creations. Her books are available in print, eBook, and audio book formats.
Connect with Devin
Website www.DevinWrites.com
All Devin's books on Amazon
Facebook:
Goodreads:
Buy Twilight Bone
Order from Amazon - print, ebook, or audio
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Ronda Del Boccio
#1 best selling author, speaker, and Amazon Top Reviewer
About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best 
selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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October 2, 2015
Dealing with Nay-Sayers: Leader Dog Chronicles
I'm mostly blind, and I've had guide dogs for a huge chunk of my adult life. My second, Molly, died two years ago, and I now have my third, Jemma. (#LeaderDogJemma on the social web). Since people have been so interested in my journey, I created this Leader Dog Chronicles category on my site and am sharing our story. I'm also working on a book!
Just when I started telling my friends and family about getting a new guide dog, I would have the dreaded encounter with my chief kaboshing officer, who is also someone who loves me dearly. She simply hates change.
Always a Nay-Sayer
Have you noticed that whenever you make a big decision, there's always one person among your family or friends who'll kibosh you? I know exactly who that will be in my family, and whenever I am making a big change, I know not to talk to her at all, because she'll come up with a hundred justifications why what I want is wrong.
The closer you are to living your purpose, the more imminent your encounter with negativity in the form of nay-sayers will be. It's part of the road of trials we all face. I faced it around getting my new "eyes." You'll face it around whatever your big change happens to be. I hope this will help you gain clarity and relax into the journey of dealing with your version of this issue.
When I decided it was time to get a guide dog from a school, I immediately set my mind, heart and actions on making it happen as soon as possible. I told the folks at Leader Dogs that I'd jump on a plane tomorrow if they had a dog for me. Getting a dog was right for me.
Here's a photo of my beautiful new #LeaderDogJemma.
Oh how I dreaded telling my mom, because I predicted with 100 per cent accuracy what she'd do, even though her actual words stunned me to the core. I told friends and other family members first, and had a lot of support and encouragement from them.
You and the detractor care about each other, otherwise their opinion wouldn't matter to you one bit.
Mom hates change. She doesn't mean to be the thunderclap of dom, but if it's a big change, she will always resist. Note that I seldom use such a strong word as "always," but it fits.
A BAD Idea?
Here's exactly what she said: "That's a BAD idea." Insert derisive nasal voice tone here.
"Why?"
She didn't answer. Sure, I had said I would do without a dog, but that's before I simply couldn't have the level of contentment in my life without one. I simply could not do it and be anywhere near happy.
I love my mom, and I knew she'd come around eventually, especially once the dog was with me, being helpful and adorable. What made her reaction so difficult for me is that even though we're next door neighbors who see each other a couple times a day, she was oblivious to the depth of my pain and my need for a dog. Though seeing me every day, she could not see my pain and depression, though it was plain to others who see me much less often.
How Do I Handle the Nay-Sayer?
I'm sure you've had a similar experience when making a big change in your own life, so here are some tips to help you get through it.
Talk to your supporters first. You want to bolster your decision and your confidence about it being right for you. That means you don't want to have some immediately prick a pin in your balloon. So build your support network.
Arrange to speak with a good friend or other trusted supporter for right after you tell the chief kabosher about your big decision.
Begin the encounter with your nay-sayer by addressing the touchy subject. You'll only build up more anxiety if you circle around a dozen other topics and screw your courage enough to bring up the Real Talk.
Don't take the apparent rejection personally
Keep your emotions in check. This person THINKS she is acting in your best interest..
Share the pros and cons you weighed before coming to the conclusion this is the right move for you. This may or may not help the other understand, but it will remind you of your journey of realization.
Make it a short talk, then have a reason to leave (like leaving for work, fixing dinner, a conference call or what3ever). In other words, get in, get 'r' done and get out. You'll need to unjangle your nerves!
Above all, remember this is your decision and your life. Honestly, nobody else needs to approve; it's simply more helpful if those with whom you spend a lot of time are on board.
Be sure to commiserate with a supporter.
When the Dust Settles
Keep strong in your truth about what is right for you in your life. Your nay7-sayer will come around eventually. You'll probably never get an apology, maybe not even an explanation, fro your nay-sayer, but that isn't important. You know her and you know why she acts that way. She'll come around in the end.
