Harmony Kent's Blog, page 20

#TANKATUESDAY Weekly #POETRYCHALLENGE #286 #ThemePrompt #haiku @ColleenCheseboro

Hi everyone!

Today, I’ve joined Colleen’s weekly TankaTuesday challenge, which asks for us to create a syllabic poem based on the theme prompt: Lessons from nature. 

This week, I’ve chosen a Haiku poem.

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

You can find Colleen’s post HERE.

Here’s my take …

Water trickles, flows
Decorates moss-covered rocks
Slips past obstacles

The fluidity of water has always held special significance for me. I hope you enjoyed today’s poetry.

If you missed my moving Vocal poem, Oh for the Softness of Silence, from yesterday, and would like to check it out, you can find it HERE.

 

Have a lovely day!

 

© Harmony Kent 2022

 

Oh for the Softness of Silence @Vocal_Creators #Poem challenge #WritingCommunity #poetsoftwitter #ReadingCommunity

Oh for the Softness of Silence

Image … Image by Bianca Van Dijk from Pixabay

Hi everyone. I’ve written a poem for Vocal’s Get Comfortable Challenge.

You can find my 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

#BookReview: Linda’s Midlife Crisis by Toni Pike @piketoni1

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a light read from a fellow author I haven’t read before, Toni Pike. I’ll have to check out her other books for sure >>>

About the Book:

Meet Linda Lockwood: fifty, fat, frumpy and bullied by her horrible husband Ron and the vile students and principal at the school where she teaches English. But her life is about to undergo a total transformation.

Linda suffers a breakdown after a traumatic classroom incident, and that brings out the worst in Ron and devious principal, Wayne Forsythe. Then she is rocked to discover her husband has a shocking secret.

With her own determination and the help of friends and family, she starts to turn her life around. Her own success might be the best revenge, but life still has some more surprises for Linda.

 

My Review:

A light and entertaining read

I kept seeing this book around the web and had to pick up a copy.

“Fifty, frumpy, and a few extra kilos. That summarised Linda Lockwood in a few simple words that always seemed to whirl around in her head.” … from this opening line, we’re taken into the life of the main character, Linda, and her awful, awful husband. His character is so well drawn that you hate him and feel angry toward him. This takes skilful writing to pull off.

The pacing was steady, and the storyline straightforward with no plot turns or surprises, making this a light and entertaining read that takes the reader from A to B to C. After Linda’s nervous breakdown, the selfish husband had enough of the situation and left her, which actually worked out in her favour. From that point on, Linda set about turning her life around. She set a weight-loss goal and achieved it. Further, she sold the marital home after the divorce and moved to Canberra to be near her family, where more successes followed with work-related aims. A few bumps in the road would have enriched the reading experience for me, rather than things being so straightforward. However, this made for a relaxing read, and one perfect for the beach in summer.

Here are some lines that stood out for me …

“Every year, a little gloss had been wiped away and now only a dull, rusted undercoat was left.”

And …

“Love was so closely allied to hate and Linda found it hard to separate those two similar feelings.”

And …

“… you have nothing to prove to anyone. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t need anyone else because you have yourself.”

I loved the humour which threads throughout the narrative and the dialogue, and the human interactions that really come alive. Linda’s Midlife Crisis gets a solid 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for rating purposes. If you enjoy a light read with a low-level romance alongside, definitely give this book a go!

***

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/

 

#TANKATUESDAY Weekly #POETRYCHALLENGE #285 #Ekphrastic #PhotoPrompt #4-11 @ColleenCheseboro @gmplano

Hi everyone!

Today, I’ve joined Colleen’s weekly TankaTuesday challenge, which asks for us to create an Ekphrastic syllabic poem based on a photo prompt. Reena Saxena provided a piece of her artwork for this week’s challenge  …

 

I loved the new form of 4-11 created by Gwen Plano, so much that I used it again this week.

The 4-11 poetic form has 11 lines of 4 syllables each, and the first line repeats on the last line.

You can find Colleen’s post HERE.

