Lance Greenfield's Blog, page 31
March 3, 2019
A Personal Perspective
No words from me are necessary.
Just read this and you’ll find out why you should join us at the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards.
Early in 2015, I went on holiday. I’ve got to say, February in Suffolk wasn’t the most appealing option for me, but for some reason I agreed to it. I’d never been to Suffolk before, nor have I since, but that’s not for a lack of interest. We had a surprisingly enjoyable week.
The previous year, I’d encountered and received support for my writing from fellow author and blogger, Dylan Hearn. His blog goes by the name Suffolk Scribblings and, with the clue being in the title, my holiday seemed like a great opportunity to meet up. So we did, spending a couple of hours in a nearby hostelry one evening, getting to know each other better and sharing thoughts and ideas.
Up to that point, although my interactions with other bloggers had been positive, there was still something missing in terms of the connection. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve…
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The Intangible healing of creativity
For me it is all about the timeless flow and the interconnectedness of everything. Let your mind flow freely across the universe. No limits.
“The creative process in all its many forms is the key to emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing.” Janet weight reed
My hummingbird imagery symbolises the unseen and intangible in our world. Just because we can’t see or touch something doesn’t mean it’s not there or is having a profound effect on our lives.
The Aboriginals, Native Americans and many other indigenous peoples around the globe have a deep understanding of our spiritual, physical, social and cultural connection to the land. They believe all of life as it is today, human, animal, bird and fish is part of one vast unchanging network of relationships. They understand fully the importance of land management care towards our health and overall wellbeing. 
It seems that many people today, young and old from all sectors of society, are experiencing physical and emotional illnesses and distress. …
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February 24, 2019
Book Review: The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Dark and sinister
This is the macabre and sinister tale of David Martín, a journalist who turns to writing books. Initially, these are regularly churned out, trashy stories, written purely for income. I won’t tell where he progresses to, or describe any of the weird events that ensue, for fear of spoiling this wonderfully intriguing story for you. Suffice to say that this book is packed with action and mystery.
If you build an affinity with a strongly crafted character, then you are in danger of becoming quite depressed as you follow the exploits of unfortunate David Martín. He lives out his life in dull sepia. If anything could ever go wrong for the poor chap, it did. If he went to Heaven, St Peter would show him to the worst suite in the place and show him a bed of nails on which he may rest.
Despite all this, Martín’s tale is so compelling that you cannot leave it until you have read to the last sentence of the book.
Although the events described in The Angel’s Game precede those of Shadow of the Wind, there are clear connections between the characters and places which are featured in both books. The magical writing of Zafón is, once more, captivating. However, if I were to rank the two books against each other, I would say that Shadow would slightly edge it. There were times in this book when a discomforting feeling of boredom started to impinge on my enjoyment. Overall. It is a wonderful book and deserves five stars.
February 22, 2019
Random Elef-Act of Kind-Mouse
Dear Diana has a monthly prompt going on, using a picture. It is a speculative fiction prompt, so we can write whatever we want, and this photo has been popping up into my reader on such a regular basis… things started to form in my mind…
The stormy winds did blow
The house it teetered so
The mice called for help from friend or foe
Their voices carried, but where did they go?
The snowflakes made a different sound
The elephant felt it in the ground
She followed over hill and mound
And this was what old Ellie found
A family made of her biggest fear
As she approached they raised a cheer
Even the littlest appeared to peer
And Mummy Mouse, she wiped a tear
"Oh Elephant, so big and strong,
We've been stranded for so long.
To leave us now would be so wrong.
Restore us please…
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February 20, 2019
Challenge: Two Sentence Horror Story
Can you write a horror story in just two sentences?
Here is my attempt.
As I regained consciousness, I realised that I was naked, tied to a tree and smothered in beef gravy. The wolves that circled around me were licking their lips and baring their sharp, glistening fangs.
What do you think?
Please share your own attempt in the comments below.
February 19, 2019
Book Review: No Tomorrow (Killing Eve #2) by Luke Jennings
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Despite having a gigantic TBR mountain, I by-passed them all and started reading No Tomorrow as soon as I had finished reading Codename Villanelle.
The story continued at the same frantic pace. That continued, with plenty of shocking surprises, right up to the end of the second, and final, book in the series. Had there been a third volume of Villanelle, I would have moved on to that. Instead, it is left to the reader’s imagination to continue the story.
This is tremendous writing and exciting reading.
I can’t say too much about the vicious and, seemingly, heartless Villanelle or her pursuer, Eve, without giving away spoilers. There is plenty of violence and some very clever and cunning ways in which she kills her victims.
You would normally feel revulsion for a protagonist who is a serial killer, but I really like, or even, love her. Most of her victims are real baddies who probably deserve their fate. The few who are not, simply get themselves in the way of a ruthless killer or are caught in the wrong circumstances.
This is a rip-roaring thriller of a read and I thoroughly recommend it.
I’ve been nominated!
[image error]I have just learned that I have been nominated for Best Book Blog at the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards 2019!
