IWSG July 2021 Suncatchers and Fireballs

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We’re glad you’re here. For the seventh time this year, it's the First Wednesday of the month when we celebrate IWSG Day, in the form of a blog hop featuring all of the members of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by Alex Cavanaugh and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a place to share the fabulous views and exciting news that occurs along our fascinating writing journeys. Pull up a chair and join us!

Our awesome co-hosts for this month's posting of the IWSG are: 

  Pat Garcia, Victoria Marie Lees, and Louise – Fundy Blue!

This week begins “Air-Conditioning Appreciation Days” There may be a few more participants than normal this year. For the time being, I envy those who live near water ;-)

It’s “World Watercolor Month” Do you have a favorite artist? Besides Van Gogh, John Singer Sargent is a favorite of mine. Especially The Loggia, Vizcaya 1917. I can imagine a cool breeze wafting across the terrace as waning rays of daylight are captured in a suncatcher.

A couple of weeks ago, I counted over thirty ongoing wildfires in my state as daily temperatures inched ever closer to record highs with no rain in sight. I couldn’t help but wonder how all those tent-city dwellers across town were keeping cool. Not a good time to invite so many visitors, if you ask me.

Since it’s Tell the Truth Day, I will. We were anxious to make good on plans to get out of the sweltering heat for a while. Monsoon, years overdue, refreshing, and typically thrilling, arrived three days before we left. Wouldn’t you just know it?   It seemed a bit of it followed us, as it rained or remained overcast, here in the woods, clear through the 4^th of July. Just when I think nature has fully astonished me, it tosses something new my way. For example, that fireball that zipped along a utility line and hit a house down the way - without setting the forest on fire.  That was yesterday. Today, cable and internet are intermittent so I hope I can get this post out on time tomorrow.

Of late I’ve been doing my best to curb excessive usage of the word “just” as in simply, merely, or barely. Can you tell? I had no idea how often I use the word.

This month, the IWSG optional question asks what would make a writer stop writing. The very thought of such a thing makes my heart stop long enough to ponder the possibility of writing from the great beyond. Now that could be fun :-)

As time is of the essence this morning, I’ll leave you with one (more) burning question: How would you describe a radish to someone who’s never heard of such a thing?

Happy Writing!

A Dog And The Rooster's Missing Page

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We’re glad you’re here. For the sixth time this year, it's the First Wednesday of the month when we celebrate IWSG Day, in the form of a blog hop featuring all of the members of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by Alex Cavanaugh and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a place to share the fabulous views and exciting news that occurs along our fascinating writing journeys. Pull up a chair and join us!

Our awesome co-hosts for this month's posting of the IWSG are: 

 J Lenni Dorner, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, Lee Lowery, and Rachna Chhabria!

Most adages come from something experienced; “Out of the pan and into the fire”, “Birds of a feather…” For John Steinbeck “The dog ate it” was all too true when his faithful Irish setter became upset at being left alone too long and ate the entire first draft half of “Of Mice and Men” Steinbeck, who reportedly thought his dog may have been “acting critically” then spent the next two months amicably rewriting his work.

Would it matter if any or all of your work was published posthumously? It matters a great deal to some, it seems, when it comes to Steinbeck’s long-buried werewolf novel “Murder at Full Moon” Written under a pseudonym and originally rejected in 1930, the novel was all but forgotten until recently when a couple of literary academics petitioned Steinbeck’s estate for its release and were met with opposition from literary agents close to the family. The, uh, “Jury is still out” on the issue.

I can’t imagine too many scenarios more frustrating than a missing page, can you? Thankfully, my only experience has been realizing the exact page I needed had been torn out of a public phonebook. Just last week I actually groaned with dismay when an old rerun of M.A.S.H. showed the entire unit sharing one copy of an engrossing book called “The Rooster Crowed at Midnight” only to discover the last page, the one where the culprit is finally revealed, is missing! I easily understood the anguished consternation that ensued. One outraged member of the camp was even promised a trip to Fatlip, Arizona. Fatlip, Arizona?  Whoa. No need to get personal.

