Mom’s Favorite Reads eMagazine November 2022

monthly by Goylake Publishing

by Melanie P. Smith of www.melaniepsmith.com

Dani Pettrey

Interviewed by Wendy H. Jones

Dani, thank you for joining me in Mom’s Favorite Reads. As we will discover you are an extremely busy lady and I appreciate you taking time out to answer my questions for Mom’s readers. I can’t believe there can be anyone who has not heard of you or read your books, as I am a real fan, but just in case I will start with a short bio.

Publishers Weekly and #1 Amazon bestselling author, Dani Pettrey has sold nearly 800,000 copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy ever after of a romance.

Her novels stand out for their "wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likable characters" (Publishers Weekly), "gripping storyline[s]," (RT Book Reviews), and "sizzling undercurrent of romance" (USA Today).

She researches murder and mayhem from her home in Maryland.

family and, while I still wrote in notebooks, I didn’t seriously pursue even the idea of publication until I took an extended learning creative writing class at the local college. I decided after that class that I’d try my hand at writing a book. Seven years of studying the craft and three manuscripts later, I sold Submerged to Bethany House.

A nice gentle question to start off. How did you come to writing?

I’ve always loved stories. As a kid I loved to daydream stories unfortunately, my teachers didn’t appreciate my daydreaming as much as I did. When I was eight, I read Murder on the Orient Express and I was hooked on the power of story. I started keeping notebooks of stories and I continued writing for fun through high school and college. Then my husband and I got married and started a

You write romantic suspense. What exactly is this? Romantic suspense is the wonderful combination of a love story and an action filled mystery. It’s exactly the type of story I love reading—one full of plot twists, peril, and love and the longing for hope and redemption. What do you think is the allure of romantic suspense for both readers and writers?

I think it satisfies our love of solving a puzzle, of trying to figure out whodunnit before the villain is revealed. It’s also filled with the fun anticipation of seeing the hero and heroine end up together. I think this combination is so powerful.

Your first series, The Alaskan Courage Series, is obviously set in Alaska. Why Alaska?

Once I knew that I wanted a family who both owned an adventure outfitting company as well as pursued high extreme adventures, I started thinking of locations. I wanted someplace that offered a wide variety of extreme sport opportunities everything from cave diving to heli skiing. Alaska seemed the perfect place, and it automatically added a level of inherent rugged danger.

Can you tell us a bit about this series?

Sure. It features the McKenna clan five siblings who run Last Frontier Adventures Outfitting company. In addition to running adventure tours, they pursue extreme sports and they all volunteer with search and rescue. Each book in the series features a different McKenna sibling, their love interested and a heavy dose of suspense.

I love the way you bring supporting characters forward from an earlier book and make them the main characters in the next. It gives a real feeling of being immersed in all the characters’ lives. Why did you decide to do this?

I honestly didn’t set out to do that. It just happened naturally as I was writing Submerged. The hero, Cole McKenna’s youngest sister just took over part of the story and if you’ve read Submerged and gotten to know Piper, you’ll understand why.

After completing Submerged, that pattern has just stuck with me. I enjoy writing about multiple characters and suspense threads.

https://www.danipettrey.com/

You also have a series called Chesapeake Valour. Tell us about those?

The Chesapeake Valor series follows the story of four childhood friends torn apart from tragedy. Each of the friends went into a different avenue of law enforcement and a murder case brings them all back together. Your latest series, The Coastal Guardians Series, has characters who are in the Coastguard. Why the coastguard?

I started out thinking I’d write a series about the Navy as my husband served in it, but as I was researching different military endeavours, I came across an article on the Coast Guard Investigative Service. I’d never heard of them before, and I got curious. The result is the Coastal Guardian series.

How do you go about researching for this series?

I was blessed to speak with four Coast Guardsmen one barely a year in, two who had served a good number of years and a career Guardsman who was retired. Speaking to all four of them gave me a wide berth of information and helped me get a really rounded picture of the Coast Guard. Researching the CGIS unit came down to a lot of reading and digging on the internet. I’ve loved telling their stories as I believe the Coast Guard Investigative Service doesn’t receive a lot of attention for all they do. And there’s one more adventure ahead. Logan and Emmy’s story, The Shifting Current, is available for pre order. I loved telling the story of these reader favorites.

Where is the most interesting place your research has taken you?

Oooh, good question. I’ve had so many fun research adventures, but I think my favorite was visiting Gettysburg National Military Park to research for my first Chesapeake Valor novel, Cold Shot. My husband and I arranged a private tour and our guide was fabulous, but the highlight was when I asked him the best place to bury a body. His face was priceless. But assured I was an author, he helped me pick the right spot.

All your books seem to take place on or around the sea.

I’m curious, why such a focus on the sea?

I’m a beach girl and absolutely love the ocean. I grew up sailing, swimming, snorkelling, and windsurfing. I find ocean both majestic and peaceful, and I naturally gravitated toward setting my books there. But I’m super excited to be moving locations for my upcoming Jeopardy Falls series with Bethany House. It’s based in Arizona and having lived in the Southwest myself, I’m loving the time spent in that setting. I hope readers will love the change as well.