Why?
I had to ask myself that question.
To answer myself, I had to review my blog going right back to the very beginning in January 2015. I launched the blog to promote my own novels and then to provide a lot of fun and good information for my followers.
Apart from the occasional time-travelling coach trip and lots of short pieces to make you COL (Chuckle Out Loud), I was surprised to see how many book and film reviews I’ve posted over the years. Since well before I started blogging, or even knew what a blog was, I have been posting honest reviews of every book that I’ve read on Goodreads, Amazon and Waterstones. For the past four years, I’ve been posting them here too.
Sometimes they have been controversial. For example, my review of that great German literary masterpiece, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, caused a stir on both Goodreads and Amazon. I didn’t have too many followers when I posted it on Write to Inspire, so there are less comments here.
So, the answer to my question is that I have posted as lot of book reviews and that my followers enjoy reading them and discussing my honest opinions.
Fingers crossed. I’d love to pick up my first ever award for writing and blogging.
To find out more about the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards 2019, take a look at the website: ABBA 2019.
And there is more!
Find out more about how to enter the 2019 Bloggers Bash Blog Post Competition here.
The judges this year are Gareth Stevens and Janice Wald.
Who’s Your Favourite Blogger?
Nominations are open until the end of March. Voting will be open for a week in mid-April. It’s a brilliant event whether you are nominated or not. Come along and meet some really interesting people. It’s a fantastic day out!
We all have our favourite blogs and bloggers, don’t we? But how often do we shout about who they are to each other?
Image credit: PixabayOf course, leaving them thoughtful comments on their blog posts, or sharing their posts on social media, are just a few ways we can reveal who our favourite blogs and bloggers are, but there’s also another way to tell the world who they are.
Once a year, you can support your favourite blogs and bloggers by nominating them for an award at the Annual Bloggers Bash. Not sure what the Annual Bloggers Bash is? Click here for full details.
This year, the Bloggers Bash is celebrating its fifth year, and one of the highlights of the event are the Bloggers Bash Awards. There are ten awards up for grabs including Best Book Blog, Best Photography Blog, Best Writing/Blogging Blog, to name but a few…
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February 15, 2019
Book Review: The Astonishing Colour of After by X.R. Pan
The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X.R. Pan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Poor Leigh is only sixteen years old when her mother commits suicide. She is overwhelmed with guilt. She can’t get over the thought that she should have been there for her Mum rather than enjoying her first kiss with boyfriend, Alex. She feels that she should have paid more attention to the obvious signs of her mother’s depression. She blames her father for being away on business too much, out of the lives both her mother and herself.
The spirit of Leigh’s mother soon appears as a large red bird and speaks to her, but she becomes rather elusive. She had left a scribbled note telling Leigh, “I want you to remember.”
Leigh has never met her Taiwanese grandparents. Her Dad takes her to Taiwan. He soon falls out with his in-laws and leaves. Leigh speaks very little Mandarin or Taiwanese but manages to communicate with her Waigong (grandfather) and loving Waipo (grandmother). A family friend, Feng, appears on the scene and helps Leigh to understand the culture and the cuisine and the language and the implications of Ghost Month. Feng shows her around her mother’s childhood haunts.
The clock is ticking. The spirit lives in limbo for only forty-nine days before moving on into the next life. The red bird form of Leigh’s mother will only be around for so long.
Reincarnation becomes a big part of the story. Early on, Leigh recalls, “When I was little, I used to ask how they met, and they would just say they’d known each other since the beginning of time, for hundreds of lives.”
Interestingly, Leigh is a synesthete. Sights and sounds and scents and textures all invoke colour. However, I think that the author makes too much of this. Annoyingly, Alex keeps asking her, “What colour?” The narrative could have made these feeling more natural and less forced. It becomes tedious.
I love the way that the emotions and feelings and curiosity and spiritual awareness of the young lady are tracked through the book. I like the exploration of the Taiwanese culture.
The Astonishing Colour of After is an enjoyable and very thought-provoking read. It does get a bit tedious at times, but I thoroughly recommend it.
February 13, 2019
Who’s Joining the Spoilt Miranda series?
I can’t wait to meet Snotty and Spotty and find out what they get up to in Eloise De Sousa’s latest stories. I am sure to COL (Chuckle Out Loud).
It has been the long awaited sequel to Cecil the Bully and Spoilt Miranda. At last, their friends will be getting a chance to tell their own tale of meeting the infamous Ms Crow and her deadly stare.
Without further ado, I present:
Snotty Norman and Spotty Sally Find Fame
Now that the year 6 children of Arden White Primary School have enjoyed their summer holidays and forged new friendships outside the confines of the school grounds, we meet them again as they start their first day at Evelyn Winsborough Academy – a school with a reputation for aggressive behaviour and truancy.
Little do they know that the school has had a major overhaul over the last year. With sparkling new classrooms and hi-tech gear to keep the children occupied (and monitored), Mr Dank, the Head Teacher, expects a high standard of behaviour from the newbies. Unfortunately for him…
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