Harmony Kent's Blog, page 29

#InternationalDayofAwesomeness Celebrating #Author and #Blogger Sally Cronin @sgc58

Hi everyone. Today is International Day of Awesomeness, and we at Story Empire wanted to pay tribute to a special lady, who does so much to support authors. And that lady is none other than Sally Cronin! Of course, the “awesome” appellation could encompass so many of you in the writing community! So here’s a huge THANK YOU to all of you too!

 

Sally is the author of many publications, including:

Forget the viagra … Pass Me a Carrot! 16-Sep-2013

Sam, A Shaggy Dog Story 10-Nov-2013

Size Matters 30-Dec-2013

Just an Odd Job Girl 01-Jul-2014

Flights of Fancy 14-Jul-2014

Media Training: The Manual 22-Jul-2014

Turning Back the Clock 23-Jul-2014

Tales From The Garden 14-Nov-2015

What’s in a Name? 02-Feb-2017

What’s in a Name? Volume 2: Stories of Life and Romance 25-Jul-2017

Tales From the Irish Garden 24-Sep-2018

Life’s Rich Tapestry: Woven in Words 01-Dec-2019 

Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries: Sometimes Bitter, Sometimes Sweet 10-Dec-2020

Life is Like a Mosaic 

19 July 2021

 

 

 

You can find my review for Life is Like a Mosaic HERE. And a special post I did for this special lady HERE.

 

Sally is a prolific blogger and is so wonderful at supporting her fellow authors and bloggers. Today, myself and my fellow SE authors, wanted to repay that favour. And what better day to do this than International Awesomeness Day? … I love that there’s a day set aside to celebrate awesomeness!  

A bit about Sally …

I have enjoyed a nomadic existence living in eight countries including Sri Lanka, Malta, South Africa, USA and Spain, before settling back here in Ireland. My work, and a desire to see some of the most beautiful parts of the world in the last forty years, has taken me to many more incredible destinations around Europe and Canada, and across the oceans to New Zealand and Hawaii. All those experiences and the people that I have met, provide a rich source of inspiration for my stories.

After a career in customer facing roles in the hospitality, retail, advertising and telecommunications industry, I wrote and published my first book in 1999 called Size Matters, about my weight loss journey, losing 150lbs in 18 months. This has been followed by 14 further fiction and non-fiction books, including a number of short story collections.

My first book release resulted in a radio interview in Spain that led to four years as a nutritional consultant for an English language station, and this was followed by four years with my own health show and Sunday morning show on local radio station in the UK and then as station director, newsreader and presenter for an online television station.

As a writer I know how important it is to have help in marketing books and from 2002 I have been working with authors on their book launches and publicity. At that time it was very much physical book launches and press coverage locally to stimulate national interest.. Today it is very different with a global market via the worldwide web.

As important as my own promotion is, I believe it is important to support others within our community. I offer a number of FREE promotional opportunities on my blog, linked to my social media. If you are an author who would like to be promoted to a new audience of dedicated readers, please contact me via my blog. All it will cost you is a few minutes of your time. Look forward to hearing from you.

For 2022 there are some changes to the promotions with the focus on those authors I can personally recommend and you can find the details here… The Smorgasbord Bookshelf – 2022 – Free book marketing and Personal Recommendations 

 

Please take a moment to pop across to Sally’s blog and see all the wonderful things she gets up to. Better still, go to Amazon and check out her books! Sally truly does go above and beyond in supporting us all, and so many of us have benefited from her kindness and generosity.

All of us from Story Empire wish Sally all the very best!

 

#TANKATUESDAY Weekly #POETRYCHALLENGE #264 #Create Your Own @SyllabicPoetry @ColleenChesebro #TheHarmonyTripytch

Hi everyone!

Today, I’ve joined Colleen’s weekly TankaTuesday challenge, which asks for us to create our own syllabic poetry.

As ever, we need to avoid ‘ing’ ending words if at all possible.

You can find Colleen’s post HERE.