I mean, I gasped. I sat straighter in my chair. Was there really a town called Fatlip in Arizona? I had to know. That, my friends, is what I did for over an hour instead of working on my manuscript. Shameful, isn’t it? Except, I realized something. In all the time I’ve spent on this manuscript which revolves around activity going on nine miles up a mountain, I’ve never named the town below. Now I wonder if I even need to. Your thoughts?

Happy Writing!

Common Places - W

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

W  The oldest library (1885) in Indiana is still quenching literary thirsts in Evansville while attracting the attention of paranormal enthusiasts nationwide. In fact, ghost cams are set up throughout the Victorian Gothic-style building so that at-home ghost hunters might catch a glimpse of what goes on inside the historic Willard Library.   Considered to be one of the most haunted libraries in the United States, it was “The Grey Lady” who made the Willard library famous. Believed to be the daughter of the library founder, the Grey Lady seems reluctant to leave the building, though it wasn’t left to her in her father’s will. After being featured on “Ghost Hunters,” the library began offering annual tours around Halloween (of course!). On Halloween night of 1999 so many people tried to access the library ghost cams that all internet service to and from Evansville crashed.

“Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see,” ~ Edgar Allen Poe

Common Places - U

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

U  Highly acclaimed and declared the oldest independent bookstore in Dublin, Books Upstairs (I couldn’t resist!) is just as described; upstairs, in a vintage Georgian building that “feels like a house” as you wander the well-stocked rooms. With an emphasis on humanities, especially Irish literature, poetry, culture, and history, Books Upstairs proudly offers the best in Irish and international literature. There are bargains to be found in the basement. Friendly, dedicated staff members are eager to assist in any way  - even if it’s only to steer you to the narrow staircase that leads to a lovely literary café that serves banana bread and so much more in an authentic tea-time atmosphere. Be advised there is no Wi-Fi or phones allowed because they encourage engaging conversation or tranquil reading.  However, (groan) do check ahead for current hours of operation as they’ve been under strict pandemic restrictions.

“Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Common Places - R

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

R    RiverRun Books has a website for ordering books and gift cards, but they’d much rather you come on in and “browse and buy” hand-picked new and used books at their store located at 32 Daniel Street in Portsmouth, NH. They are open full-time again and are ready to recommend your next favorite book. They even have their own publishing project called Piscataqua Press – in case you’ve written someone else’s next favorite book ;-) Oh! If by chance you’ve worn out your old typewriter, they’ll sell you a new one or repair the old one.

 

“You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write” ~ Saul Bellow

Common Places - Q

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

Q   Self-described as a Giftery, Bookery, and a Chocolaterie, The Queen Bee Bookstore in the tight-knit community of Ogden, Utah supports its local schools and the Treehouse Children’s Museum. In addition to selling consigned wares by local artists and artisans, and hosting author events and chocolate tastings. Yes, you read that right, chocolate tastings!

 

Thought to be the oldest library in the world, al Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, Morroco first opened in 859 CE as part of a complex comprised of a library, a university, and a Mosque.  Much later, the library was closed for several decades to all but a few scholars and students of the adjacent Qarawiyyin University due to extensive water damage by rain run-off from the roof of the next-door Mosque (also named Qarawiyyin). When renovations began in 2012, an underground canal was built below the floors to assuage the water problem. A new Lab was added to assist in the refurbishment; treat, preserve and digitize a few of the oldest texts - some written on camel skin! Much to the surprise and delight of scholars and workers alike, secret rooms and ancient artifacts were discovered during the lengthy renovation. While restoration efforts continue, one entire wing opened to the public in 2017, featuring an exhibition room and a café.

