Today, I want to begin with the latest release of my long time blogger friend, Lisa. She met me when I started my blog in 2013, and her support has been consistent though she is so laid back that she never promotes her books. She is the author of divorce self-help books, short stories and poetry. ‘Daughter of the Moon’ is her debut novel.
‘Daughter of the Moon’ is an engaging account of a daughter who is abandoned at the door-step of Nora on a cold, stormy December night. She decides to adopt the baby and raises her with immense love. The mystery child grows up into a fine woman – Joele who learns to read tarot cards at a young age and earns a handsome amount from it at Diane’s Tea House. She is also an artist.
However, it is surprising that the question of her biological parents never crops up until Nora’s death. People of the town must’ve known the secrets or was the mother an outsider? Joele decides to dig deeper and many uncanny mysteries tumble out. How will Joele handle them? Can she believe the unsavory truth? Can she forgive the lady who gave birth to her and abandoned the infant?
The story is slow-paced yet it holds your interest, as Thomson makes it a feel good story and doesn’t disclose the backstory of Shawnee’s torturous past. Her focus is relationships and their importance in our lives. All the characters are too good. Nothing is told about the villain and his possible guilt, which could have been an interesting aspect of the plot. A journey through self-discovery, this book offers love, friendship and acceptance. If you like cozy stories, this one is for you.
True to its name, ‘Miracles and Ghosts’is a fantastic collection of Christmas stories. It starts with a heart-warming story of Julie Sandals who returns to her childhood home after seventeen years and finds love and hope despite the sinister plans of Doug. Finn weaves an element of magic in the narrative through a rainbow, white feather and the spiritual presence of a guardian angel.
‘Christmas Reunion’ highlights human values in a subtle manner; underlines the value of sibling love, kindness and nemesis.
A poignant story of Ursa and his cat pierced my heart though their new journey speaks of light.
‘At the Mall’ holds hope despite the mounting tension that gnaws at your heart, each moment. Finn won my heart with the miracle. All the stories are crafted well and have an emotional edge. The realism blends well with the magic and miracles, as soured relationships and challenges of life unfold. Finn’s signature style peeps through her cute kittens and Bubs. An enjoyable collection!
‘The Bubble Reputation’ is a haunting comment on the modern world which is driven by money, jealousy, social media, fake news and instant gratification. The story grabs your attention from page one when we meet Ursula Bloom who reveals her intentions and manipulates one of her employees to create a scandal that escalates to unimaginable proportions. While she basks in the glory of her malicious actions, Emmie Hobson loses almost everything. Is there a way out?
Fast-paced and realistic, Craigie creates an authentic story by crafting credible characters who could stoop absolutely low to tarnish the image of a popular author. She succeeds in stirring your emotions by placing you in the midst of a chilling scenario – a smearing campaign against Emmie would haunt you and make you wonder how public opinion turns against you within moments.
This novella reveals the darkest side of humanity. It highlights that even your own friends and siblings could turn against you. Human values hold no significance in modern society and perils of social media cannot be dismissed with a shrug. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you. Happy reading! Here is the Amazon link for my new poetry book.
This week, the challenge is given by an accomplished poet, Willow. She wants the poet to choose a piece of music and “write a syllabic poem about how the music either makes you feel or what it suggests to you.”
This iconic song, shot in 1960, still inspires the lovers to believe that love knows no fears. She is a commoner and loves the Prince but the king promises her freedom from imprisonment if she dances in his court. She grabs the opportunity to declare her love that is eternal, despite the consequences.
A string of dodoitsu has been inspired from this song. Thanks to Tanka Tuesday host.
A dodoitsu is a Japanese form of poetry that is sometimes performed as a folk song. It has 26 syllables: 7 in the first, second and third lines, and 5 in the last line. (7/7/7/5). No rhyming. No title.
Magical aura of love immerses two souls in a pool of divine joy that freezes time moments dare not stir.
***
it ushers spring into life it whispers songs of delight but adds embers of passion love is so sublime.
***
love is a cascading creek that flows with blithe abandon donning beams of ecstasy carves its own pathways.
The challenge of the week is to write a Tanka Puente with the theme of best and worst moments.
If you haven’t heard of the Puente form of poetry, do not worry. Puente simply means ‘bridge’ in Spanish. A Puente poem comprises of three stanzas with the first and third being separate thoughts but sharing an equal number of lines. The second stanza is the bridge stanza and is a single line enclosed in tildes (~) that acts as a bridge between the thoughts in the first stanza and the third stanza. You can use a quote for the bridge stanza which is something I like to do, but this is not obligatory.
Two Faces
Her healing touch calms her magical glow enchants her whispers warble Mother Nature nurtures us creates calming symphonies.
~“Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative.” – H.G. Wells
Thanks to Colleen for the inspiration to write syllabic poetry about seasons. I’ve written two Butterfly Cinquains. The Butterfly Cinquain is an unrhymed, nine-line syllabic poem with 2-4-6-8-2-8-6-4-2 syllables per line.
The Kigo words have been highlighted.
Thank you dear readers. If you like poetry, read more: Moments We Love
Emotional Shadows 