My mom and I are still as close as ever. She adores Jemma. The other day, after she had said what a wonderful dog Jemma is and how happy she is that I have her, I said, "Not such a bad idea after all, was it?"
Follow Leader Dog Jemma on the Social Web
Jemma is a busy dog. Not only is she my guide, toy reviewer and treat tester, but she also shares her adventures in her own voice on her own Facebook page and Instagram Feed.
Watch for her hashtag is #LeaderDogJemma
LIKE Jemma's Facebook Page: Leader Dog Jemma's Adventures
FOLLOW Jemma's Instagram photos: LeaderDogJemma on Instagram
WATCH her videos in the Leader Dog Jemma's adventures YouTube Playlist
READ about her Leader Dog Chronicles
Please share this all over the social web!
Follow your B.L.I.S.S.
Ronda Del Boccio
#1 best selling author, speaker, and Amazon Top Reviewer
About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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Dealing with Nay-Sayers: Leader Dog Chroicles:
I'm mostly blind, and I've had guide dogs for a huge chunk of my adult life. My second, Molly, died two years ago, and I now have my third, Jemma. (#LeaderDogJemma on the social web). Since people have been so interested in my journey, I created this Leader Dog Chronicles category on my site and am sharing our story. I'm also working on a book!
Just when I started telling my friends and family about getting a new guide dog, I would have the dreaded encounter with my chief kaboshing officer, who is also someone who loves me dearly. She simply hates change.
Always a Nay-Sayer
Have you noticed that whenever you make a big decision, there's always one person among your family or friends who'll kibosh you? I know exactly who that will be in my family, and whenever I am making a big change, I know not to talk to her at all, because she'll come up with a hundred justifications why what I want is wrong.
The closer you are to living your purpose, the more imminent your encounter with negativity in the form of nay-sayers will be. It's part of the road of trials we all face. I faced it around getting my new "eyes." You'll face it around whatever your big change happens to be. I hope this will help you gain clarity and relax into the journey of dealing with your version of this issue.
When I decided it was time to get a guide dog from a school, I immediately set my mind, heart and actions on making it happen as soon as possible. I told the folks at Leader Dogs that I'd jump on a plane tomorrow if they had a dog for me. Getting a dog was right for me.
Here's a photo of my beautiful new #LeaderDogJemma.
Oh how I dreaded telling my mom, because I predicted with 100 per cent accuracy what she'd do, even though her actual words stunned me to the core. I told friends and other family members first, and had a lot of support and encouragement from them.
You and the detractor care about each other, otherwise their opinion wouldn't matter to you one bit.
Mom hates change. She doesn't mean to be the thunderclap of dom, but if it's a big change, she will always resist. Note that I seldom use such a strong word as "always," but it fits.
A BAD Idea?
Here's exactly what she said: "That's a BAD idea." Insert derisive nasal voice tone here.
"Why?"
She didn't answer. Sure, I had said I would do without a dog, but that's before I simply couldn't have the level of contentment in my life without one. I simply could not do it and be anywhere near happy.
I love my mom, and I knew she'd come around eventually, especially once the dog was with me, being helpful and adorable. What made her reaction so difficult for me is that even though we're next door neighbors who see each other a couple times a day, she was oblivious to the depth of my pain and my need for a dog. Though seeing me every day, she could not see my pain and depression, though it was plain to others who see me much less often.
How Do I Handle the Nay-Sayer?
I'm sure you've had a similar experience when making a big change in your own life, so here are some tips to help you get through it.
Talk to your supporters first. You want to bolster your decision and your confidence about it being right for you. That means you don't want to have some immediately prick a pin in your balloon. So build your support network.
Arrange to speak with a good friend or other trusted supporter for right after you tell the chief kabosher about your big decision.
Begin the encounter with your nay-sayer by addressing the touchy subject. You'll only build up more anxiety if you circle around a dozen other topics and screw your courage enough to bring up the Real Talk.
Don't take the apparent rejection personally
Keep your emotions in check. This person THINKS she is acting in your best interest..
Share the pros and cons you weighed before coming to the conclusion this is the right move for you. This may or may not help the other understand, but it will remind you of your journey of realization.
Make it a short talk, then have a reason to leave (like leaving for work, fixing dinner, a conference call or what3ever). In other words, get in, get 'r' done and get out. You'll need to unjangle your nerves!