I’ve developed a 9 line poem in syllables that go up in threes. I’ve called this form The Harmony Triptych. It is titled and has a syllable count of 3-6-9-12-15-12-9-6-3, and a rhyming pattern of abacdcaba. It can be on any theme. For best visual effects, it should be centred.

To attempt to ensure I didn’t inadvertently copy a current form, I checked this comprehensive poetry index: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/example-index/

Here is my poem:

 

Seasons Lost

rain splatters
in horizontal wind
umbrellas wrong way torn to tatters
whatever happened to March winds, April showers
May flowers, summer sun, and all things in their proper season
for ages, whichever the month, the dark sky glowers
clouds race gales as storm batters
against nature we’ve sinned
it matters

 

I hope you enjoyed this new form of syllabic poetry. Have a lovely day!

 

© Harmony Kent 2022

 

#BookReview: You Can Stay by Elle Connel #elleconnel @headlinepg @NetGalley

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a great read from an author new to me, Elle Connel. I received an invitation to read and review this book from the publisher, via NetGalley  >>>

About the Book:

She’s the perfect host. He’s the perfect prey.

Someone is hunting Connor. While taking part in Selection, the elite Special Forces training programme, he must evade capture by a squad of paratroopers for several days in the wilderness of Bodmin Moor. When he’s offered proper rest and recuperation by the owner of a local farmhouse, he knows he is breaking the rules. But what’s the harm in accepting the kindness of strangers? Especially as his training partner Dele appears to have deserted him in the dead of night.

Eilidh is an impeccable host. Connor can barely bring himself to leave her charming farmhouse, though he’s running out of time to make his next rendezvous and re-join his partner. But he doesn’t realise what he’s walked into – because the choice isn’t his to make.

This isn’t Eilidh’s first kidnapping. She’s done this before, but they never came as close to perfection as Connor. Why would she let him leave?

My Review:

DARK AND GRITTY.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a free Advance Review Copy of this book.

I haven’t read anything by this author previously, but the cover and book description intrigued me. This is a dark, gritty, and sad read. The ending is not at all what I expected, or wanted, but the story is thoroughly enjoyable all the same.

“She can see nothing beyond her fingers. Darkness smothers the moor.” … from this intriguing opening line, the reader is taken into the darkness that fills Eilidh (pronounced Ay-Lee). And the lesser but still dubious demons that lurk within Conner.

The characterisation was done brilliantly, and even though they’re not likeable people, you still find yourself rooting for them, and personally, the two I really wanted to succeed were Conner and Julie. Bodmin Moor, known and loved by me, was so well described it came alive and resembled a menacing character in its own right. Below are some lines that stood out for me in particular …

“The reflux from his empty stomach had only lubricated his bloody mindedness.”

And …

“He saw his mind slipping away, escaping through one of his eyeballs.”

And …

“A terror that was not rational but made up of the dark, the cold, the peaks, their indifference.”

I could go on, as the writing was so superb. As you may have guessed, You Can Stay 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.

 

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 #263 #Tastetherainbow @SyllabicPoetry @ColleenChesebro #Tanka

Hi everyone!

Today, I’ve joined Colleen’s weekly TankaTuesday challenge, which asks for any syllabic form based on “Taste the rainbow—colour poetry”. The colour is “Green”. 

Colleen gave us some extras too … “You’ll receive bonus points if you don’t use the name: green. You’ll also receive bonus points if you can also incorporate a different meaning for the word green in your poem.”

You can find Colleen’s post HERE.

I’ve chosen a Tanka this week. This is the first time I’ve written a Tanka, as far as I can remember! Tanka have a syllable count of 5-7-5-7-7 for each of the five lines. Tanka are not titled and do not rhyme. They are usually written in first person and have a pivot on line three, but as per Colleen’s cheat sheet, this is optional and can happen anywhere if at all.

my blue-and-yellow’s

land no longer the colour 

made when mixed—now stained

with the blood of aggressors

verdant, crushed—vilified troops

 

I’ve had fun with a play on words with the two meanings of “Verdant” for both vegetation and unripe in experience or judgement. See the dictionary definition below:

I hope you enjoyed this Tanka, which is a tribute to Ukraine and the atrocities being committed there.

