Harmony Kent's Blog, page 12
March 8, 2023
#BookReview: Elwyn’s Blanket by Crystal Lynn Napolitano @crystalnapolit2 #ChildrensBooks
Hi everyone. Today I have a book review for you from an author I’ve read previously, Crystal Lynn Napolitano. This is a children’s book, which I like to read and review from time to time. You can find my five-star review for her other children’s book, Pink and Purple Bob HERE. And here’s my review for Elwyn’s Blanket >>>
About the Book:
Elwyn escapes reality by entering another world through her magical blanket. In this blue realm, her plush pup comes to life and they have colorful adventures. There are mystical creatures to go visit and discover. Everyone is invited to the queen’s feast except for one unwelcomed monster. In the end, Elwyn finds out this unwanted monster is the key to heal her broken heart.
Learn about family, love, and loss in this picture book through rhyme.
My Review:
A story about love and acceptance with gorgeous illustrations
As I said at the start of my five-star review for this author’s other children’s book, Pink and Purple Bob, ‘This is a wonderful children’s book that lends itself to shared reading. The illustrations are bright and colourful and just gorgeous.’ And this book is no exception.
The story is about acceptance and friendship, even to those that may scare you at first sight. It helps us show our kids that just because someone looks different it doesn’t mean they are somehow lesser or less deserving of our love, acceptance and friendship.
Rather than pull quotes, I’ve taken a screenshot of a page of the Kindle book to show both the narrative style and the absolutely gorgeous illustrations.
Elwyn’s Blanket gets a solid five stars from me.
***
NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.
5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.
UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08B8BDLW1/
US https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B8BDLW1/
I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by 
The post #BookReview: Elwyn’s Blanket by Crystal Lynn Napolitano @crystalnapolit2 #ChildrensBooks first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.
#InternationalWomansDay2023 How @SharonSalzberg Changed Harmony’s Life #InspiringWomen #Buddhism #meditation @christybis
Hi everyone! I hope this finds you well.
Today, I’m over at Christy Birmingham-Reyes place with a post on how one woman changed my whole life by writing a book.
You can find the post HERE. Thanks for all your support and have a wonderful day. Hugs 
The post #InternationalWomansDay2023 How @SharonSalzberg Changed Harmony’s Life #InspiringWomen #Buddhism #meditation @christybis first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.
March 4, 2023
Harmony is Vocal! Humans Need Not Apply #ShortStory in @Vocal_Creators #doglovers talking animals #challenge #fiction
Photo by Richard Brutyo on UnsplashHi everyone. I’ve written a short story for Vocal’s Tall Tail challenge about talking animals.
I giggled away as I penned this, which doesn’t often happen! 
You can find my entry HERE, which comes in at about 700 words and is estimated as a 3 minute read.
I’d love to know what you think! And I would be delighted if you could read and heart. To heart and/or comment, you’ll need to sign in to Vocal, which is free to do.
Thanks for all your support! Hugs
March 1, 2023
#BookReview: Menagerie by Joan Hall @JoanHallWrites @StoryEmpire #shortstories
Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for fellow author and Story Empire Contributor, Joan Hall. Having enjoyed many other books by Joan, and knowing how much she enjoys legend, folklore, and the mysterious, I grabbed this one as soon as it released >>>
About the Book:King’s. The Tower of London. Glass. What do these have in common?
Each is a famous menagerie.
While this Menagerie doesn’t focus on exotic animals, it does contain a collection of stories that explore various trials people face and how their reactions shape their worlds.
Survivors of a haunted bridge. Women who wait while their husbands fight a war. Former partners reuniting to solve a cold-case murder.
These are just three of the thirteen stories in this compendium, encompassing past and present, natural and supernatural, legend and reality. The genres and timelines are varied, but there’s a little something for everyone who enjoys reading about simpler times and small-town life.
My Review:
Short fiction that leaves you with feel-good vibes
Having read and enjoyed other books by this author, I grabbed a copy of Menagerie as soon as it came out.
This collection of 13 short stories, covering roughly 218 Kindle pages, is a great volume to dip in and out of. The tales cover multiple genres from legend and folklore to war and family drama. All share a glimpse of small-town life with down-to-earth characters that draw in the reader. The plots cover love, loss, hauntings, greed, the aftermath of domestic violence, war, and romance, and will appeal to a variety of age groups and lovers of diverse genres. All of them use clean language and have a gentle feel to them, but still hook your attention.
My personal favourites were the stories which brought ghosts, legends, and mysteries into the plot. Whatever the subject, though, each tale gives a feel-good vibe and leaves the reader satisfied. Here are some lines I enjoyed in particular >>>
‘Maggie feared what it said but ignoring the problem wouldn’t make it go away.’