Above all, remember this is your decision and your life. Honestly, nobody else needs to approve; it's simply more helpful if those with whom you spend a lot of time are on board.
Be sure to commiserate with a supporter.
When the Dust Settles
Keep strong in your truth about what is right for you in your life. Your nay7-sayer will come around eventually. You'll probably never get an apology, maybe not even an explanation, fro your nay-sayer, but that isn't important. You know her and you know why she acts that way. She'll come around in the end.
My mom and I are still as close as ever. She adores Jemma. The other day, after she had said what a wonderful dog Jemma is and how happy she is that I have her, I said, "Not such a bad idea after all, was it?"
Please share this all over the social web!
Follow your B.L.I.S.S.
Ronda Del Boccio
#1 best selling author, speaker, and Amazon Top Reviewer
About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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September 24, 2015
Grief Is Like a Tea Bag: Book Excerpt from They All Died Smiling: Kassidy and Russell First Kiss
I just did an interview for a funeral home. Not a job interview. The kind a writer gives to an interested party.
Yeah, I don't know "why Ronda" either, but there it is.
Anyway, the topic of grief naturally arose, and I mentioned how grief infiltrates life the way a teabag infuses its essence into water. Grief can be a powerful motivator for a wide variety of actions a character takes (or does not take). For the reader, seeing how the protagonist or other character responds to grief can make for fascinating reading. The more a book or short story brings out emotion in the reader, the better.
That means a writer needs to infuse each tale with any and all emotions that comprise life. An author who is a student of human nature and a keen observer has a clear advantage in potraying these emotions on the page.
Here is a book excerpt from my upcoming novel They All Died Smiling, .showing how Kassidy's grief over the death of her husband makes it hard for her to consider being with another man, even though she knows full well Randy would want her to move on.
I thanked him for lunch and we left the warm contentment of the restaurant for the frigid street.
Russ grabbed my arm, “Hey, I want a selfie with you.”
“I’ve never taken one before.”
“Seriously? Are you still using a flip phone too?”
Giving him a playful shove, I pulled out my Phone 6.
“Then it’s time you did. We’ll both take one.” He pulled us close together. There we were, rosy cheeked and laughing, captured in his phone and mine.
The cold damp air bit at my lungs.
“Dang, it’s freezing,” Russ said. “I give you a lot of credit for coming up here. I never figured you’d stay in a city for more than a day.”
He put an arm around me, tentatively at first, probably wondering if I’d bite it clear off his body. I leaned into his warmth. It felt so good. He wrapped both arms around me, his lips parted, a question in his eyes.
Forget reason. Let the hormones fly. We’re not kids and we’re not strangers. I am a single woman. I rose to my toes so my lips could meet his.
More than body heat ignited between us. All that existed was the two of us for a moment. I lost myself in how good it felt to be held and kissed by someone who cared about me. Then I thought of Randy. Russ was his friend too. We had all grown up together. My husband couldn’t come back to me, yet moving on made me feel awful. Why? Tears sprang into my eyes. I couldn’t breathe. I choked back the sob threatening to burst out of me.
Russ broke off the kiss, wiped away my tears with gentle thumbs. “You ok?” The look in his face reminded me of when beck’s dog Terror knew he was in trouble.
I leaned my head on his chest, felt the steady thump of his heart, sought my center. “Sorry, Russ. First kiss since Randy. I know he would want me to find someone else, but it’s hard.” Way to ruin a moment, Kass.
Much to his credit, he kissed the top of my head and kept holding me. I drank in his support like a desert traveler guzzling water.
After a time, I found my emotional footing, pulled myself back together, as much as that’s possible. “I’m so sorry. I guess I’m a hot mess.”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
“I have another interview today. It’s good seeing you again, and thanks for lunch.” I brushed my crystalized tears off him. Good thing I didn’t wear mascara today after all. I sure hope I didn’t drip snot all over his coat.
“Great seeing you. I’ll call you.”
We’ll see, but I hope so. I needed to put all that out of my mind for now and focus on giving Amber a safe space to tell her story.
Grief may be over someone who died, and it may be over another type of loss. Perhaps a lost opportunity, a divorce, or moving away from a beloved home. The more a reader feels the conflict, the better.
