Harmony Kent's Blog, page 39

#BookReview- Two nail-biting #mysteries by @Harmony_Kent and Tamara Ferguson @TammysDragonfly

Hi everyone. I’m thrilled to wake up to another fab review for The Vanished Boy. This one is over at Jacquie’s place. As you’ve no doubt guessed … I’m doing my happy dance There’s also a great review for Tamara Ferguson’s mystery/suspense romance read as well >>>

 

Slow burn suspense reads that are sure to keep you turning the pages!

Source: #BookReview- Two nail-biting #mysteries by @Harmony_Kent and Tamara Ferguson @TammysDragonfly

The post #BookReview- Two nail-biting #mysteries by @Harmony_Kent and Tamara Ferguson @TammysDragonfly first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Harmony Kent’s THE VANISHED BOY #bookreviews #mystery – @stacitroilo and @MaeClair1

Hi Everyone! Iam so thrilled to say I had two amazing book reviews hit the web yesterday from Mae Clair and Staci Troilo for The Vanished Boy. Most of you will probably have seen them, but if you haven’t, I’d be delighted if you could pop over and take a took!

I’d like to give a huge thanks to everyone for all your lovely comments and wonderful support!

Harmony Kent’s THE VANISHED BOY #bookreview #mystery – Staci Troilo

The Vanished Boy by Harmony Kent @harmony_kent #mystery #suspense #bookreview

The post  Harmony Kent’s THE VANISHED BOY #bookreviews #mystery – @stacitroilo and @MaeClair1 first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Writing Styles: Extroversion and Introversion | Story Empire

Hi everyone! Gwen has an excellent and insightful post over at Story Empire today. Well worth a look >>>

Hello SE friends, Gwen with you today, and together we’ll be exploring how extroversion or introversion affects our writing. Let’s begin with a story. My husband and I are regulars at Panera Bread.…

Source: Writing Styles: Extroversion and Introversion | Story Empire

The post Writing Styles: Extroversion and Introversion | Story Empire first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

House of Sorrow: Summers, Children, and Baseball by Joan Hall @JoanHallWrites

Hi everyone, it gives me great pleasure to have friend and author, and fellow Story Empire contritutor, Joan Hall over to visit today. Help yourselves to refreshments and get ready to be entertained >>>

 

Thank you for hosting me today, Harmony. I appreciate the opportunity to tell your readers about my newest release.

House of Sorrow is a short-story prequel to my upcoming novel Cold Dark Night, book one of the Legends of Madeira series. It’s the story of Ruth Hazelton, a reclusive older woman who lives in a two-story Victorian house in the fictional town of Madeira, New Mexico. Ruth reflects on her life, particularly when she and her husband Lee first moved to town.

Many of the scenes occur in the late 1960s/early 1970s. I grew up during that time, so I had a blast reliving the era. I included historical events in the story as well as a few personal memories. Let’s hear a couple of them.

There’s something special about summer. School is out, the days are longer, and outside activities abound. Back in the sixties, kids spent most of their time outdoors. I grew up in the country, but I spent one summer in Alabama and was able to get a taste of living in town.

My friends and I played all day long. No staying inside to watch television. We had active imaginations and there was always plenty to do—riding bicycles, exploring, waiting for the ice cream truck. Our parents didn’t fear for our safety.

Some kids played little league ball or would get group together for a friendly neighborhood game. A few dreamed of playing in the major leagues one day.

Hank_Aaron_1974 public domain

As a side note, I was privileged to see Hank play in the mid-seventies after he’d broken Babe Ruth’s home run record. Unfortunately, he didn’t hit a single home run during that game!

In House of Sorrow Ruth’s nephew comes to visit. He lives and breathes baseball and idolizes, you guessed it, Hank Aaron. Before she became a recluse, Ruth often entertained neighborhood children.

 

Excerpt:

Ruth and Sam were sitting on the porch one July afternoon when her energetic nephew bounded up the steps with two dark-haired boys in tow. They were followed closely by the Marsh girls who lived next door.

Tim had arrived a few days earlier for a month-long visit. Ruth hoped it would be the first of many.

“We’re thirsty, Aunt Ruth. Can we get something to drink?”

Tim was tall for his age, with brown hair and a sprinkling of freckles across his nose. His good looks would steal a girl’s heart someday. One look at Tina Marsh told Ruth they already had. But members of the opposite sex were the last thing on his mind. He lived and breathed baseball, vowing he would one day play in the majors like his hero, Hank Aaron.

“How about some lemonade? I have some in the fridge.”