And …
‘The anguished cries of the wounded called to me in my sleep.’
And …
‘The front door stood open as if beckoning visitors inside.’ … I love the spooky vibes in this line.
The story that gave me goose bumps was Storm Rider, and I loved the message in Seven Days, where enforced digital disconnection helped a struggling writer to rediscover herself and what matters in life.
Each story is unique and individual and set in varied time frames, which takes the reader far back in history and on into the 60s and 70s. Most of them hark back to simpler times, and this theme seems to run through even the more modern-day based tales, in which the characters are either compelled or encouraged to ‘switch off’ for a while.
If you like short fiction that covers multiple subjects and leaves you with feel-good vibes, you’ll be sure to enjoy this lovely collection from author Joan Hall. Menagerie gets five stars from me.
***
NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.
5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.
I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by
For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …
UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/
US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/
The post #BookReview: Menagerie by Joan Hall @JoanHallWrites @StoryEmpire #shortstories first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.
Harmony is Vocal! The Iron Dwellers #ShortStory in @Vocal_Creators #MagicalRealism #challenge #fiction
Hi everyone. In the wee small hours of this morning, when my muse insisted on being decidedly wide awake to pester me relentlessly, lols 
, I wrote a short story for Vocal’s Magical Realism Under Purple Clouds challenge. It took me all day, and now I’m a tad bit tired, so I’ll be playing catchup online tomorrow!
Vocal’s criteria for this fiction challenge is to ‘Write the first chapter of a magical realism story that starts with the following sentence:
‘Every night at midnight, the purple clouds came out to dance with the blushing sky.’
You can find my entry HERE, which comes in at 1,804 words and is estimated as an 9 minute read.
I’d love to know what you think! And I would be delighted if you could read and heart. To heart and/or comment, you’ll need to sign in to Vocal, which is free to do.
Thanks for all your support! Hugs
February 27, 2023
Harmony is Vocal! #ShortStory in @Vocal_Creators #TimeTravel #challenge #History #sciencefiction
Hi everyone. While I’m exhausted and struggling in general, I’ve also been determined to enter Vocal’s Time Travel short story competition. As it closes tomorrow, I feel I just got in under the wire. It took me the whole weekend and most of today, with plenty of starts and stops, but I did it!
Vocal’s criteria for this fiction challenge is to ‘Write a fiction story about a time traveler who tries to alter a historical event. How does someone with knowledge of the future alter the course of history when they travel back in time? How far back they go is up to you.’
You can find my entry HERE, which comes in at 2,143 words and is estimated as an 11 minute read.
I’d love to know what you think! And I would be delighted if you could read and heart. To heart and/or comment, you’ll need to sign in to Vocal, which is free to do.
Thanks for all your support! Hugs
February 22, 2023
#BookReview: A Phone for Christmas by Talia Zales @TaliaZales #ChildrensBooks @bookroar_tweets
Hi everyone. Today I have a book review for you from an author new to me, Talia Zales. This is a children’s book, which I like to read and review from time to time. I’ll have another little-one’s book review in a couple of weeks >>>
About the Book:
A Phone for Christmas tells the story of 10-year-old Luis who writes to Santa Claus asking for a phone for Christmas. After receiving so many letters asking for cell phones, Santa decides to deactivate everyone’s cells phones for an entire year! He sends each family a red rotary phone and a scroll of gray listing what each family needs to do to earn their cell phone back.
How will everyone cope without their screen-time? Will Luis ever get a cell phone? Find out what happens in A Phone for Christmas!
P.S. What would you do without your cell phone for a whole year?
My Review:
A story with an important message and lovely illustrations
I read a Kindle version of this sweet little book. The text is embedded within the pictures, and if needed the screen can be resized for reading. I love the idea of everybody having to spend a year without a mobile phone and interacting more with their family and friends instead, which includes playing games the old-fashioned way. Instead of pull quotes, I’ve taken a photo of one of the pages to give you an idea of the layout of the book and the style of the writing >>>
The narrative is told from the perspective of a grandfather telling his grandkids a tale from his childhood and shows the importance of face-to-face contact and spending time in the real world, away from the screen, and making memories together. Although this story is set at Christmas time, it spans a whole year, and is a lovely read for any season. A Phone for Christmas gets a solid four stars from me.
***
NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.
5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.
UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08B8BDLW1/
US https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B8BDLW1/
I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by
The post #BookReview: A Phone for Christmas by Talia Zales @TaliaZales #ChildrensBooks @bookroar_tweets first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.