If you're an avid reader looking for book excerpts and reviews, lease join Ronda's Readers at WriteOnPurpose.com/read. You'll get a lovely verbal snack a couple times a week.
Please share this all over the social web!
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Ronda Del Boccio
#1 best selling author, speaker, and Amazon Top Reviewer
About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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September 22, 2015
Book Review of Finding the Buddha by Eddie Tafoya
Welcome back to another Write On Purpose book review. Each week, I review a well-written book, highlighting what makes it good from the reader’s perspective and what writing skills and techniques make it an irresistible read. Thus, each review serves both writers and readers.
Interesting story behind me reviewing this book: I had a chance to read it before Mr. Tafoya had found a publisher. I was reading "slushies" (aka slush pile submissions or open submissions for a publisher. When I read the start of this book, I HAD to read the whole thing, and once I did that, I recommended they snatch it up.
Why?
Superior writing.
Excellent storytelling.
Keen understanding of comedy.
Insights into human nature.
Top-notch author platform..
Finding the Buddha by Eddie Tafoya
A dark story of genius, friendship and stand-up comedy. A mysterious man with a Midas touch delights the world but still seeks release from his own personal nightmare.
Mark Wladika can do just about anything. As a high school sophomore, he demonstrates an uncanny grasp of quantum physics. As a young Marine, he is a master of hand-to-hand combat, capable of taking out men twice his size with a single blow. He is a cosmologist, a philosopher, an observer of the human condition, and-unbeknownst to anyone-a man plagued by sorrow, loss, and deep longing.
One day, Wladika directs his genius to the art of stand-up comedy, and by doing so brings a new sense of hope to lackluster Albuquerque, New Mexico. As his fame grows, comedians, comedy aficionados, and businessmen alike believe that Wladika can transform the city, so much so that it will soon become to comedy what Chicago is to the blues, what New Orleans is to jazz, and what Hollywood is to movies.
Finding the Buddha is told through the voices of six characters whose lives the comic profoundly affects. Each hopes to benefit from the Midas touch of the mysterious genius who rockets toward the top of the comedy world, unaware that he doesn't care about fame or fortune—he's on a quest.
Praise for Finding the Buddha
Go read Finding the Buddha.
. . . The damned thing made me cry several times. At one point I closed the book because I had to absorb what I had just read. (You'll know the part.) Anyone interested in phenomenology will also appreciate this text. Underneath the comedy (or maybe because of the comedy . . . I'm still trying to figure that out) is an inquisition into existence and finding happiness.
What makes Finding the Buddha a great read?
Superior Writing Style
No doubt you've read some books with excellent stories but so-so writing from a technical or mechanics perspective. I certainly have.
Then there are books that grip you from the first page to the last and give you a reading hangover. I read this book several months ago, and it still sticks with me. If you are an author desiring to improve the technical quality of your prose, read and study how Tafoya uses words and grammar. I'll show you an example shortly.
Here is how Eddie describes the first time he saw Mark, the focal point of the book:
Well, Mark walked up the three steps to the stage looking scared out of his mind. Totally mortified. Really, he looked like nothing. Like absolutely nothing. Not the least smidgen memorable about him. He was short, bald, and very white. I swear the child looked like somebody yanked him out of the oven an hour too soon. Like he should be hawking insurance, designing software, or selling used Chevrolets. Like he only had sex by default. I mean total Downtown Geeksville.
Such a vivid description that at the same time reveals.Eddie's way of looking at other comics.
Tormented Characters
If you're looking for a book about super talented people who have their whole life together, moving along at a smooth clip, then this is not your book. Finding the Buddha centers around the lives of Marc and several comedians who know and respect him. These are talented people whose lives are messy.
Life experiences forge anyone into the person he or she is. Comedians doubly so, because they put their most painful experiences on display in hopes of getting laughs from the audience. Actors become someone else. Comedians don't.
Tafoya demonstrates a keen understanding of both human nature and the world of standup comedy. You will go deep inside each of the narrators who take up part of the story. No cardboard cutout characters here.