 

**I meant to add that many of the Russian troops are conscripted and young and were told they were simply doing exercises. Also that the Ukrainians wanted their help. So many are horrified and scared themselves. And have been betrayed by Putin. Another reason for the “unripe” use of Verdant.**

 

Have a lovely day!

 

© Harmony Kent 2022

 

#BookReviews: Her First Mistake and The Marriage Secret by Carey Baldwin @CareyBaldwin @bookouture @NetGalley

Hi everyone! Today, I have book reviews for two gripping reads from an author new to me. I discovered Carey Baldwin and Her First Mistake after reading a review on Mae Clair’s blog last year. Having bought, read, and enjoyed this one, I requested the author’s next book via NetGalley and was delighted to receive a free ARC of The Marriage Secret. So, today, you get two reviews! Carey Baldwin is now one of my go-to writers   >>>

About the Book:

Mia covered her mouth to keep from crying out. She hated the dark, but her mother had made her promise. But what was the point of being a good little girl if she couldn’t help her mother? She’d promised her mother not to scream, but she hadn’t promised not to escape…

To the world, Mia Thornton is invisible—a quiet, timid preschool teacher. People would never guess that she found the will to dig her way out of a locked shed when she was just six years old. That she never saw her mother again.

Now, all Mia longs for is a normal life and friends to call her own. But when she runs into a group of colleagues one evening, she discovers that, once again, she’s been excluded. Stung at the rejection, she pockets the keys of one of the women in a petty act of revenge. Celeste Cooper is fearless, pretty, popular—everything Mia wishes she could be.

The next day, Celeste is reported missing. And Mia realizes that it might have been her fault. Wracked with guilt, she joins the search, determined to make up for her mistake. But as she grows closer to Celeste’s family, Mia can’t help but feel she’s being watched…

What if Celeste’s disappearance has more to do with Mia than she realizes? And if she keeps digging, does she risk being dragged back into the dark forever?

Prepare to be gripped by the pulse-pounding new psychological thriller from USA Today bestselling author Carey Baldwin. Fans of The Wife Between Us, The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl will be totally addicted to Her First Mistake.

My Review:

GRIPPING

This story will hook you and not let go until the final page.

“Mia covered her mouth with her hand; she mustn’t cry out. Her mother had promised this would be the last time she’d lock her in the shed, and Mia believed her—or at least she was trying to.” … from this wonderful opening line, the reader meets the perfect unreliable narrator and an unexpectedly strong character.

At age six, Mia’s mother would lock her in the shed in the woods overnight whenever she had a ‘visitor’. Mother always came in the morning and let her out, until–one day–she didn’t. Out of food and water, alone and scared, Mia found an empty tin can and dug herself out of the locked shed. The story then picks up twenty years later, and we meet Mia as a young woman who’s just finished regular therapy sessions and works at a local private school with young children.

One night, after being stood up by a female possible-friend, Mia sees a group of her teacher colleagues on a night out together and realises that they’ve all left her out. In a fit of pique, Mia snatches up Celeste’s keys after the woman drops them. The next morning, she awakens wracked with guilt, but before she can make good on her spur-of-the-moment mistake, Mia discovers that Celeste has gone missing.

From here, Mia’s life spirals downward, and she struggles to understand the many undertones and events, not being good at reading people or between the lines. She has to juggle an over-protective aunt … who has her own major issues …, a suspicious detective, a possible stalker, and the complex relationships of Celeste’s family, who adopts Mia somewhat in the aftermath of Celeste’s disappearance.

The world building, characterisation, and plotting are all excellently done. Here are some lines I loved …

“I’m supposed to be on the wagon, but I seem to have gone under the wheels.”

And …

“It’s hard to pack your bags and get away as fast as you possibly can when you have nowhere to go.” (Right?!)

And …

“True friendship can’t be built on deception.”