Here’s my take …

 

Fabric of Life

 

A patchwork quilt

Warp overlaid

Stitches undone 

Shifted and shaped

Nap rearranged

Metamorphosed

From chrysalis 

To butterfly

Freely expressed

Myriad choice

A patchwork quilt

Today’s poem, as happened last week, can be read from bottom to top as well as top to bottom. I hope you enjoyed today’s poetry. Have a lovely day!

 

© Harmony Kent 2022

 

#BookReview: I Will Still Love You by Delicia McLean #childrensbooks @bookroar_tweets

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a children’s book with an import message by Dr and author Delicia McLean >>>

About the Book:

I Will Still Love You … is a beautifully illustrated picture book appropriate for children ages 0-9

Have you ever wondered why it’s important for children to experience and understand unconditional love? You know it’s important to show your children, but maybe you aren’t exactly clear on the long-term benefits?

From Dr. Delicia Mclean – renowned Psychologist and published author – comes an insightful approach to aid readers in the explanation of unconditional love in a way that young children can understand.

As a Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Delicia Mclean has helped countless people heal from childhood wounds and improve self-esteem and self-worth. Her experience as a mother inspired her to write this book as a resource for parents. She believes that experiencing unconditional love in childhood is a necessary element for the development of secure attachment. This leads to strong personal value, high self-confidence/self-esteem, and the ability to create and maintain healthy boundaries and relationships.

In I Will Still Love You, Dr. Mclean helps children understand that, no matter what they do or what others may think, a mother’s love will always be there.

In this heartwarming story, a young meerkat expresses disbelief that his mother really will still love him in the face of adversity. It’s told in a sweet rhyme and with reassuring words. Bold illustrations and adorable meerkats keep children entertained while hearing the message of unconditional love.

 

My Review:

An absolutely beautiful book for parents and children in all ways.

Not only filled with gorgeous illustrations but heartwarming, self-affirming words too.

I Will Still Love You brings an important messsage that children of all ages need to hear, and that all parents need to share. While a simple message in itself, it is absolutely vital for positive growth and self-esteem. Too many of us reach adulthood all the poorer and struggling because we never had the opportunity to learn, truly learn and internalise, this basic necessity of a child’s life … unconditional love. Having worked in Child Psychiatry years ago, I can vouch for the importance of a book such as this and the wonderful way in which the author gets the message across.

The book rhymes and flows beautifully, and I could quote the whole thing for standing out to me; however, I’ll limit myself to just a couple of examples …

“My love for you is forever | Like the rising and setting sun | Every day it’s a guarantee | My love for you will never be done.”

And …

“Our value doesn’t change with time | Or due to anxiety or trepidation | It stays just the same | Regardless of looks or social station.”

A quick read, and one worth repeating and re-reading over and again. I Will Still Love You gets a resounding 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/

 

#TANKATUESDAY Weekly #POETRYCHALLENGE #284 #SpecificForm: 4-11 @ColleenCheseboro @gmplano @YvetteMCalleiro

Hi everyone!

Today, I’ve joined Colleen’s weekly TankaTuesday challenge, which asks for us to create a syllabic poem based on a specific form. This week, Yvette M Calleiro chose the new form of 4-11 created by Gwen Plano.

The 4-11 poetic form has 11 lines of 4 syllables each, and the first line repeats on the last line. I’ve taken the liberty of repeating the first 2 lines.

You can find Colleen’s post HERE.

Here’s my take on a 4-11.

 

Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay

 

100 Seconds to Midnight

 

Armageddon 

Has it arrived?

Wild fires rage

Water runs out

Sun boils bodies

Tempers flare hot

Out of control

Man’s arrogance

Mother Nature 

Has it arrived?

Armageddon 

Today’s poem can be read from bottom to top as well as top to bottom. Despite its doomsday references, I hope you enjoyed today’s poetry. Have a lovely day!

 

© Harmony Kent 2022

 

Prime Directive: The Fight for Survival Begins @Vocal_Creators #ShortStory challenge #WritingCommunity #readersoftwitter #ReadingCommunity

Prime Directive

Photo by Aideal Hwa on Unsplash

Hi everyone. I’ve written a short story (roughly 1650 words) for Vocal’s New Worlds Challenge.
We had to use the opening line: Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. 

