Jacqui Murray's Blog, page 3

More Great Reads

Here are some of the books I’ve read lately not from NetGalley, not Westerns, not about dogs–just generally great reads from (mostly) blogging buds: A Lesson in Dying--Detective Ramsay gets lots of help in his first in this series Bad Blood in the Bayou--set in Louisiana, a new start on life becomes a lot more … Continue reading →

#AtoZChallenge: Genres–Hard Science Fiction

The A to Z Challenge asks bloggers to post 26 articles on a themed topic in the month of April, every day except Sundays. I find that too busy and decided to post mine ‘about’ once a month. Yes, it’ll take me a couple of years. Sigh. My topic, like the last time, will be writing … Continue reading →

Love dogs? Here’s your book

I have called five Labradors “pack”–family–throughout my life. Each was incomparable to my world and tore me apart when they left. I found a soulmate in Lauren and her new book, King Copper: Our Dog’s Life in Poetry. If you love dogs, whether you hold a puppy close to your heart, a senior dog, or … Continue reading →

IWSG August–Fake Publications

This post is for Alex Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writers Support Group (click the link for details on what that means and how to join. You will also find a list of bloggers signed up to the challenge that are worth checking out. The first Wednesday of every month, we all post our thoughts, fears or words … Continue reading →

Book reviews–Modern West, Survival, More

Recently, NetGalley has sent me ARCs for some great books. This collection is about modern west lifestyle, survivalist situations–that type: Battle Mountain–Nate gets his revenge, Joe helps the Governor, and good prevails South of Nowhere–surviving a levee collapse is just the start The Blue Horse–Porter Beck’s failing eyesight seems to require a job change, but … Continue reading →

More Great Westerns from NetGalley

The first Friday of August is a celebration of the American Old West called Frontierado. This year, it falls on Friday, August 1st. As aficionados of this era know, this particular ‘holiday’ celebrates the myth of the old west–its focus on justice, opening the American West, the people instrumental in this happening–not the grinding reality … Continue reading →

#AtoZChallenge: Genres–Kung Fu Fiction

The A to Z Challenge asks bloggers to post 26 articles on a themed topic in the month of April, every day except Sundays. I find that too busy and decided to post mine ‘about’ once a month. Yes, it’ll take me a couple of years. Sigh. My topic, like the last time, will be writing … Continue reading →

Excellent Reads from NetGalley

Recently, NetGalley has sent me ARCs for some great books from trad published authors: Them Bones by David Housewright Though Them Bones (Minotaur Books 2025) is the first of the twenty-two Twin Cities PI Mac McKenzie Novels I’ve read, it won’t be the last. Rushmore McKenzie is a mix of Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole and … Continue reading →

Teacher-Authors: Create Your Own Copyright-friendly Artwork

A lot of teacher-authors read my WordDreams blog. In this monthly column, I share a popular post from the past month on my teacher education blog, Ask a Tech Teacher. I’m doing a series on easy Photoshop skills that I teach 5th graders. The purpose is two-fold: excite them about creating their own quality art … Continue reading →

#AtoZChallenge: Genres–Galactic Empire

The A to Z Challenge asks bloggers to post 26 articles on a themed topic in the month of April, every day except Sundays. I find that too busy and decided to post mine ‘about’ once a month. Yes, it’ll take me a couple of years. Sigh. My topic, like the last time, will be writing … Continue reading →