And, finally … so difficult to stop! …

“It takes a dark night to reveal heaven’s beauty.”

While I guessed the culprit by about two-thirds of the way in, I could never have seen how deep or far reaching the perpetrator’s treachery would go. And I had lots of fun watching Mia struggle to decipher the many and conflicting clues and threads until she reached her own, horrifying truth. Her First Mistake gets a resounding 5 stars from me.

About the Book:

He married me despite my darkest secret. But am I safe now that I know his?

From the outside, my marriage to Zach was perfect: dream home, a perfect baby girl and passionate, all-consuming love. When we met, I confessed my darkest secret to him and he never judged me for it. Instead, he vowed to always protect me whatever the cost.

But as I cradle my gorgeous baby, I have to accept that the husband who used to be my everything, has changed. At first it was little things: expecting me to keep to a strict schedule, picking out my clothes for me. Now, he controls every aspect of my life: from how much money I have, to when I leave the house and who I can see.

One fateful night, a young woman is found murdered and Zach is a potential suspect. Turning towards me, a look of warmth returning to his eyes, he swears he’s innocent, and I realize there is only one solution. If I agree to be his alibi, he will keep my secret and our daughter can grow up in a loving home. In that moment, I do what any faithful wife would do: I stand by him.

But I know deep down, only one of us will make it out of this marriage alive.

 

My Review:

WOW … What A Ride!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a free ARC of this book.

After reading these two books by Carey Baldwin, this writer is now one of my go-to authors. The Marriage Secret blew me away. 

“Just because you don’t mean any harm to anyone doesn’t mean they don’t mean any harm to you. I want what you have, and I’m coming for it.” From these lines in the first couple of pages, the narrative grabs the reader by the throat and doesn’t let you breathe until the end. 

Immediately before her wedding, Mia confided a great secret to her husband about something that happened when she was sixteen. He still wanted to marry her and said he’d keep her secret. What she didn’t know then was he intended to use it to control and coerce her. As the book progresses, we discover that hubby, Zach Bancroft, has major issues, and he abuses his wife psychologically and emotionally. Also turns out, he doesn’t treat his mother much better. His was a character I hated with venom, which takes extraordinarily good writing to achieve while still being able to tolerate reading. Mia, I loved. Sometimes, I disliked her choices, but I could well understand them. The world building, characterisation, and plot were all done excellently, and I read this book in one sitting. I stayed up until midnight devouring the action. I could not put this read down. Here are some lines I loved …

“His voice could’ve flash frozen a side of beef …”

And ...

“Only right now those lucky stars were hiding behind the clouds.”

And …

“…that’s what a cold-hearted murderer would’ve done. Too bad her heart wasn’t yet frozen solid.”

At the three-quarter point, a twist rocked me that I just did not see coming. And, impossible though it seemed at the time, the tension ratcheted up even more. The next big twist, I had kinda wondered if that might happen, but it was thrilling nonetheless, and I loved the way it was portrayed. That came at the 90% point, and the final confrontation and reasons, well … I simply could never have guessed the what or the who. I can’t say more without giving away major spoilers. Suffice it to say, The Marriage Secret gets a solid and enthusiastic five stars from me. You have to 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.

I’d love to hear what you think of these reviews. Thanks for stopping by

 

For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …

 

Her First Mistake:

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

 

The Marriage Secret:

 

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

#TANKATUESDAY Weekly #POETRYCHALLENGE #262 #ThemePrompt @SyllabicPoetry @ColleenChesebro #Haiku

Hi everyone!

Today, I’ve joined Colleen’s weekly TankaTuesday challenge, which asks for any syllabic form based on a theme prompt.

Ken Gierke (Rivrvlogr) from last month’s challenge picked the theme:

TRANSITIONS

You can find Colleen’s post HERE.

I’ve chosen a set of four Haiku with a syllable count of 3-5-3 for each. Haiku are not titled.

Sun comes late

Lights lit all day long

Shifts each week

…

Bulbs flower

Nights shrink from onslaught

Then comes heat

…

Scorched dry earth

Lush green becomes brown

Leaves yellow

…

Orange hue

Heralds shortened days

Sun comes late

 

I hope you enjoyed this set of four Haiku.