“Yeah,” the children exclaimed in unison.

One small voice came later than the others. “Yes, please.”

Amanda Marsh, Tina’s younger sister. She was a shy, polite child.

“Okay, everyone wait here with Mr. Sam. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” As she neared the door, a thought occurred to her. She turned to Amanda. “Would you like to help?”

The child’s eyes brightened. “Yes ma’am.”

A few minutes later, Ruth and the little girl returned with a pitcher and plastic cups. “Would you care for some, Sam?”

“Sounds good. But take care of the kids first.”

Once the children drank their fill, they hurried off in search of their next adventure. Amanda stopped at the end of the sidewalk, turned, then waved before following the others.

“She’s a sweet child,” Ruth said.

“Takes after her mother. Looks like your nephew is enjoying his time here.”

“He is. Tim has always been friendly and outgoing. His second day here, he made friends with the Ramirez twins. Doubt I’ll see him before dinner.”

“Eh, I wouldn’t worry too much. This is a safe neighborhood. The Ramirez brothers are good kids.”

Tim and his friends started showing up daily for something cold to drink. Ruth made sure she always had plenty of lemonade or another cold beverage. One day, she decided to bake cookies.

“This is better than the ice cream truck,” Enrique Ramirez said, his mouth full of a chocolate chip confection.

Tina Marsh nodded. “Yeah. It only comes around once a week. Miss Ruth is here all the time.”

 

Blurb:

Dream home or damned home?

Ruth Hazelton is over the moon when her husband Lee agrees the nineteenth-century Victorian in Madeira, New Mexico, is the perfect home for them. While he starts his new job as police chief, she sets about unpacking and decorating.

But it’s not long before Ruth needs more. She becomes a fixture in the community, making time for everyone, volunteering, hosting events—she’s every bit the social butterfly her husband is not. Through her friendships, she learns several former residents of her home met with untimely deaths. If she were superstitious, she might fear a curse, but such nonsense doesn’t faze her.

Until the unthinkable happens.

Now, as the end of Ruth’s life draws near, she must find a way to convey her message and stop the cycle to prevent anyone else from suffering in the house of sorrow.

 

Purchase Link:

https://www.amazon.com/House-Sorrow-Legends-Joan-Hall-ebook/dp/B091HX4BHR

Connect with Joan:

Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |   Bookbub  |  Goodreads  |  Instagram

 

Here’s my 5 Star review for House of Sorrow: https://harmonykent.co.uk/house-of-sorrow-legends-of-madeira-bookreview-and-newbook-from-joan-hall-joanhallwrites/

The post House of Sorrow: Summers, Children, and Baseball by Joan Hall @JoanHallWrites first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

The Importance of Alt Text | Story Empire

White Cat Washes Front Paw

Hi everyone, Mae has a good post over at Story Empire about why and how to use Alt Text on any images we put on our blogs >>>

 

 

Hi, SEers. Welcome to the first Mae Day of April. Thanks for visiting with me today. Let’s chat alt text. I’ve blogged about this on Story Empire in the past, but I think it bears repeating. Severa…

Source: The Importance of Alt Text | Story Empire

The post The Importance of Alt Text | Story Empire first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Harmony is on tour! Day 5

Hi everyone. I released my latest novel, The Vanished Boy, this weekend and this week I’m on tour! Today, I’m with Craig Boyack. I’d be delighted if you came to visit …

Craig’s blog: https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2021/04/16/the-vanished-boy-newbook/

A little bit about Craig, a fellow author and friend … “I’m on the verge of being an empty nester, and I like to write fiction. I have a decent body of work on Amazon, and I hope you’ll check some of them out. They are all speculative fiction, but seem to stay closest to science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy.

I have other interests that may sneak in from time to time. I like the great outdoors and all it has to offer. Morels and huckleberrys are particularly fun. I once caught and released a 7 foot white sturgeon from the Snake River.”

 

The post Harmony is on tour! Day 5 first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

#BookReview: 29 seconds by TM Logan @TMLoganAuthor

Hi everyone. Today, I have a book review for an author I discovered via Kindle Unlimited. T M Logan has become a to-check-out author and is well worth a read >>>

About the Book:

Give me one name. One person. And I will make them disappear . . .

When Sarah rescues a young girl in trouble, she expects nothing in return. But her act of bravery puts a powerful and dangerous man in her debt. He lives by his own brutal code, and all debts must be repaid – in the only way he knows how.

He offers Sarah a way to solve a desperate situation with her intolerable boss. A once-in-a-lifetime deal that will make all her problems disappear.

