Helen B. Henderson's Blog, page 6

Out and About at the Reading Nook

Out and about at the Reading Nook. Sharing thoughts on writing life and Windmaster (Book 1 of the Windmaster Novels.) Find the post at https://readingnook84.wordpress.com/2024/05/06/author-interview-windmaster-by-helen-b-henderson/.

Hope you will stop by. 

~till next time, Helen

Old Friends

The topic for this week's post is "Ever Read A Book More Than Once?"

Old friends you have not spoken to in years, but when you meet again it is as if no time has passed. Some books are like that. Just seeing it on the shelf or knowing it is in the box of keepers in the corner gives a feeling of comfort and familiarity. Some books you read to relax, other to lose yourself in a fantasy world or join the characters in their adventures.

Now to the topic. I won't pick a single book as the most read, and you can't make me. Louis L'amour's Sackett series and Anne McCaffrey's Pegasus/Tower and Hive series are like old friends. Several of the books were so well-worn that a second copy had to be picked up. That's not to say I keep every book I've read or reread. some were parted with after a move or other enforced clean-out.


~till next time, may you find many old friends hidden on your shelf. Helen

Star Wars Day 2024

In honor of Star Wars Day,  a free download of the short story, PIRATES REPRISE. Just click on the FREE READS button on the sidebar.

Star Wars Day was first observed by Star Wars fans worldwide on May 04, 2015. It is a day to celebrate the Star Wars culture and honor the films.

Leave a comment in the comments of the title of your favorite Star Wars movie.


~ till next time, Helen. Remember, click on the button on the sidebar to claim your free download of PIRATES REPRISE.

Out and About at This Writers Life

 Visiting Susan Palmquist on This Writers Life blog to dish on #writinglife and other things including the #newrelease FIRE AND REDEMPTION. https://thiswriterslife.com/wednesday-guest-author-helen-henderson/  #amwritingfantasy #fantasy

Tuesday Title - Mom’s Memories and Reflections on Motherhood

Introducing Mom’s Memories and Reflections on Motherhood: AGuided Journal  by J. Q. Rose, released just in time for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 12. This perfect gift is adorned with bright yellow sunflowers and created with pages to chronicle mom's unique journey, capturing the laughter, tears, and growth that define motherhood. Once filled out, it is a precious gift to have and you won't know you need it until too late and there is no one left who has experienced the events.

According to J. Q., she knew she wanted to write her memoir, Arranging a Dream , about the first year she and Ted were in the flower business.

"I had no idea the book would also be about motherhood. A new baby, a new business. I had no skills for either one of these jobs!" You can imagine the stress of trying to balance the life of a mom, wife, and businesswoman. So yes, the joys and difficulties of being a mom are in the memoir. 

Because the theme of motherhood was woven throughout the narrative about the business, the idea to create a journal for moms bloomed. Those who come after us can understand the joys and sorrows we experience in a lifetime if we record those memories. 

Mom’s Memories and Reflections on Motherhood: A Guided Journal  includes a topic to write about with a writing prompt and a quotation to inspire the writer. Each topic is thoughtfully designed with prompts that inspire reflection on daily joys and challenges, accompanied by insightful quotations that resonate within a mother's heart. There are plenty of fun, as well as difficult topics in the journal to write about. Teaching your child to ride a bike, the first lost tooth, the first heartbreak, the handmade gifts, bedtime fears, the legacy of love, the role of grandmother to name a few. 

Use it to sketch scenes, pets, or persons who are important in your lifescribble notes and memories you want to be reminded to writeask questions,recall snippets of conversationsand reflect on new understandings revealed during the writing.This is the first hardcover book J.Q. has published. It is available now at Amazon in premium color to show off the cheery, bright sunflowers that decorate the pages. The eBook will be available soon at all major online booksellers.
Available at Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1Q6M13H

2024 Z : Zoo Playtime

As usual, "Z" is a hard letter to find a different word for. Past posts have used "Zoo" is some shape or form. This one is a photo display of my my recent trip to the Memphis Zoo. It was the first excursion with a new camera and one of the first trips since the caregiving responsibilities ended. While there were some changes from previous "safaris," among the most aggravating of which was only having one food store open and the shows weren't held. But this time around there were playful tiger cubs to watch and the lions came out of their lair and posed for the visitors.

One of the balls of energy that captivated everyone's attention. 

I'm queen of this domain. Live with it.

Who you looking at?
You could hear the king's roars halfway across the zoo.

How I felt at the end of the visit.
And at the end of the challenge.

Thisis the last post in the challenge and I admit to being exhausted. I hope you've enjoyed the trip to the worldof Imagination. To make catching up on any missed posts easier, you can find all my posts at 2024 AtoZ Connections.  

~till next time, Helen

 

If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

 

2024 Y : Youth

 

The word for the letter "Y" is unlike the previous posts in the challenge for "Y." Those all acknowledged, you the reader. Maybe it was hitting a milestone birthday and a milestone anniversary that reminded me of advancing age. And the flip side of that is lost youth. The actual inspiration for the topic came from a cartoon of a middle-aged woman stating, "Old age is always 15 years older than you are."