Have a lovely day!

 

© Harmony Kent 2022

 

#BookReview: Lake Abandon by David Six @AuthorDavidSix @booksproutapp

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a dark, gritty, and gripping read from an author new to me. I discovered David Six and his book Lake Abandon via Twitter and received a free ARC from BookSprout >>>

About the Book:Three people on a collision course:
A wife and mother, teetering on the edge of sanity.
A narcissistic killer, whose brutal murders become more vicious with each victim.
A worn-out cop, trying desperately to put the pieces together.

Jody Rand is escaping her abusive husband. With seventeen-year-old daughter Beulah in tow, she flees late one New Year’s Eve into California’s snow-smothered Sierra Nevada mountains.

Eddie Swofford is a big-box home center worker who accidentally discovers he likes killing. He likes it a lot.

Harrison “HarHar” Hardy is the detective assigned to the case, which becomes more confusing with each victim found.

Jody Rand just wants to escape her old life. Eddie Swofford just wants to keep killing. Hardy just wants it to end.

Three people. One horrific evil. Who will survive?

Warning: This story examines the nature of criminal insanity, and therefore contains scenes of graphic violence that may be disturbing to some. Reader discretion advised.

My Review:

DARK, GRITTY, AND GRIPPING

Many thanks to the author, David Six, and BookSprout for a free ARC of this book. I am under no obligation to leave a review, and my opinions are entirely my own and an honest reflection of my thoughts on this novel.

I haven’t read this author before, and all I knew to expect was that this would be a very dark read, according to the author’s warning to readers. Right from the first line, this book pulled me right in. … “Jody Rand tried not to let the metronomic swish of the wiper blades distract her from the oil-slick blackness of the road ahead.” From here, the tension just kept on mounting and mounting.

This dark tale gets gory, and I would classify it both as a Thriller and as a Horror genre. There are plenty of potential trigger points for some readers, so be warned. This book contains a bit of almost everything. We have a mother and daughter on the run and battling the elements in the mountains. We have a weird guy who spirals into complete madness … I loved watching him slip and slide exponentially into a complete nutcase. That was so excellently written and portrayed. And, finally, we have a cop with issues but whom everyone loves. He’s a good guy doing a real tough job. And he will not give up.

The writing holds a few spelling mistakes, such as ‘down’ for ‘done’, lots of instances of ‘of’ for ‘have’ within narrative, and ‘site’ for ‘sight’, etc. However, the read was so compelling, it still merits 5 stars from me. The descriptive ability of this author is awe inspiring, and the world building and characterisation are excellently done. This whole thing, dark and fantastic as it is at times, is wholly believable. Here are some lines I loved …

“Beulah let out that laugh singular to teenage girls who are letting their parents know that they are hopelessly outclassed by the intelligence of a person having lived for less than two decades.”

And …

“She’d pressed her lips together like she was flattening the wrinkles out of a shirt with them.”

And …

“… face like he fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down …”

And …

“… though he was such a bad shot, he probably couldn’t hit the lake if he was standing in it.”

I don’t usually go for reads this dark, and while some parts had me positively cringing, plenty also had me laughing out loud. There is both innocent and dark humour abounding in this story. If you love a good horror read, I would highly recommend this book, and it gets a resounding 5 stars from me. I’ll be looking out for more books from David Six.

***

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 #261 #PhotoPrompt @SyllabicPoetry @ColleenChesebro #Etheree

Hi everyone!

Today, I’ve joined Colleen’s weekly TankaTuesday challenge, which asks for any syllabic form based on a photo prompt.

You can find Colleen’s post HERE.

Diana Peach chose this week’s image …

Courtesy of Pixabay, entitled Pretty Sleepy

I’ve chosen an inverted Etheree as it resembles an hourglass. This form uses ten lines X2 with a syllable count of 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10. An Etheree is titled and doesn’t rhyme.