 

“In a good bookroom you feel in some mysterious way that you are absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin without even opening them” ~ Mark Twain

Common Places - P

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

P   “Hidden in plain sight,” is how El Pendulo Books, Café and Music of Mexico City has been described. A small arched entrance opens into what one visitor equated to a Hogwarts Library. Featuring books in Spanish and English, from classic to new releases, movies and DVDs, and live music three days a week, El Pendulo is not a quick-stop adventure, it’s an awesome afternoon (or longer) experience – especially since the Café fare isn’t half bad!

 

“The bookstore and the coffeehouse are natural allies, neither has a time limit, slowness is encouraged” ~ Lewis Buzbee

Common Places - O

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

O   Voted the best Locally Owned (Independent) Bookstore in uptown New Orleans in 2020, Octavia Books remains open (with restrictions) and ready to entertain with numerous events, and inspire with endless choices for every passionate reader. Quiet areas are provided to enhance the experience of serendipitous pleasures found in the company of books. Extensive browsing is encouraged!

“Bookstores, like libraries, are the physical manifestation of the wide world’s longest, most thrilling conversation” ~ Richard Russo

Common Places - N

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

N  The largest and oldest of five libraries in the Bahamas, Nassau Public Library and Museum once housed the city’s entire criminal population when the octagonal building served as a prison. The passing of the Nassau Public Library act in 1847 saw the atmospheric transformation of a rowdy reformatory into a remarkable repository of historic maps, documents, artifacts, as well as newer books of higher education. Refreshing breezes waft through ground floor windows near quiet reading areas. The second and third floors offer spectacular ocean views above tall palms - however, word on the winds is that while the doors may have closed for the last time in 2018, everything inside was left as it was - just in case.

 

 

   Northwind Book & Fiber is a combination independent bookstore and fine yarn shop in Spooner, Wisconsin. Other features include a consignment gallery of local art and jewelry, in addition to toys, games, and puzzles.

 

More than a store, it’s an experience!

“I love walking into a bookstore. It’s like all my friends are sitting on shelves, waving their pages at me” ~ Tahereh Mafi

Common Places - M

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

M   The Montague Bookmill is an independent bookstore located inside a converted 1834 grist mill (National Register of Historic places) in the picturesque New England village of Montague, Massachusetts. The charming bookstore’s motto is “Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find” and they claim to have “40 thousand books and one waterfall” Baked goods from the Bookmill’s café are said to be as superior as the views from the bank of the Sawmill River. If, by chance, you’re not yet enchanted, other attractions include fine dining, an art gallery, and a music store.

 

“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary” ~ Jim Rohn

Common Places - L

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

L  When Antonio La Cava, a retired school teacher in Basilcata, Italy, realized a need for children to access books, he transformed his three-wheeler into what he calls the Bibliomotocarro (possibly Italy’s smallest library) to deliver books to children in remote communities.

“Without a book, so often a child is alone” ~ Antonio La Cava

  Fun Fact: Benjamin Franklin started his own Lending Library in 1731 (Philadelphia) called the Library Company (he served as a librarian), but it required a subscription fee of 40 shillings. Later, in 1790, one of the oldest libraries in the country opened in Franklin, Massachusetts where residents could borrow books donated by – you guessed it - Benjamin Franklin.

   

Communal Places - K

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

K  When two writers needed a place to complete their manuscripts, the logical solution for them was to create one - in the form of the King’s English Bookshop. They’ve been “matching books to readers since 1977” and enjoy a strong and beloved presence in their Salt Lake City, UT community. They host numerous events, accept consignments (check guidelines) and remind us that Independent Bookstore Day is April 24^th!