Here is a sample from one of the sections the character Eddie narrates:
I don’t know if you’ve ever been to an open-mike show at a comedy club, but the way it works is that about ten minutes before the show starts the manager calls all performers to the back and gives them the line-up for the night. About ninety percent of the acts are just God-awful, so horrendous they make you want to call your mother and cry. Mostly kids who go up on stage and drop F-bombs because that’s all their tender little minds pick up when they watch comedy on HBO or BET. They don’t understand that there is actually an art to this and it takes hard work. Usually, everyone getting on stage gets between three and five minutes, depending on how bad they are and how many comedians are on the bill. When you have thirty seconds left, the house manager shines a light from the control booth in the back, letting you know you have to wrap it up. If you’re not off in sixty seconds, they shut the mike off altogether and don’t let you go back on for two months. I swear they do. It’s happened to this little Firecracker. I learned my lesson the second time.
Deftly Handling Multiple Narrators
Writing a story from several characters' point of view can be tricky. Too often, the narrators are not sufficiently distinct and the reader doesn't get involved with them as individuals. Tafoya knows his comedians well and conveys each masterfully. You will never confuse Eddie for Mark.
It's important for the author to dive deeply enough into the mind and viewpoint of each narrating character that the reader fully believes in the truth of that person. Each must be a complete individual, not a cut-out with a different name. Each character needs to be a complete person to you the author before it will ever feel genune to a reader. If you struggle with this, read Finding the Buddha
Read my 5 star review on Amazon
Buy Finding the Buddha
Available at
Meet Author Eddie Tafoya
Eddie Tafoya grew up scurrying like a beetle through the dust, streetgrime, alleyways, and lavender dawns of Albuquerque's Old Town, Downtown, and Uptown. Educated in Albuquerque's parochial schools, the University of New Mexico, and Binghamton University, he has made a lifetime study of things comical, biblical, philosophical, verbal, and mystical. Since 1996, he has been a fixture in the Department of English and Philosophy at New Mexico Highlands University, where he teaches classes in creative writing, the New Testament as revolutionary literature, and stand-up comedy as literature. He lectures around the Southwest on the history, theory, and impact of American comedy and, when time allows, works as a stand-up comedian, a venture that has taken him to various venues from Wisconsin to Arizona and to feature spots on television shows like The After After Party with Steven Michael Quezada and The Duke City Comedy League.
His other books include The Legacy of the Wisecrack: Stand-up Comedy as the Great American Literary Form and Icons of African American Comedy. He lives, writes, and teaches in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Amazon's Eddie Tafoya Author Page
Facebook Page
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Ronda Del Boccio
#1 best selling author, speaker, and Amazon Top Reviewer
About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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September 14, 2015
Book Review of Cozy Mystery Melody for Murder: A Bertie Bigelow Mystery by Carolyn Marie Wilkins
Welcome back to another Write On Purpose book review. Each week, I review a well-written book, highlighting what makes it good from the reader’s perspective and what writing skills and techniques make it an irresistible read. Thus, each review serves both writers and readers.
This week, it's a cozy mystery called Melody for Murder. College professor Bertie Bigelow thinks her biggest problem is her job being on the line when one of her students goes off the rails at a live performance. She soon finds herself accused of murder and in deeper danger than she ca imagine.
Melody for Murder: A Bertie Bigelow Mystery by Carolyn Marie Wilkins
Book Description
On the South Side of Chicago, one SOUR note can lead to MURDER. When recently-widowed college choir director Bertie Bigelow reluctantly accepts a New Year's date with Judge Theophilous Green, she never imagines the esteemed civil rights pioneer and inveterate snob will be found shot to death the next morning. She's even more surprised when her talented but troubled student LaShawn Thomas is arrested for the crime. But Bertie suspects that someone in her tight-knit social circle is really the killer. Is it hot-tempered Patrice Soule, the voluptuous diva and recent winner of the Illinois Idol contest? Is it Charley Howard, the BBQ Hot Sauce King, a self-made millionaire with Mafia connections? Is it the mysterious Dr. Momolu Taylor? Newly arrived from Africa, he's invented a hot new sex drug that's got some powerful politicians feeling frisky. Or could it be Alderman "Steady Freddy" Clark, corrupt South Side ward boss and would-be patron of the arts? One thing is certain: Bertie Bigelow will need to keep her wits about her to avoid becoming the killer's next victim.
What makes this book a great read in my opinion?
I gave Melody for Murder a 5-star review on Amazon. Read it here.
