Harmony Kent's Blog, page 13
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 
February 13, 2023
#Health Update for Harmony #Fribromyalgia and @vocal_creators #TopStories!
Image by Anne-marie Ridderhof from Pixabay. Edited in Canva.Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend.
Today, I have some news for you, which I’ve thought long and hard about for a while.
Some of it is good and some not so good. So, here goes …
Many of you know I’ve experienced chronic pain and fatigue for a while now, on top of already being an amputee with chronic neuralgia and insomnia and all the fun that can bring at times.
Since June 2021, I experienced a sudden, unexplained onset of symptoms, which included nerve pain, muscle spasms, and extreme fatigue and brain fog.
I’ve been on high dose steroids since March 2022, and that has brought its own set of challenges. But at least it helped with the pain. From December, I have been on a punishing reducing regimen. It’s been a struggle to stay online and keep up with all of my fantastic online friends, but being online with you all is also something I love.
Finally, in December 2022, I had a consultation with a Rheumatology consultant. When I saw this lovely doctor again, at the end of January, he offered a tentative diagnosis: Fibromyalgia … and it is tentative at this stage.
At this point, I’m in the process of trying to find out as much about this condition as I can and research ways to help myself. Unfortunately, my GP is proving less than helpful, and I may end up completely on my own with this, medically speaking, which includes–and I can’t even think about this right now–not having any pain relief medication at all. His first words upon hearing ‘Fibromyalgia’ were: ‘There’s no treatment for that.’ He then went on to say he can’t keep prescribing pain meds long term. Well, what he said isn’t–strictly speaking–true. While there is no cure, there are treatment options, such as pain management. So, it seems I’m going to have to push hard here as well as find ways to treat the pain myself. Not great, but I’m determined. I have no choice, really.
It may be that I can find a specialist in private practice, with affordable rates–oh, goodness, I hope so!–who might be able to help me manage the symptoms and find workable solutions. Yet something else to which I will need to give time and energy.
Throughout all of this, I haven’t managed to write anything longer than short stories or poems for a LONG TIME. I have a novella obligation this year, which I desperately want to get written, and I’m missing that sort of writing! The reality is that I can’t do it all. Even though I REALLY REALLY want to.
So, I’m sad to say, you won’t be seeing me around as much online for a while. On a daily basis, by the time I’ve caught up on all your wonderful blog posts, responded to your lovely comments on my blog, and interacted on Twitter, I don’t have the energy or brain focus to do anything else. Some days, I can’t even read let alone write.
As you will have guessed by now, I’ve gone the long way around saying I’m going to have to take a break from being online until I get my novella written. This makes me so sad, yet also hopeful that at the end of it I can come back stronger and with a book to show for it!
Image by Anne-marie Ridderhof from Pixabay. Edited in CanvaI won’t disappear completely, and I will try and post here and on Vocal as regularly as possible. What I won’t be doing is be active on Twitter beyond the odd retweet or tweet, and neither will I be responding to all the blogs I’m following. Each day, I’ll try to do some, but I can’t make any promises.
I have review posts scheduled up to the beginning of April, and it is my hope to at least continue with those weekly review posts. But that will have to be a take-it-as-it-comes situation. Also, you’ll see me roughly once a month over at Story Empire with a series of posts on Homonyms, and I’d be delighted if you could come over and say hello on those days!
Vocal has become a great platform for me to express myself creatively and hone my poetic and short-fiction talents. And if I can manage it, I’d like to continue to put some energy and time into that and share the results with you …
… Which leads me to my good news of the day … I have not one but two–yes, TWO!!!–short stories that Vocal has named as Top Story, and I am so thrilled and shocked and awed and doing my happy dance! 
If you haven’t read them already, you can find each Top Story below …
Image by Anne-marie Ridderhof from Pixabay. Edited in CanvaI’m so sorry I won’t be able to be around to cheer you on or say hello as often as I’d like, and I hope you understand. It’s not because I don’t care, because I truly do!
At the moment, it seems that I have to retreat in order to advance. I can’t thank you enough for all your love and support over the years, and I appreciate each and every one of you.
I’d also like to say I’m still open to any of you who’d like to guest post with new releases from time to time. All I ask is that you give me plenty of time between sending the post materials and the date of posting!
This isn’t a goodbye but rather a ‘See You Soon!’
Hugs and Love, Harmony 
February 8, 2023
#BookReview: First Fifteen Times by D G Kaye @pokercubster #lifelessons
Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a favourite writer of mine, and fellow blogging friend, D G Kaye … an author many of us know and love >>>
About the Book:This book is a collection of stories about some of Kaye’s first-time experiences with life’s most natural events. Told through the intimate conversational writing we’ve come to know from this author, poignant personal steppingstones to learning moments are revealed. She encompasses the heart of each matter with sincerity and sprinkled inflections of humor.
From first kiss to first car to walking in the desert with four-inch heels, Kaye’s short coming-of-age stories take us through her awakenings and important moments of growth, often without warning. Some good and some not, life lessons are learned through trial and error, winging it, and navigating by the seat of her pants.
My Review:
A quick and easy read
I have read and enjoyed books by this author previously. So when Fifteen First Times released, I grabbed a copy right away. At 92 Kindle pages, this is a quick and easy read.
‘We live, we experience, we learn, we become, and we overcome.’ I loved this quote in the opening pages, which spoke to my own life truths.
In this book, the writer shares fifteen firsts–or, in some cases, almost or kind-of firsts–with the reader, along with what she learnt from each experience. Many of these, I couldn’t connect with so easily, as I didn’t need to diet as a child but, rather, struggled to get enough to eat. The same with the shoe fetish, where I used to stuff the soles with cardboard as new shoes were nowhere near my horizon. Neither did I have my father buy a new car for me or have an aunt and father who could rent me a flat. What I did connect with was the narcissistic mother, who had more concern for her own life than that of her daughter. The lack of knowledge of that first period, I could relate to strongly, as my mother failed to mention this major event completely, and I had many of the same fears and shame as did D G Kaye, which she expressed wonderfully.