 

“No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting” ~ Mary Wortley Montagu

 

Communal Places - J

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

J   The national landmark located at 425 Avenue of the Americas, now known as the Jefferson Market Library, carries more than just stories within. Having once housed (only) female prisoners in an adjacent section that is now a garden, and later, a courthouse before becoming the iconic bequest to public literacy it is today, the building itself was the subject of chronicles whispered. The atmospheric essence of this edifice, alone, is enough to entice readers in, while the remarkable architecture, complete with Victorian Gothic embellishments such as decorative gables, pinnacles, and towering stained-glass windows, seems to attest to claims of other-worldly presences. For example, nighttime shadows are reportedly seen around the intricately redesigned clock tower - formerly a fire lookout tower (circa 1833). A phantom woman waves from the balcony above the expansive courtroom (now the adult reading room) and fleeting visages of ghosts have occurred in the garden.  

 

Jefferson Market Library, Greenwich Village, NY

Anyone up for an adventure – and a good book?

 

“The library is inhabited by creatures that come out of the pages at night” ~ Isabel Allende

Communal Places - H

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

H   The Haunted Bookshop in Iowa City is the second oldest secondhand bookstore in town. And while it’s not really haunted, the walls of ten well-appointed rooms of the historic Wentz House on Gilbert Street are lined with shelves and comfortable chairs, and feature over fifty thousand books, some first editions and signed, in eighty different subject areas, in addition to puzzles, games and toys. Events include book-signings, read-aloud sessions, puppet shows, and spontaneous performances by visiting piano players.  Friendly staff, including several feline tour guides, are on hand to help with any questions you may have.

 

Now, this is my favorite kind of bookstore! How about you?

“In ancient times cats were worshipped as Gods; they have not forgotten this.” ~ Terry Pratchett

Communal Places - G

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

G.  Founded in 1967, Green Apple Books on Clement Street in San Francisco’s historic Richmond district features a large selection of new, used and rare books, magazines, and music; including a fine selection of DVDs. 

 

Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, GypsySnark Books gets honorable mention for originality. Founded by a retired Forest Service analyst who spent years studying gypsy moths and loved “The Hunting of the Snark,” by Lewis Carroll, the small bookstore offers gifts and gently used books in just about any genre – History, Sci-fi, Horror, Gardening -  a reader could want. The Young Adult section has been dubbed “phenomenal”, and a delightful array of unique gifts and jewelry assures you won’t leave empty-handed ;-)

Have you ever purchased anything other than a book at a book store?

“Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Communal Places - F

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

F  Faulkner House Books – Pirate Alley, New Orleans

This charming bookstore in the heart of the French Quarter is located on the ground floor of the home where William Faulkner lived while completing his first novel in 1925. *Masks and Contact Tracing required

 

Do you own any books by William Faulkner?

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore” ~ William Faulkner

IWSG April 2021 - Spring is in my hair

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

For the fourth time this year, it’s the First Wednesday of the month when we celebrate IWSG Day, in the form of a blog hop featuring all of the members of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Founded by Alex Cavanaugh and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a place to share the fabulous views and exciting news that occurs along our fascinating writing journeys. Pull up a chair and join us!

Our awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are: 

PK Hrezo, Pat Garcia, SE White, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diane Burton!

 

It’s National Poetry Month, Library Week, and Bookmobile Day. It’s also National Walking and No Housework Day! I’ll go along with all of that ;-) It seems Spring may have been whisked away on the winds of these warm-weather days in the desert, but it’s still cool enough to walk in the mornings.

One of my favorite poems:

A little Madness in the Spring

Is wholesome even for the King,

But God be with the Clown --

Who ponders this tremendous scene --

This whole Experiment of Green --

As if it were his own!

by Emily Dickinson 

The option IWSG question of the month is: Are you a risk-taker when writing? Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc. or add controversial topics to your work?

Not intentionally, no. I think most writers would agree we want readers to like what we write. If by chance there are those who don’t, there are so many others to choose from. One of the greatest gifts a writer receives – even if posthumously – is endurance; the ever-present possibility of past success recurring.

“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” ~ Harper Lee

 

Do you have a favorite poem? Will you take a walk today?

