Storm of Attraction, by Lily Black: #BookReview.

Storm of Attraction is a romantic thriller with an understandable bias in favour of female readers. After all, most romance readers are women. As a mature man, and the author of a romantic thriller, I’m able to enjoy the genre in a way a lot of men can’t imagine. Told very much from the woman’s …

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The Darwin Awards, by Wendy Northcutt: #BookReview.

Subtitled ‘180 Bizarre True Stories of How Dumb Humans Have Met Their Maker’, The Darwin Awards is not a book to read in one sitting, unless you wish to join award nominees by dying from laughing too loud and too long. There are some wonderful tales here; a few are apocryphal but most have been …

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Long Time Walk on Water, by Joan Barbara Simon: #BookReview.

Joan Barbara Simon’s ‘Long Time Walk on Water’, is a phenomenon. There’s nothing ordinary, pedestrian, or conventional in this story of love, lust, prejudice, violence and parental brutality. An adherent of secular, as opposed to faith-based, philosophy, I’m already biased against the cruel, arbitrary, and unjust interpretation of so-called sacred myths that spread brutality and …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #59

    A series of posts for all word lovers. Offering help for writers and language learners, these posts look at many different aspects of the world of words in the hope of stimulating your curiosity and enhancing your creativity. This week’s words: Menace/Reassure; The colour blue/gold/red, etc., Flog a dead horse, Desenrascanço. Menace - …

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A Short Notification

    Regular readers will know I've been offline (completely) since 26th September. I've now returned to the digital world, having merged my annual retreat from all things digital with a holiday in the sun. There's a great deal to catch up on and a few reviews to be written. So, I'm simply alerting my …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making

This is a robot reporting (metallic synthetic voice mode). The post was scheduled before I started my annual break from all things digital: the only way to protect sanity in a world driven round the bend by constant calls on our attention. So, no movement in the files for the work in progress, only within …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #58

    A series of posts for word lovers. Offering help for writers and language learners, these posts examine different aspects of the world of words in the hope of stimulating your curiosity and enhancing your creativity. You need to know this post was scheduled prior to my annual break from all things digital, so …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

I’m currently no more than a robot on here. This scheduled post was created before I started my annual break from all digital connection: the only way to stay sane in a world driven by constant calls on our attention. So, no change to the files for the work in progress, only within my imagination, …

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Creative #Writing #Contests Table Updated

Weird cloud formation. See the full-size version here. Here’s your monthly reminder that the writing contest table has been updated. I update frequently; in fact, whenever I come across new contest details. I also subscribe to a few sources for information to pass on to you here. However, please be aware that I began my …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #57

    A series of posts for all word lovers. Offering help for writers and language learners, these posts look at many different aspects of the world of words in the hope of stimulating your curiosity and enhancing your creativity. Please be aware this post was scheduled prior to my annual break from all things …

Continue reading Looking for the Best Word? Tip #57

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Today is my 29th wedding anniversary and I’m spending it with my lovely wife. This is a scheduled post, created before I started my annual break from all digital connection: it’s the only way to stay sane in a world being driven mad by constant calls on our attention. So, no change to the work …

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An American Cage, by Ted Galdi: #BookReview.

This thriller is much more than that. Generally, thrillers are notorious for their concentration on story at the expense of character. In An American Cage, however, Galdi has broken that mould. He’s devised a tale that threads character throughout the story without adversely affecting pace and engagement. Written in present tense, and from an omniscient …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #56

    A series of posts for all word lovers. Offering help for writers and language learners, these posts look at many different aspects of the world of words in the hope of stimulating your curiosity and enhancing your creativity. This week’s words: Ambitious/Apathetic; Consonance; Advance planning; Down to earth. Ambitious - Roget lists these …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

A small number of new characters have been created to go with the new locations and period. Most of the others appear in the first two volumes, as the new book continues the story, moving only a few years forward initially. Location requires more research, and some informed speculation, but that’s going well at present. …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #55

    A series of posts for all word lovers. Offering help for writers and language learners, these posts look at many different aspects of the world of words in the hope of stimulating your curiosity and enhancing your creativity. This week’s words: Help, Incredibly, A word to the wise, Shinrin-yoku, Contronym: Help Help: belongs …

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