I have recently read one of your books where yourself Dee Henderson, and Lynette Eason each had a novella in the book. `Three of my favourite authors in one book. May I ask how this collaboration came about?

Honestly, I’m not sure how that came about. LOL! I think I said something to Lynette that it would be fun to collaborate and since we were both mentored by Dee, we asked if she’d like to do one and she so graciously agreed. It was beyond humbling to get to do a book with Dee.

What do you like reading in your spare time?

I love to read! I always have a fiction novel going as well as a non fiction title. I love reading romantic suspense novels. Two of my favorite authors are Irene Hannon and Terri Blackstock. I also enjoy fun yet deep historical romance by Karen Witemeyer, and I’m really enjoying a new to me author Gregg Hurwitz.

I know you are a Christian and faith is a part of the book, yet your books can be read by anyone, and they would enjoy them. How do you weave your faith into the books without it overwhelming the reader.

I don’t start off with any theme or faith read in mind. I just start writing and let the characters tell that part of the story, so I hope it evolves naturally.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m working on the first book in my Jeopardy Falls series. It’s about a family of private investigators in Arizona. I’m really enjoying writing about a family again.

Let’s get personal. On holiday do you prefer mountain or beach?

Definitely the beach. What’s your favourite food? Mexican.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Kona, Hawaii. We love it there.

If Mom’s Favorite Reads, readers could only read one of your books, which one would you recommend they start with?

That is a hard question. I think I’d say Shattered simply because Piper and Landon are my favorite couple. Thank you for your time. It has been so good getting to know you and find out about your books. Good luck with the new project. Thank you so much! I deeply appreciate your time and such thoughtful interview questions.

Wendy H. Jones is the award winning, international best selling author of the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries, Cass Claymore Investigates Mysteries, Fergus and Flora Mysteries, Bertie the Buffalo children’s books and the Writing Matters books for writers. She is also a writing and marketing coach and the President of the Scottish Association of Writers. As copy editor for Mom’s, she works hard to ensure content is appropriate and free of grammatical and spelling errors. You can learn more about Wendy on her website: https://www.wendyhjones.com/

The Deadly Shallows

by Dani Pettrey

Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones

Description

A deadly attack. A stolen weapon capable of immense destruction. A painful secret that threatens to tear two hearts apart.

CGIS Agent Noah Rowley is rocked to the core when several of his valued team members come under fire on his Coast Guard base. He and his remaining team race to the scene and end the attack, but not before innocent lives are lost. Furious and grief stricken, he vows to do whatever is needed to bring the mastermind behind the attack to justice.

Stunned by the ambush, Coast Guard flight medic Brooke Kesler evacuates in a helicopter carrying the only surviving gunman. The gravely wounded man whispers mysterious information to Brooke that immediately paints a target on her back.

As Brooke and Noah race to uncover answers, emotions between them ignite. Noah struggles to protect Brooke at all costs and to conceal the secret that prevents him from becoming what he longs to be the right man for her.

Everything is at stake as a horrifying truth emerges... The attack wasn't the end game. It was only the beginning.

Review

One always wonders if books further in a series will measure up to the previous ones. In this case I worried needlessly. This book is straight into the

action with the hairs on my neck standing on end right from the first page. The Deadly Shadows is truly gripping, and I found I wanted to keep reading even when I should have been doing other things. Action packed from beginning to end, there are enough twists and turns to keep the hardest of suspense aficionados happy. Noah and Brooke are superb characters and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way. The romance is expertly handled and woven throughout the suspense in a way that one does not detract from the other. As this is a Christian Suspense novel, it has Christian elements but, again, these are woven into the narrative in a way which supports and enhances the story. Another triumph from Dani Pettrey which I can highly recommend.

The Crushing Depths

by Dani Pettrey

Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones

Description

When an accident claims the life of an oil rig worker on the first drilling platform off the North Carolina coast, Coast Guard investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are sent to take the case. Tensions surrounding the oil rig are high and the death has everyone on edge. Environmental activists are threatening to do whatever it takes to stop the structure from being completed, while rumors are being whispered about ancient curses surrounding this part of the ocean.

Mounting evidence shows the death may not have been an accident at all. Was he killed by one of the activists or, perhaps more frighteningly, a member of his own crew? Rissi and Mason have to sort through not only a plethora of suspects, but also their own past and attraction to each other. Just as the case seems like it'll break open, worse news arrives. A tropical storm has turned their way and soon they're cut off from any rescue and right where the killer wants them. It's a race to discover his identity before he eliminates the threat they pose.