Frozen Crimes and Skyflakes

 

                                            

Hi everyone! Welcome to the Frozen Crimes Blog Hop! In the midst of an endless summer, we in the southwest can hardly remember rain, let alone snow. But we can dream, and here’s a question to get us started:

Whom would you want to be stuck with during a blizzard, and what would you do?

 Because the very thought of freezing fades my well-earned sunspots, I’d definitely need a distraction. Someone whose wit would rivet me in place with laughter as time advanced at warp-speed, whisking us away from the frightening storm in the comically cosmic fashion of Robin Williams as Mork – from Ork. Once his fascination with "Skyflakes" subsided, and he’d taken his unique sitting position on the sofa, I’d curl up by the fire with my copy of the book we’re all talking about today: Frozen Crimes!

Hop around to the other participants to read their answers: Frozen Crimes Blog Hop

   

When disasters strike around every corner, is it possible to have a happily-ever-after?

 

BLURB: Beth and Donovan are expecting their first child. Life couldn’t get any better…until a stalker makes his presence known. This person sends disturbing messages and unsettling items, but it isn’t long before his menacing goes too far.

Hoping for a peaceful Christmas, Donovan takes Beth to Michigan. Days into their trip, a winter storm named Nemesis moves in with the goal of burying the state. Snowdrifts surround their house, and the temperature drops below freezing.

Except, the storm isn’t the only nemesis they must face. Everyone’s lives are at stake—especially that of their unborn child. Will they survive, or will they become a frozen crime?

BUY LINKS: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes

 

EXCERPT:

The crunch of the shovel pounding into the snow and ice filled his ears. It was all he could hear. The rest of the street was silent beneath its wintry blanket. Breathing was difficult with the icy air clogging his lungs. His nose burned. His throat was dry and on fire. But he ignored it, focusing on his task.

Crack, crack, crack.

He jabbed the shovel into a hunk of snow. On the third hit, it shattered into several pieces. He scooped them up and flung them to the side. He surveyed what remained. There was one big ball in the middle of the path that needed to be dealt with next. He moved over to it and struck it. That one impact had it severing in two. He was about to hit it again when something crashed into the back of his head.

Explosions of white light danced over his vision. Pain enveloped his skull.

The shovel slipped from his fingers. Blackness cloaked his mind, coaxing him into its depths.

Beth. Her name was a whisper in his head, as if his thoughts were being sucked into a wormhole.

His legs collapsed under his weight.

Cold. It seeped into him, consuming him. And then his consciousness fled down that same void that ate his thoughts.

 

***HUGE DISASTER CRIMES GIVEAWAY*** 

 

Prizes: 4 eBooks (Disaster Crimes 1-4: Hurricane Crimes, Seismic Crimes, Tsunami Crimes, Flaming Crimes) + Girl Boss Magnets (4), Inflatable Cup Holder (1), Adventure Fuel To-Go Cups (2), Anchor Fashion Scarf (1), Mermaid Nail Clippers (2), Citrus and Sea Salt Scented Candle (1), Snowflake Handmade Bookmark (1), Insulated Cooler Bag (1)

 

Eligibility: International

Number of Winners: One

Giveaway Ends: October 30, 2020 12:00am EST

LINK: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/76132e0221/?

 

 

***FREE EXCLUSIVE EBOOK***

 

 

To get the exclusive prequel to the Disaster Crimes series, sign up for Chrys’ newsletter. By signing up, you agree to receive Chrys Fey’s newsletter. After you confirm subscription, you will receive an email (so check your inbox and spam folder) with directions on where to snag your eBook copy of THE CRIME BEFORE THE STORM.

Click here to sign up and get The Crime Before the Storm FREE!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chrys Fey is author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept that blends disasters, crimes, and romance. She runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Book Club on Goodreads and edits for Dancing Lemur Press. https://www.chrysfey.com

Author Links:

Website / Blog / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

 

 Happy Reading!