Memorable Characters
Cozy mysteries need a memorable cast of characters, and Melody for Murder definitely has one.
Bertie Bigelow, our amateur sleuth, is a widow who ends up sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, according to both the bad guys and the police. She is a college teacher who is trying to find her way in life 9 months after the death of her beloved husband. She has interesting perspectives and a strong desire for justice. Definitely interesting. Having an amateur detective you care about is essential in a cozy series.
Ellen is the friend and confidant, key component in any cozy. She cracks me up with her dramatic love life and fierce loyalty to Bertie.
The Hot Sauce King is as fiery tempered as his condiment is spicy. He and Bertie get into a fight when she accuses him of murder. He threatens a libel lawsuit. Oh, Bertie!
A temperamental diva, a gifted kid who may be making questionable decisions, a smarmy judge and a peddler of natural remedies also people Bertie's world and make an engaging cast.
Intrigue
Did the inner-city youth lose his way and join a gang? Did the Hot Sauce King commit murder? And what about that purveyor of a male enhancement drug as well as stimulants that could rob a singer of her promising career?
And does Bertie's married lawyer friend have the hots for her? There is plenty of suspicion to go around for Bertie. Her job could come to an ignominious end because of what her star student did at the recital, then her reputation is on the line when she is accused of committing murder.
All the way through the book, I looked forward to my nightly reading time so I could find out what trouble Bertie would find herself in next.
I read a lot of cizies, and so many of them have an all or mostly Caucasian cast. Melody for Murder breaks this typical format.
About Author Carolyn Marie Wilkins
Carolyn Wilkins is a Professor of Ensembles at Berklee College of Music and the author of They Raised Me Up: A Black Single Mother and the Women Who Inspired Her, Damn Near White: An African American Family's Rise from Slavery to Bittersweet Success, and Tips For Singers: Performing, Auditioning, Rehearsing.
An accomplished jazz pianist, composer and vocalist, Carolyn's performance experience includes radio and television appearances with her group SpiritJazz, a concert tour of South America as a Jazz Ambassador for the US State Department, performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony as a percussionist under Andre Previn, and shows featuring Melba Moore, Nancy Wilson and the Fifth Dimension. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Carolyn now lives in Cambridge, MA
Visit Amazon's Carolyn Marie Wilkins Author Page
Visit the Carolyn Wilkins Author Facebook Page
Buy Melody for Murder
BUy from Pen-L Publishing
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September 6, 2015
Book Excerpt: Ridgeline, Book One of the Long Journey Home Series by Pamela Foster
Do you enjoy historical fiction? Here's an excerpt of a book about a circuit rider (preacher) with a tormented soul and the innocent who loves him despite his many flaws.
Book Excerpt: Rigeline
On the ridgeline, Jeremiah shifted in the saddle and breathed deep the smell of wood smoke floating up from the chimney of the cabin below, drank in the sight of Maggie, his woman, leaning in the open door of the cabin from which he had ridden away seven months earlier. He indulged his vanity and fed his hope by believing this woman had stood right there through all the long days he'd been gone serving the Lord, through every star-filled night while he curled, dog-like, around an open fire and watched the stars turn in the sky and imagined her just like this, watching the horizon for his return, patient even as he tarried.
As if, in his absence, she'd not gone about her daily life, tended her ragged garden, tolerated the touch of her brutish husband as he ran a rough hand up and over the birthmark that stained the inside of her left thigh, the reddish mark the near exact size and shape of a mouse, the curlicue of the tail disappearing into her dark warmth. As if, in place of what had become of her life, through all these days and nights, the woman had simply waited, her longing quietly drawing him to her as a ripe moon calls the rising tide.
The bay tossed her head, a quiver running from withers to nose. Jeremiah gathered the reins and spoke low, his words a silvery fog that hung in the motionless air for a moment before floating wraith-like to join a cloud of cooling sweat rising from the horse. Winter-robbed of all but palest gold, dawn's fingers crept over the eastern rise and glinted cold light from the woman's hand—a deep, lethal-blue flash the preacher knew all too well as the gemlike color of a tiny, killing bottle, no bigger surely than the seed of sin born in David's heart when first he looked upon Bathsheba.