No consequences. No comeback. No chance of being found out.

All it takes is a 29 second phone call.

Because everyone has a name to give. Don’t they?

 

My Review:

‘The rules were simple enough. Don’t be alone with him if you could possibly avoid it. Don’t do or say anything which he might take as encouragement.’

From these opening lines, the story grabbed hold of me and didn’t let up. I absolutely detested the male antagonist, so the author did a brilliant job of characterisation there. And I felt so deeply for the main character.

Apart from numerous comma splices and my personal hate ‘turned into’, the writing is clean and entertaining. The overriding question is, if you could get away with anything, would you do it? No consequences, no getting arrested, no nothing … what would you do?

The main character, Dr Sarah Haywood, has suffered horrendous sexual harrassment from her boss, and he seems untouchable. He has friends in high places and brings in lots of money for the university. Any woman who has tried to report him previously has not experienced a happy ending. At her wits end, Sarah is handed an opportunity to get rid of Alan Lovelock once and for all … with zero repercussions to her. Too good to be true?

Here are a couple of sentences that stood out for me:

‘Then she turned the car stereo up as loud as it would go, gripped the wheel tightly, and screamed. She screamed with frustration and humiliation. She screamed at the injustice of it all. She screamed with bitterness, with helplessness, and with anger. But it was more than mere anger. Much more. It was rage.’

and

‘Fifteen years on, she had arrived at another crossroads-except all the roads seemed to lead to nowhere.’

While some of the content is painful to read, and I found myself sitting there yelling inwardly ‘no, just no!’, it is fantastic and real and raw. I loved this book. And the ending is viscerally satisfying. Go out and read this book. You’ll love it.

 

***

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: 29 seconds by TM Logan @TMLoganAuthor first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Harmony is on tour! Day 4

Hi everyone. I released my latest novel, The Vanished Boy, this weekend and this week I’m on tour! Today, I’m with Mae Clair. I’d be delighted if you came to visit …

 

Mae’s blog: https://wp.me/p2dMh0-3Q6

A little bit about Mae, a fellow author and friend … “They say everyone has a story to tell. I wrote my first childish “masterpiece” at six and was immediately bitten by the writing bug. Since then, I’ve been composing nonstop, and have dabbled in multiple genres over the years, writing everything from fantasy, westerns, and horror to inspirational fiction, romance, and sci-fi.

It took me a while to find my niche, but I’ve settled comfortably into the mystery/suspense genre. I have a passion for folklore, myth, and urban legends and that attraction often factors into my writing. You’ll find threads of archaic tales, cryptids, and mysterious places woven throughout many of my novels.”

 

 

 

The post Harmony is on tour! Day 4 first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Useful Writing Tools

Hi everyone. Joan has an excellent post on Story Empire with some great tools and ideas >>>

 

Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. You’ve probably heard the terms planner, plotter, and panster. Some writers must have a detailed outline before writing the first word of a novel. Others write…

Source: Useful Writing Tools

The post Useful Writing Tools first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Harmony is on tour! Day 3

Hi everyone. I released my latest novel, The Vanished Boy, this weekend and this week I’m on tour! Today, I’m with Joan Hall and John Howell. I’d be delighted if you came to visit …

 

Joan’s blog: https://wp.me/p9CiJH-22f

A little bit about Joan, a fellow author and friend … “Joan Hall likes to create character-driven fiction with strong, determined female leads and enigmatic male characters. She has always enjoyed reading a good mystery or suspense story, so it’s only natural that’s her favorite writing genre. She’s also a romantic at heart. When she’s not writing, Joan likes to take nature walks, observe the night skies, explore old cemeteries, and visit America’s National Parks and historical sites. She also likes ghost walks and learning about local folklore. She and her husband live in Texas.”

 

 

John’s blog: https://johnwhowell.com/2021/04/14/welcome-to-harmo…the-vanished-boy/

A kuttke but about John, a fellow author and friend … “John turned to writing as a full-time occupation after an extensive career in business.  John writes thriller fiction novels and short stories. His story Cold Night Out won an honorable mention in Writers Digest Popular Fiction contest this year. He also won first place in the Kurt Vonnegut Kilgore Trout novel contest, celebrating Kurt Vonnegut as an author. His short story Never Give Inn was selected to be published in the Miracle E-zine fifth issue published in April of 2014.

John lives in Lakeway Texas with his wife Molly and their spoiled rescue pets.”

The post Harmony is on tour! Day 3 first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.