 

Entitled: Cognitive Illusion

 

This non-existent thing bends and stretches

With no substance it runs us ragged

keeps our money behind locked safes

Tells us when to wake or sleep

When to eat when to fast

When to go to work

Hard taskmaster

Slow or fast

It will

Pass

Stop

Step back

Find freedom

From tyranny

Break the fallacy

Of this vicious cycle

This fake man-made entity

Watch the sands drain from the hourglass

Rely instead on Mother Nature 

The sun and moon and the tide’s ebb and flow

 

I hope you enjoyed this inverted Etheree.

Have a lovely day!

 

© Harmony Kent 2022

 

#BookReview: Sparky of Bunker Hill and the Cold Kid Case by Rosalind Barden @BardenRosalind @bookroar_tweets

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a fun children’s read by an author new to me, Rosalind Barden >>>

About the Book:

Lots of characters have it bad, in my Bunker Hill neighborhood smack dab in the middle of Los Angeles, but I’ve had it rougher than most.
There may be something to this 13th business.
That’s my birthday, and I’m learning to dread seeing it roll around. My mother died on one birthday. The cousins dumped me on my last. This year, 1932, I found a dead kid on a park bench. It’s my eleventh birthday, and the day me, Sparky, ended up on the run, wanted for murder.
If the dead girl wasn’t enough, the dirty newspapers pinned every body in LA on me, and even blamed me for the Great War. I wasn’t even born then. The price on my head got bigger by the day.
It was up to me to find out who killed the girl and why I got framed, before I ended up dangling from the hangman’s rope.

My Review:

I loved this kid’s read! One line, I even read aloud to dear hubby, who chortled along with me … being the big kids at heart we are, lols. This author captures (wonderfully) the mind of a child and delivers a tall tale that ‘children’ of all ages are sure to enjoy.

The protagonist, Sparky, is a homeless and orphaned eleven-year-old girl. Her birthday falls on the 13th, and it’s proved as unlucky as you might expect. On one birthday, her mum died, and on another, her cousins kicked her out, leaving little ole Sparky homeless. This savvy kid makes a life for herself until the dawn of her 11th birthday, and this ‘13th’ date proves the most disastrous yet.

The only thing that spoilt this read for me were the numerous spelling mistakes. For example: Scoped instead of scooped. Barred instead of bared. Too instead of to, and more.

Apart from this, I enjoyed this book immensely. A wonderful sense of humour threads throughout this story. Here are some lines that stood out for me …

‘That was so much dough, I could hardly even picture it. Made me tempted to turn myself in.’

And …

‘It was a gold colored car with a front about a mile long. Maybe that’s stretching things a bit,’ (An oldie but a goody.)

And …

‘The moon watched me through the clear glass transom windows.’

I found the content age appropriate and well executed. Had I still been a twelve-year-old, this story would have kept me on the edge of my seat. As an adult, I enjoyed the exaggerations and child’s world view. So many times, I laughed aloud. The only reason I didn’t finish this in one go is that life, and the new year celebrations, got in the way.

***

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 #260 #SpecificForm @SyllabicPoetry @ColleenChesebro #Abhanga

Hi everyone!

Today, I’ve joined Colleen’s weekly TankaTuesday challenge, which asks for a series of Abhanga verses.

Colleen explains: We write Abhanga in any number of 4-line stanzas with 6-6-6-4 syllables each. L2 and L3 rhyme. The end rhyme scheme is abbc. It is customary to title your poetry.

You can find Colleen’s post HERE.

 

 

Entitled: Cyclic

dull pain in my forehead

all night awake I’ve lain

the day isn’t the same

insomnia

…

tired eyes ache and blink

while my brain slogs through fog

huge yawn stretches my gob

oh for some sleep

…

it’s different again

when you slumber in peace

and life feels like a breeze

rinse and repeat

 

I hope you enjoyed this Abhanga set. This is the first time I’ve explored this poetic, syllabic form. Given my fatigue today, this topic seemed rather apt

Have a lovely day!

 

© Harmony Kent 2022