And the story is to be written as the first chapter of a novel or novella.

My story is HERE. 

I’d love to know what you think! And I would be delighted if you could read my competition entry and leave a like. To like and/or comment, you’ll need to sign in to Vocal, which is free to do.

 

Thanks for all your support! Hugs

#NewBook: The Steaks Are High: A Karnie Cleaver #Mystery (Karnie Cleaver Mysteries Book 2) by Judi Lynn @judypost

Hi everyone. It gives me great pleasure to host fellow author and blogger Judi Lynn. Judi has a fun new cozy mystery novel out, and I can’t wait for her to tell us all about it! >>>

I met Harmony through Story Empire.  I was so impressed with her blogs and short fiction on Vocal that I started to follow her.  And I’m glad I did.  Her Amazon page:  Harmony at Amazon.  Her Story Empire page:  https://storyempirecom.wordpress.com/harmony-kent/ . So, I was thrilled when Harmony invited me to her blog.  And I hope she feels comfortable whenever she wants to visit mine.  I’ll always have room for her! [I sure do, Judi!!!]

I’m here to promote my newest cozy mystery, THE STEAKS ARE HIGH.  It’s my second Karnie Cleaver mystery, and Karnie’s married now, excited about helping her new husband Matt, raise his two young children, Chelsea and Jackson.  Matt and Karnie would have never paid attention to each other if not for Matt’s daughter, Chelsea, close to three.  Matt had gone to school with Karnie and her older brother Chuck.  He was one of Chuck’s best friends.  They played football together.  Both guys were good-looking and had no trouble finding girls.  In fact, girls flocked to them.  Matt thought of Karnie as Chuck’s geeky, little sister.

Karnie didn’t get any of the good looks in their family.  She knew she was plain.  And smart.  And probably anal.  She considered Matt a player, especially once he hooked up with the gorgeous cheerleader, Renee.  They married soon after high school and had two children.  But Renee didn’t like being a farmer’s wife.  She liked the glamour of marrying the high school football star, not the man who raised grassfed Angus cattle.  And children were a bore.  So, she left when their daughter Chelsea was only six months old, and Matt was left to raise the two kids himself.

When Matt brought Chelsea into Karnie’s family’s butcher shop, his daughter took one look at Karnie and raised her arms.  She wanted Karnie to hold her.  Karnie would never know why, but Matt’s little girl had decided she wanted Karnie to be her new mommy.  Karnie had seen herself as forever happy and single.  Matt had decided he didn’t have time to date.  But Chelsea changed all that.  She threw the two of them together, and good things happened.

Of course, no mystery would be complete without a murder, so that’s thrown into the mix, too.  And Karnie finds out that life is more than work and downtime.  Romance and kids take up time, too.  But it’s all worth it.  If you try The Steaks Are High, I hope you enjoy it.   And thanks for hosting me, Harmony! [I’m so happy to have you over to visit, Judi, and wish you all the best with your latest book!]

About the Book:

Karnie Cleaver works in her family’s butcher shop. Things have changed in her life lately. She married her brother’s best friend, Matt Roeback, and is happy to help him raise his two kids. Once his farmhouse is renovated, they’re moving into it, and she’s selling her cozy bungalow. Add to that, her older brother is moving back home to work in the family’s shop. Porter’s always been the golden boy who could do no wrong–a hard pill to swallow. She has a lot on her plate, and then Jethro Thromm–one of her favorite customers–asks her to help prove that his brother, Earl, didn’t kill Glandale’s councilman, even though Earl was bending over his body in the alley, holding the knife that killed him.

 

Recent Review for The Steaks are High:

Mae Clair 5.0 out of 5 stars  Family Dynamics and Mystery!

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2022

Verified Purchase

The second entry in the Karnie Cleaver cozy series has Karnie settling into married life with her husband, two cute step-kids and their border collie, Jolly. Karnie has her hands full juggling married life, and maintaining her station at the family butcher shop, plus recording a local popular cooking show. Naturally, there is a murder to solve—that of a councilman of low morals and business practices–with plenty of suspects.