February 21, 2023
#NewBook Redemption: A Father’s Fateful Decision by Gwen M Plano @gmplano #Thriller #Suspense
Hi everyone. Today, it gives me great pleasure to welcome fellow author, poet, Story Empire contributor, friend, and kindred spirit, Gwen Plano for a visit so she can share her fantastic news. Gwen has a new book! So, grab your beverage of choice and a snack, and sit back and relax while Gwen tells us all about Redemption >>>
Thank you, Harmony, for inviting me to visit today. Traveling across the planet to chat with a dear friend about my latest book is exciting. Hopefully, we’ll someday meet in person. [That would be so fantastic!] Till then, here’s a bit about this story.
It takes place in the Southeast corner of New York state, in the towns of New Rochelle and Cortlandt. The characters drive to Old Lyme, Connecticut, on occasion, but for the most part, the drama is in New York. Having spent about twenty years in and around that area, it was exciting to visit as a writer.
The book tackles themes of forgiveness and redemption through the mechanism of a family thriller. What does it mean to forgive when we’ve been deeply hurt? Is it possible for the culprit to be redeemed? What does that even mean? How do we create our future if we have an unresolved past?
Sometimes complicated situations help us see our own challenges in a different light. That is my hope for this book. Most of us won’t experience threats like those of my characters, but pain is pain, just as joy is joy. One may be more obvious than the other—but not less impactful.
In the excerpt below, the premonition of the protagonist, Lisa Holmes, sets the stage for the unfolding mystery.
Excerpt:
The simple ranch-style residence appears odd on the street of two-story colonials. Modest by neighborhood standards, it has proven sufficient for their family needs. Once out of the car, Lisa does a 180-degree glance about and concludes nothing has changed. The yard still appears unkempt, the window shade still broken, and the screen door remains torn—all just as a year ago, two years ago, maybe even five years ago.
Apprehensive, she climbs the three steps to the front door, calls in her “hello,” and waits. Mom greets her first.
“Oh, Lisa dear, I’m so happy you’ve arrived safely. Come on in, come on in. Can I get you something? You must be hungry after the drive.”
Just as she starts to respond, her dad appears.
“Nice of you to visit. Traffic problems?”
Lisa shrugs off his insinuation of dawdling, takes a deep breath, and gives him a cursory hug.
“I’ll be right back. I need to get my clothes.”
Slump-shouldered, Lisa walks to her car, stepping more heavily than usual. After grabbing her suitcase, she slams the door shut. The hell has begun.
She retraces her steps back into the house and goes straight to her childhood bedroom. Just then, the doorbell rings and sends an eerie chill down Lisa’s spine. She drops her suitcase and shouts to her father, “Don’t answer the door, Dad. Something’s not right.”
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Family secrets can be deadly. When Lisa Holmes visits her parents one fateful Saturday morning, she hugs her father and walks to her childhood bedroom. The doorbell rings. Her father opens the door, and one minute later, he lies dead on the floor—three bullets to the chest.
The Holmes family lives on a quiet street, but no one really knows Eric Holmes. He travels for business and comes home a few days each month. Unbeknown to all, Eric has multiple lives.
In this fast-paced psychological thriller, Lisa and her brother, Trace, embark on a quest to solve the mystery involving the murder of their father. The journey takes them into a secret world where nothing is as it seems. As the puzzle pieces begin to coalesce, they discover the meaning of Redemption.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gwen-m-plano
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3XIe6Yu
Story Empire: https://storyempire.com/gwen-m-plano
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gmplano
Blog: www.gwenplano.com/blog-reflections
PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3RebK0W
Amazon Purchase Page: https://amzn.to/3XKiLJn
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/redemption-gwen-m-plano/1142988218
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Without exception, each of us has experienced hardship. At times, we may have been overwhelmed by our circumstances. The loss of a loved one or the dissolution of a marriage may have devastated us. A life-threatening disease or a financial crisis may have shaken us to our core. When we confront such tragedies, hope can elude us, and it can be an effort just to breathe.
When facing life’s difficulties, we seek answers. In my case, I realized there was much I needed to learn. Sometimes I could not see the choices before me; I felt more a victim than a master of my fate. And so I became a pilgrim of sorts–searching for healing and purpose. I traveled across the oceans and throughout much of the United States in search of a secret elixir. Along the way, I discovered that I did not travel alone. There were others, many others, who accompanied me. My website focuses on that hallowed journey.