Which brought back memories of oldsters (who at the time are now 20 years younger than I am now) whose favorite saying besides the "Back in my day..." was "Youth is wasted on the young."

Those sentiments may not creep into my writing, but one of the requirements for today's authors is to ensure that the characters change. And sometimes that means to grow from childhood to adulthood, or to transition through various stages of adulthood with their varying lifestyles and responsibilities. 

 

This particularly evident in a series.The character of Anastasia of Clan Miller who started as a young woman in the first book of the Dragshi Chronicles. Then in later volumes, her youth is left behind and she became a mother and a leader of her people.

Lady Ellspeth of the House of Cszabo, captain of Sea Falcon, had already left her youth behind and was an accomplished leader at the start of the Windmaster Novels. However, while there is no youthful transition to adulthood, her later years are recorded in the successive volumes and sees her childhood through that of her children. It also sees her taking on new leadership roles as she and the archmage Lord Dal fight to same the future of magic.

Anastasia and Ellspeth appeared on the cover of a book in their respective series. And for a fun addition, an early image of me.

The challenge is almost over. I hope you enjoyed the snippits and thoughts.

~till next time, Helen

 

For more information on the Dragshi Chronicles or the Windmaster Novels, click on the individual covers in the banner or select the series from the drop down menu.

 

 

If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

 

2024 X : Xtras (Reprise)

 

 

I admit that in a previous year's challenge,  I spelled excuses without the "e" so it would fit the letter "x," this year's modified word is "extra." To make up for taking license with the language, I am using this post to give you, the reader, something extra. Click on the banner covers for excerpts and a free read of the first chapter of each book.

And as the commercial says, "That's not all. Act now and receive not one, but two short stories, absolutely free. And don't even pay a separate shipping and handling fee." Just click on the free reads button on the sidebar for these two special gifts.

 

 

Recov - Love is forbidden between the living and those the government bring back from the grave. But it happens.

Withym - A lost archive buried beneath the sands of the planet Withym's immense desert is threatened when a volcano, dormant for many years, erupts. Desperate to save what she can, archaeologist Treall not only enlists the aid of a member of the planetary survey team, but breaks rules and regulations. An adventure in the world of tomorrow, "Treasure Beneath the Sands" blends technology and human spirit to save an alien treasure. 

 

 

I hope you enjoy these "xtras." And hit if inclined, check out my other titles by clicking on the covers in the banner.

 ~till next time, Helen

 

 

If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants


 

Out and About at The Loft

Out and about at The Loft. Had a fun interview and hope you will stop by and leave a comment at https://seeliekay.blogspot.com/2024/04/this-week-in-loft-author-helen-henderson.html. 

 

2024 W : Weapons

 

There is only one topic that first the challenge letter -- "Weapons." Although my interest in military weaponry originally pertained to re-enactments or my coverage of militaria for collector's magazines and antique trade publications as a correspondent, the information has proven useful in my writing. It may only be swords and bows rather than tanks and jeeps, but they are still weapons.

From Imprisoned in Stone, a sparring session that takes on a uglier tone when jealousy enters the competition.

Gareth’s lips tweaked in a smile. I might not be able to have Maerva, but I am under no compulsion to make it easy for Colwynn. Stooping down, he rose in fluid motion with a sword in his hand. He tipped the blade in salute, first to Tralin and then Colwynn. Three strides and he stood in the middle of the room. His muscles rippled from the weight of the blade as he twirled it through a series of one-handed figure eights.

All motion stopped, turning him into a grim-faced statue. Light glinted off the hilt that now hovered at shoulder height. The steel shaft pointed on a straight line to Colwynn’s head. “Your move, my friend,” Gareth said.

Colwynn rushed. His sword struck Gareth’s block. Again and again, the two men sparred. The sound of metal against metal mingled with the grunt of men. With each attack and counter, the fight grew more vicious. Gareth used his heavier weight to force Colwynn back. When the next blow landed, the flat of the blade struck bone not metal.

In contrast, from Fire and Redemption, the site of a duel to determine Brial's fate. Instead of a room magically turned into an arena, circle eight was a real site. You know when you have reached the traditional place where friendly competitions were held during the clans gathering by the marker tree with the face of an ancient watcher carved into it.

Having set as much contingency protection in place as she could, Brial scanned the area. It hasn’t changed much since the last time I was here, she thought. The grass is trimmed. The archery targets are set up, bows and quivers of arrows hang from stands just inside the grassy area, and the cairns that mark the shooting distances are neatly stacked in their places. The one difference chilled her soul. It looked like someone had decorated the tree stumps and rock benches with glittering steel. Every type of bladed weapon from throwing daggers to axes, and short swords to great ones half as tall as a man awaited their summons to the competition. Her gaze shifted from the spears and halberds to settle on the matching sets of quivers full of arrows and the decorated bows that leaned against them.

“Karst is no weaponsmith, knows nothing about the battle axes of the northmen, nor the pikes favored by eastern fighters,” she whispered. Her resolution hardened. Deheoul will not leave the field alive. Neither tradition nor my kin will prevent me from having my revenge if Karst falls.

~till next time, Helen

If intrigued and want more excerpts or a free read of the first chapter of Imprisoned in Stone or Fire and Redemption, click on the cover in the banner.

 

If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.