While I might not have connected fully with each experience, I loved the raw honesty of this short memoir, told in a slice-of-life fashion. And the final chapter, where the author shares her utter anguish at the loss of her husband–lifelong partner and best friend–moved me deeply. The author’s outgoing personality shone through in this small book, as did her ability to make friends easily, which came through in her chatty, easy-to-relate-to style of writing. I believe that this little memoir will appeal to women of all ages–both as a cautionary tale and as inducing poignant memories of ‘the good old days’.
***
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: First Fifteen Times by D G Kaye @pokercubster #lifelessons first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.
February 6, 2023
Harmony is Vocal! The Safe House in @Vocal_Creators #shortstory #challenge #fiction #thriller
The Safe House …
Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on UnsplashHi everyone. I’ve written a short story for Vocal’s If Walls Could Talk Challenge. Vocal’s criteria for this fiction challenge is to: “Write a fiction story from the perspective of a wall that can talk. Write a short fiction story where the wall of a structure of your choice becomes the narrator, telling the tales of the secrets and events that have taken place in front of them.
“Use the phrase “if walls could talk” as the story’s opening line, and give the wall a voice that reflects the age, history, and milestones they have witnessed. The wall can be public or private and located anywhere, during any time period.”
You can find my short story, of around 2,000 words HERE.
Also, I entered a flash fiction piece, which I wrote back in August 2020–how the time flies!–which you may or may not remember, called The Mad House, which you can find HERE if you’d like to take a look. I took a chance and entered this into the ‘if walls could talk’ competition too!
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 2, 2023
Harmony is Vocal! Everywhere and Nowhere in @Vocal_Creators #poem #challenge #poetrylovers #Tanka #Perception
Everywhere and Nowhere …
Hi everyone. I’ve written a second short poem for Vocal’s Uncommon Challenge. Vocal’s criteria for this poetic challenge is to: “Write a poem about something rare.”
You can find my short poem HERE.
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 1, 2023
#BookReview: Captive Hearts: A Persuasion Variation by Kelly Miller @Kellyrei007 #Regency #Romance @bookroar_tweets
Hi everyone. Today I have a book review for you from an author who has become one of my favourites. I’ve loved many books of Kelly Miller’s, but this one left me a bit bored from about 50 to 80% of the book, where the suspense then ramped right up. Here’s my review for Captive Hearts, another Regency Romance variation. This one an adaptation of Persuasion by Jane Austen >>>
About the Book:
Will Captain Wentworth realize too late that he has a second chance at love?
With a successful naval career and a fortune to his name, Frederick Wentworth receives a hero’s welcome from his sister’s neighbours.
One person, though, presents a source of vexation. Years earlier, Miss Anne Elliot had reneged on her promise to marry Wentworth, revealing a significant character flaw. Yet Anne’s unmarried state at the age of seven and twenty, her altered demeanour, and her resolute avoidance of Wentworth raise questions that gnaw at his composure.
In this Regency variation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the captain follows the advice of a respected new friend and re-examines the agonizing circumstances of his bitter break from Anne, reaching a novel conclusion. But before he can act upon his new resolve, a dire twist of fate threatens Anne’s life.
My Review:
An easy, regency romance read with some suspense
Having read and enjoyed a few books by this author, I grabbed a copy of Captive Hearts as soon as I saw it.
As in this writer’s previous books, wonderful humour and banter permeate the verbal interactions between the characters. Despite this, however, the characters felt flat for me and I struggled to connect or care. After a slow build on mild love-foiled-frought-emotions tension, the pacing fizzled out massively between roughly the 50% and 80% parts of the story, and then the tension really ramped up and turned this regency romance into somewhat of a thriller. At that point, I raced through the rest of the book. Added to this, overuse of exclamation marks distracted me time and again, as did the at-times confusing use of vague pronouns, which I’ve come across in Miller’s previous works. This made for some interesting sentences, such as: ‘Croft embraced Anne and greeted him with a hearty handshake.’ For clarity, this could at least do with a comma between ‘Anne’ and ‘and greeted’. Even better would be to replace ‘him’ with ‘Wentworth’ so the reader can take in the intended characters without having to stop and reread it to make sense of it–especially when a number of people occupy the scene at once.
This time around, I struggled to find pull quotes for the review as no lines struck me enough to stay with me or resonate in particular. All in all, I found this to be an easy read with some suspense toward the end. Captive Hearts gets a strong 3 stars from me. For fans of Jane Austen, regency romance, and historical romance in general, I would say go and read this book!
***
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: Captive Hearts: A Persuasion Variation by Kelly Miller @Kellyrei007 #Regency #Romance @bookroar_tweets first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.
January 30, 2023
Harmony is Vocal! The Sound of Silence in @Vocal_Creators #poem #challenge #poetrylovers #Tanka #Meditation
The Sound of Silence …
Hi everyone. I’ve written a poem made up of three Tanka verses for Vocal’s Uncommon Challenge. Vocal’s criteria for this poetic challenge is to: “Write a poem about something rare.”
You can find my short poem HERE.
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
January 28, 2023
#BookReview: Sorrowful Soul at Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore today! #Poetry #Grief @sgc58
Hi everyone! I have a fantastic review at Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore today. I’m delighted and doing my happy dance.
I’m so awed by her kindness and would be thrilled if you could hop on over and leave us some love … HERE
Thanks so much, everyone, and have a wonderful weekend!