As for my professional background, I am a retired educator. I taught and served as an administrator in colleges in Japan, New York, Connecticut, and California. My academic background is a bit unusual, but it has served me well. I graduated with honors in nutrition from San Diego State University. I was awarded a master’s degree in theology from the University of the State of New York’s Maryknoll Seminary and then received a master’s in counseling from Iona College. Finally, I earned a doctorate in higher education from Columbia University.
Between travels with my husband and visits with family and friends, I now write. My first book, LETTING GO INTO PERFECT LOVE, Discovering the Extraordinary After Abuse, was published in June 2014 by She Writes Press and has just been re-published by the Fresh Ink Group. My second book, THE CONTRACT between heaven and earth, is co-authored by John W. Howell and was published June 1, 2018. My third book, THE CHOICE the unexpected heroes, was published June 4, 2019 by Fresh Ink Group. THE CULMINATION a new beginning was also published by the Fresh Ink Group on November 23, 2020. My latest book, REDEMPTION, was published by the Fresh Ink Group on February 21, 2023.
Though writing is an accomplishment of no small measure for me, my greatest treasure and most profound source of joy has been and is my four adult children. It is they who have guided me through life’s mysteries.
The post #NewBook Redemption: A Father’s Fateful Decision by Gwen M Plano @gmplano #Thriller #Suspense first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.
February 15, 2023
#BookReview: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens @tialaculde71 #comingofage #murder #mystery
Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for an author new to me, Delia Owens. Gwen Plano recommended both the book and the movie, and having loved the movie, I added the paperback to my Christmas list. Santa delivered! >>>
About the Book:The #1 New York Times bestselling worldwide sensation with more than 12 million copies sold, “a painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature” (The New York Times Book Review).
For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.
Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Delia Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.
My Review:
A story of abandonment, rejection, prejudice, and survival against all odds
After a good friend recommended Where the Crawdads Sing, I watched and loved the movie. Got the paperback for Christmas, and absolutely adored this book! It grabbed me from the first page and held on right until the end, even though I knew the plot and outcome because of watching the film.
Delia Owens knows how to bring people to life and how to write the scenery in such a visceral way she made the swamp into a character all its own, as the opening line shows: ‘Marsh is not swamp. Marsh is a space of light, where grass grows in water, and water flows into the sky.’
This is a story of abandonment, rejection, prejudice, and survival against all odds. I defy you not to fall in love with Kya and her world. The narrative is superbly written, and here are just a few of the many wonderful lines which will stay with me >>>
‘Kya lay her hand upon the breathing, wet earth, and and the marsh became her mother.’
And …
‘There was a stain across the front, a faded brown splotch under the shoulder straps, blood maybe. But it was faint now, scrubbed out like other bad memories.’
And …
‘Life had made her an expert at mashing feelings into a storable size.’
And …
‘One side of her heart shielding, the other longing.’
This is a story that you will connect with, even if–like me–you’ve never been near marsh or swamp. It is a coming of age as well as a romance and a murder-mystery-thriller all rolled into one and expertly executed. Where the Crawdads Sing gets a resounding 5 stars from me.
***
NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.
5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.
I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by
For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …
UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/
US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/
The post #BookReview: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens @tialaculde71 #comingofage #murder #mystery first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.
February 14, 2023
Harmony is Vocal! #Haiku in @Vocal_Creators #Poetry inspired by #time #challenge #WritingCommunity #poetsoftwitter #poetrylovers
Inspired by Time …
Hi everyone. While I should have been sleeping through the wee small hours of Monday into Tuesday …
though waked and in pain
early morn poetic muse
gifted eight haiku
So, silver linings and all that, at least something creative came out of my complete insomnia, and I’ve written 8 … ahem, yes, 8 … poems for Vocal’s Time Capsule Haiku Challenge. 
Vocal’s criteria for this Haiku challenge is simply a 5-7-5 syllable format without any of the usual rigid requirements of nature, etc. They ask the poet to: ‘Write a haiku about time. A time capsule is a historic cache of information that is intended to communicate the spirit of that time with people in the future. For this challenge, we are asking you to capture how a haiku can be a vehicle to represent a period of time or express the feeling of time.’
You can find my poems below …
1. Remains HERE
2. Reality? HERE
3. Layers HERE
4. Souled Out HERE
5. A World in a Grain HERE
6. Legacy HERE
7. For Posterity HERE
8. Before the Drought HERE
At 17 syllables each, they’re nice and short I’d love to know what you think! And I would be delighted if you could read and heart … even just one or two! To heart and/or comment, you’ll need to sign in to Vocal, which is free to do.
Right, now I’m going to attempt an afternoon nap, and I’ll see you all later …
Thanks for all your support! Hugs