There are quite a few characters to keep track of between the suspects, the customers who frequent the butcher shop (most all of whom I developed a soft spot for–particularly Mrs. Sprunger), and Karnie’s family. Her older brother, long favored by her parents returns home and inserts himself into the butcher shop for initially prickly friction. I did like the way Porter’s character adjusted, and Karnie and her other brother adjusted to him.

This is a fun breezy read with plenty of family dynamics and warmth to round out the mystery-solving elements. A nice follow up in the series. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for review purposes.

About the Author:

Judi Lynn lives in Indiana with her husband, a bossy gray cat, and a noisy Chihuahua.  She loves to cook and owns more cookbooks than any mortal woman would ever need.  That’s why so much food sneaks into her stories.  She also loves her flower beds, but is a haphazard gardener, at best. 

My blog & webpage:  http://writingmusings.com/

My author Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/JudiLynnwrites/

Twitter: @judypost

On BookBub at Judi Lynn with a link to Judith Post (for my urban fantasies):  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judi-lynn

Purchase Links: Amazon US Amazon UK

Living With Chronic Pain. Part Two: Debilitation and Loss of Autonomy #chronicpain @Vocal_Creators #WritingCommunity #readersoftwitter #ReadingCommunity

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Hi everyone. Exciting news today! I’ve written a short, non-fiction piece, on Vocal, about living with chronic pain. This is the second article in a planned a series of pieces on the many aspects of living with long term pain. The article is around 1,500 words long. 

I’d love to know what you think! And would be delighted if you could read my competition entry HERE and leave a like and a comment. To like and comment, you’ll need to sign in to Vocal, which is free to do. 

Thanks for all your support! Hugs

#BookReview: The Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen @antti_tuomainen

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a book by an author new to me, Antti Tuomainen. I picked this book up through a BookBub deal and am so pleased I gave it a go >>>

About the Book:

A successful entrepreneur in the mushroom industry, Jaakko Kaunismaa is a man in his prime. At just 37 years of age, he is shocked when his doctor tells him that he’s dying. What is more, the cause is discovered to be prolonged exposure to toxins; in other words, someone has slowly but surely been poisoning him. Determined to find out who wants him dead, Jaakko embarks on a suspenseful rollercoaster journey full of unusual characters, bizarre situations and unexpected twists. With a nod to Fargo and the best elements of the Scandinavian noir tradition, The Man Who Died is a page-turning thriller brimming with the blackest comedy surrounding life and death, and love and betrayal, markinng a stunning new departure for the King of Helsinki Noir.

 

My Review:

A fantastic who-dunnit with wonderful dark humour throughout

“‘It’s a good job you provided a urine sample too.’ The oval face of the doctor sitting behind the desk exudes seriousness and gravitas.” … this opening line takes us straight into a terminal diagnosis, but it’s not the usual suspects that bring us an early death–no, it’s poisoning. And from here on in, the dying victim must determine who has been poisoning him longterm and why.

I connected with the characters immediately and cared what happened. Despite the potential for heaviness in this sort of read, a wonderful cushion of levity lifts the whole thing and brings the reader some wonderful noir humour. Some of the shenanigans bordered on the farcical and still remained wholly believable and enjoyable, which–to me–takes some skill to pull off.

So many lines stood out for me, that I struggle to offer just a few here …

“Even the shampoo has added protein. That’s what it says on the bottle. I can’t begin to imagine how the protein travels from your hair to your biceps, but I use plenty of it just in case.” … this one had me laughing aloud. 

And … “The truth of the matter is that before long I won’t just be dead, I’ll be homeless too.” 

And … “In a recessive and ageing community with high unemployment there are relatively few impulsive millionaires.”

I can’t say an awful lot more without giving away lots of spoilers. However, if you like fun, entertaining reads that bring you humour and keep you guessing, you’ll love this book. The Man Who Died 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.

 

A quick note from me: I had gone to check out this author’s other eBooks but found they are priced at £4.99 and upwards, which for me, is a tad too pricey. Especially for an author I don’t know all that well. His other works, apparently, are much darker. So it looks as though I’ll be waiting for more deals before checking out more of his reads!

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/