Here’s another poem for you. And a quick sketch to go with it. Something to confirm my intentions to be positive this year. I Will Laugh If I seek enjoyment in this world of misery am I then pretending blindness to the facts or do I defend myself against those negatives combining to defeat our …
Month: Jan 2019
#Readers, #BookReviews, #Bookbloggers.
Do you read? Love books? I love readers; you’re my raison d’etre as a writer, the reason I write stories. So, I want more. One of the best ways of helping other readers is through reviews. So, here’s the deal: I’ll send you a copy of any of my books in exchange for an honest …
Conclusions from a Brief Experiment.
Last Sunday, I started an experiment on Twitter. Basically, I decided not to go onto the site for a week. I would still use ‘share’ buttons on any websites/blogs or topics I visited, but I’d stay away from reading and interacting on the site. This came about when I realised how much of my creative …
Cocktails with a Dead Man, by Joe Albanese: #BookReview.
106 pages Poetry This is a mix of the intensely personal, regarding love and its outcomes; the general as it relates to writers a group; and life in many of its guises. Poetry, and the reader’s response to it, is always personal. So, my review here can reflect only my experience of reading the collection …
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The Verona Exchange, by Lauren B. Grossman and Bernard Jaroslow: #BookReview.
242 Pages Thriller/Mystery I picked up a copy of this book, as I’d enjoyed Lauren B. Grossman’s first in the series, The Golden Peacock. That dealt with a mystery surrounding the holocaust. This book deals with a kidnapping by the Italian Red Brigade. Although this is essentially a thriller, great attention has been given to …
Continue reading The Verona Exchange, by Lauren B. Grossman and Bernard Jaroslow: #BookReview.
The #Write #Word? Post 55
Word cloud via wordart.com When writing, do you have problems discovering the ‘right’ word? I do, sometimes. In trying to improve my own work, perhaps I can help others. Today’s words: Vague, Very, Vemödalen, Vacuum. Synonyms are alternative words that have the power to convey exactly what you’re trying to say. Vague: Roget lists the …
A #Poem on a Social Evil.
An illustrative poem for your amusement. Pyramid Selling I who squat atop the all too ready fools who mass beneath my banner of false promises my lies my cheats deceits my tales of easy wealth made in a trice or quicker soon grow powerful and rich at their expense Please feel free to comment and …
A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin: #BookReview.
304 pages Children’s/Science Fiction and Fantasy It may seem like an odd time of life to be reading children’s literature. In my defence, I bought this book ‘blind’ as one of a number I ordered after being gifted a book token for my 70th birthday. I’d heard of Ursula Le Guin, had her books recommended, …
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A Protest Poem.
Picture reproduced courtesy of Creative Commons Licence by kind permission of Donkeyhotey Are You Proud of Your Record to Date Mrs May? Are you proud of your record to date Mrs May Are you proud of the men in your club Do they fill every day with delight at their pranks Do they make every …
A Brief Experiment
Procrastination is probably the writer’s greatest hidden enemy. Most of us unconsciously employ strategies designed to stop us putting pen to paper and getting on with the job. This is so even if we actively enjoy the process of writing. Something in us is almost self-destructive in its desire to stop us expressing ourselves in …
The #Write #Word? Post 54
Word cloud designed via wordart.com When writing, do you find it hard to discover the ‘right’ word? I do, sometimes. In trying to improve my own work, perhaps I can help others. Today’s words: Unhinged/Sane, Uselessly, Until such time as, Uniform. Antonyms: words that express the opposite of other words can be hard to find, because …
Capturing the Creative Craving
Children at the edge of the North Sea, Hornsea, East Yorkshire, England. This year I'm determined to concentrate on my creative needs. I write and I take photographs. I also love making pictures with pencil, pen, and paint, though those skills I've yet to hone. So, these Wednesday posts will display my efforts in this …
Game Changers of the Apocalypse, by Mark Kirkbride: #BookReview.
Science Fiction/Post-Apocalyptic Horror 299 pages As far as I can recall, I’ve never read a book in the post-apocalypse genre before, so it’s probable there are recognisable conventions of which I’m unaware. That said, any book should generally be accessible to all readers if possible. This one took some getting into for me. Once I …
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The #Write #Word? Post 53
Word cloud via wordart.com Find it hard to discover the ‘right’ word when writing? So do I, sometimes. In working to improve my own writing, maybe I can help other writers. Today’s words: Taboo, Time period, Temper tantrum, Tory. Synonyms are alternative words that have the power to convey exactly what you’re trying to say. …
2 Steps to Greater Exposure.
Share buttons In common with many writers, I support other authors. But some websites and blogs make this very difficult. Or, at least, do nothing to make it easy. We’re all busy people; time is our most precious resource. It’s sensible to make sharing your output as simple as possible. When Jo visits your site …
Stuart Aken 