The snarling voice of the woman's husband split the morning air, destroyed all hope. The sound floated up the hill ominous as the first notes of a bugle on a misty morn with men lined on either side of some godforsaken hill or blood-thirsty meadowland. Jeremiah spurred his horse down into the hollow even as Maggie raised the blue bottle to her mouth, her head thrown back, her tender, white throat exposed as she swallowed his dreams drop by drop, condemned him to hell for all eternity.
"Nooooo!" His plea pierced the heavens.
Read my book review of Ridgeline here.
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September 5, 2015
Peanut Butter Sorghum Dog Biscuits Recipe: Leader Dog Jemma Approved
What dog doesn't love cookies? Most humans I know like cookies too, including yours truly.
Looking at the high price of all natural dog biscuits made me decide to try making some of my own for Leader Dog Jemma. I've made 2 different kinds so far. She likes both, but this by far is her favorite so far.
Since so many of you have dogs and since people have been sitting pretty and begging me for the recipe, here it is! I've also decided to make a recipe book of homemade dog treats as a companion volume to the book about my journey with Jemma.
Here's her reaction to them. What you've missed is her sniffing the air an d gazing lovingly at the oven as they baked! I didn't have the heart to make her wait hours and hours for them to dry and harden.
Peanut Butter Sorghum Dog Biscuits Recipe
You can prep them in about 15 minutes. Once they're baked, you'll dry them in the oven overnight for a hard biscuit or remove to a wire rack then store once cool for a softer cookie.
You can use blackstrap molasses if you prefer. I like the nutrition profile of sorghum a little better.
Oven 350
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c quick oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ c reduced fat or fat free milk
1 c peanut butter
1 tablespoon sorghum or molasses
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Blend dry ingredients. Make a well.
Mix in wet ingredients.
Form a dough. It will be soft. You may need to add a little more flour.
Place 2 pieces of parchment paper on your surface. One will be where you place your dough, the other will go on top. This ensures a clean surface and means you don’t have to add so much flour.
Once the dough is well formed, turn out onto one parchment piece. .Cover with second piece. Roll out to ½ inch (one half inch) thickness. You may need to flip the dough over to avoid creasing. When ready to cut cookies, you’ll obviously need to remove the top layer of parchment.
Dip your cutter in flour for nice clean cuts.
Use a bone or other desired shape cutter to make the biscuits. Press firmly; don’t wiggle. Remove excess dough from around the treats. Place extras aside to re-roll and cut more.
Place biscuits onto a parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Leave to dry in oven overnight, if your dog can stand the wait.
Hint: I could never tell you if my dough was a half inch thick without help. I use round discs that fit over the rolling pin so I get the right thickness every time.
Stay tuned for more adventures of Leader Dog Jemma. Put her hashtag #LeaderDogJemma on the social web for pictures, stories, videos and more. She has her own YouTube playlist, Instagram photos, tweet, Facebook posts and more!
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About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
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September 4, 2015
Book Review of Historical Fiction Novel Ridgeline by Pamela Foster
Welcome back to another Write On Purpose book review. Each time, I review a well-written book, highlighting what makes it good from the reader’s perspective and what writing skills and techniques make it an irresistible read. Thus, each review serves both writers and readers. I was on hiatus for a while because I traveled to Leader Dogs for the Blind in Michigan to train with my new guide dog. We have been home for a short while, and I'm back to writing
This week, I'm sharing Ridgeline, a historical fiction novel by an excellent writer, Pamela Foster.
I've reviewed another of her books,
Ridgeline
Book Description
Book One of The Long Journey Home Series
by Pamela Foster
Jeremiah Jones set off to war, a boy full of pride and ignorance, seeking glory and to prove his manhood. That boy never returned. Wounded to the depths of his soul, Jeremiah clung to sanity only by holding tight to the memory of Maggie, the girl he'd loved since the first time he saw her in his father's church. But Maggie had married another.
His soul seeking peace, but his warrior's heart wanting only battle, Jeremiah's mind is caught in the middle, between heaven and hell. Though he rides the saddle-preacher circuit, bringing the word of the Lord to all who'll listen, inside rages the killing beast that war birthed within him. The only ones he can count on are two ghosts; the first two men – but not the last – who tried to stand against him. Tried, and failed.
Cold company indeed, for that long journey home.
Was this a worthy read?
The writing is, as I would expect from Foster, top notch. In terms of the craft of writing, she can paint a scene with rich, dark detail. If you are an author looking for help with character development or a reader who loves multi-dimensional people in your stories, this book will not disappoint.
Read my 5 star review on Amazon here.
Deep Point of View
You'll dive deep into Jeremiah, who is tormented by his past and full of conflict. Here is the opening of the book:
On the ridgeline, Jeremiah shifted in the saddle and breathed deep the smell of wood smoke floating up from the chimney of the cabin below, drank in the sight of Maggie, his woman, leaning in the open door of the cabin from which he had ridden away seven months earlier. He indulged his vanity and fed his hope by believing this woman had stood right there through all the long days he'd been gone serving the Lord, through every star-filled night while he curled, dog-like, around an open fire and watched the stars turn in the sky and imagined her just like this, watching the horizon for his return, patient even as he tarried.
Foster is a master of the human condition, and her characters share their inmost thoughts, emotions and fears in her books. Jeremiah is a preacher like no other, with a taste for women and a tortured soul. You'll be deep inside the mind of a man with war on his mind but trying to change his nature.
The one thing that disturbs me deeply out this book is Adeline, who takes a lot of abuse from Jeremiah because of her love and attraction to him. But in books, as in life, people are what they are.
This book is deep and dark, not something to read when you want a light, entertaining book. But if you love conflict and depth of character heavily sprinkled with dark is for you. I enjoy all sorts of books, both the "brain deep. I choose a book depending on my mood at the time.
Watch for an excerpt of the book, coming soon.
Get the book
BUy from the publisher, Pen-L Publishing.
About Pamela Foster
Pamela Foster grew up in the redwoods of northern California where her family has raised all manner of mischief for eight generations. She's lived on the banks of the Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii, on the edge of the Mexican Caribbean, in the prickly-sticklies of the Arizona high desert, and on the tropical coast of Panama. She now lives in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas with her husband and his retired PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder) service dog.
When she's not writing-or teaching writing workshops-Foster volunteers her time to raise public awareness of PTSD and its effects, speaking at Veteran's Centers and civic groups.
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About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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August 31, 2015
16 Free Writing Competitions with Worthwhile Prizes
GUEST Post Written By Cathy Bryant
See the original article source and read the FULL listing.
You’d love to enter writing competitions, but they’re so expensive. And what are the chances of winning? It doesn’t make good financial sense. You shake your head firmly, close the window on your screen, and sigh a little.
And then, I hope, you remember that not all writing competitions charge a fee, and you have some fun entering the free ones below.
You literally have nothing to lose – not even a few dollars – and there are some excellent prizes out there, just waiting to be yours.
I’ve done pretty well by entering these myself. Who doesn’t love accolades and money for their creative work?
1. Open internationally, this contest asking for a funny poem is a firm favourite in the writing comp world. It has twelve prizes ranging from $100 to $1000, and there’s no fee to pay. Entry is simple via a form on the site. Disclosure: I won this in 2015 and it’s just glorious. I got a shirt and a certificate as well as the money. Money is useful for grown-ups, but my inner child loves a fancy certificate. https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free
2. Again open worldwide, this comp from ThinkGeek is for techie haiku. Surely if it’s funny, as most entries are, then it’s a senryu? Either way, you could win a $50 ThinkGeek voucher. If a friend or relative does your tech support, as in my case, then giving them the voucher would be a great way to say thank you. Or, you know, you could actually pay them, though that seems a bit extreme. After all, they’re IT people and we’re writers. They have all the money already. http://www.thinkgeek.com/haiku/#details
3. Another international competition, the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award has a delectable £30,000 prize and is a must-enter in your comp list. This year’s has already been won – congratulations to the winners! – but the next should be open early in 2016. Get writing short fiction now! How often do we writers see a prize that big, without having to pay a hefty entry fee? http://www.booktrust.org.uk/prizes/5/
4. The prizes for the regular themed fiction comps at On the Premises are small, but they host several comps and mini-contests per year, so it’s worth having a go. The themes make great prompts, too. The easiest way to stay informed is to sign up to their newsletter. I never win these but I find the prompts useful, and I usually place my work elsewhere eventually. http://onthepremises.com/index.html
Thanks, Cathie!
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Ronda Del Boccio
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About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
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