Review

When you settle in to read a book by Dani Pettrey you know you are in for a rollicking good tale. Dani writes Christian Romantic Suspense which one might think would be a watered down adventure nothing could be further from the truth. Her stories are hard hitting, dealing with real issues and

feelings and The Crushing Depths is no exception. I loved Rissi and Mason’s story and loved seeing their characters developing throughout the book. The suspense is strong with times of high tension. Pettrey knows how to ramp this up in order to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. I love the oil rig aspect of the story, not something one expects to see in a Christian novel. Nor are curses, and yet both storylines are handled well and add to the overall quality and depth of the storyline. The romance and suspense are woven together in such a way that neither overwhelms and both seem natural. Christianity is also woven in in a way which enhances the story and gives it an added dimension. I loved this book and would highly recommend it to Mom’s readers.

Farewell (For Armistice Day)

Submitted by Hannah Howe

Written by Rhys Age 14

Don’t you remember when I first said hello? Can’t you recall the beauty of the vibrant cherry blossoms?

I’m sorry I had to go, I’m sorry I marched away in those khaki columns.

Listen for my voice in the gentle wind, Watch for my lonely spirit. Stand tall and have my photo pinned, Dream on just for a minute.

I fought through Hell and Satan’s fury, I bled oceans and cried vessels. I dreamed of my young angels in Missouri, But will never play with them in the snow as it settles.

The Ardennes is my new home, She embraces me with her warm thorns. I died peacefully in the gas, a white foam, Oblivious of golden sunsets and dew kissed morns.

Death is terrifying, The thought of you in pain echoes with me still, Despite those dreaded guns with their barrels burning, I assure you I never did kill.

In the white light I saw you cry, I heard the ringing of the church bell. My mother and father looked to the sky, And with heavy hearts said one final farewell.

77 1/2 Magical Healing Herbs — Ground Ivy

by Ronesa Aveela

Venture into the magical, healing world of herbs and embrace the power of nature. This article is taken from the book 77 ½ Magical Healing Herbs, which is an introduction to herbs found in a special Midsummer’s wreath. This is an especially enchanting time of year. Among the Bulgarians, the day is called Eniovden. You may think herbs are only for spicing up food and healing the body and mind, but they have other uses, as well. This unique herbal book is an essential guide for tapping into the power of herbs. It highlights centuries of lore and historical facts about healing and magical uses of herbs from Slavic and other traditions. Please see the medical and magical disclaimers before you try any of the recipes from the book.

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Glechoma hederacea

Ground-ivy

Description: Trailing square stems grow along the root and then themselves root at intervals, creating a dense mat of stems and leaves about 2 to 24 inches (5 to 60 cm) above the ground, with trailers around 3 feet (90 cm) long and sometimes more than 7 feet (2 meters). Bristly, backward pointing hairs cover the stems. Numerous dark green to purplish green kidney shaped leaves with scalloped edges form along the stem in opposite pairs. The undersides of the leaves are paler and dotted with glands. In the axils of the upper leaves, the plant bears blue to purple funnel shaped flowers in groups of between two and six. They are two lipped

with small white spots on the lower lip. They produce four dark brown oval nutlets with two flat sides, while the outer side is round. Each contains one seed. The plant has a fibrous, shallow root system.

History and Traditions: The genus name is thought to come from the Greek glechon, a kind of mint, which likely refers to pennyroyal, rather than ground ivy itself. The actual plant we call “ground ivy” may not have been known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and so there may be no ancient Greek word for the plant. The specific name comes from the Latin hedera for “ivy.” Even though its

common name is ivy, the plant is not one, but only resembles ivy by its foliage. Ground ivy is actually a member of the mint family. The plant was used in beer making before hops was substituted in the sixteenth century.

Habitat and Distribution: Native to Europe and western Asia, the plant has been naturalized in North America. It was first reported in the United States in 1672. It grows in pastures, woodlands, wastelands, semi shaded places along rivers, and lawns and gardens.

Growth: Perennial. The plant blossoms from March through late summer or into autumn, depending on the location. It prefers moist, but well drained clay soil. It thrives in partial shade but also grows well in full sun. The plant is resistant to frost.

Harvesting: Leaves are used. It’s best to harvest them when most of the flowers are fresh. Gently

pick the fragile leaves from the stems and put them into a container. Clean the leaves by submerging them in cold water until they’ve sunk to the bottom. Carefully remove them from the water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Add them to a mason jar that has an inch (2.5 cm) of water on the bottom. Seal the jar tightly and store it in a refrigerator.

Medical Use: Ground ivy has been a folk remedy for a variety of illnesses: kidney disease, indigestion, mild lung problems, coughs, bronchitis, arthritis, tinnitus, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, bladder infections, and menstrual problems. It’s also been used externally on wounds and skin problems. Studies in these areas, as well as in the plant’s ability in preventing leukemia, hepatitis, HIV, and some forms of cancer, have provided insufficient evidence that they are effective, and more research is needed.

Rituals and Magical Use: Ground ivy is a means of divination. It can help you discover anyone who might be working against you magically, “clarifying” the situation in the same way that it clarifies ale. It can protect against other forms of sorcery as well. Milkmaids wore a wreath of the leaves and flowers when they performed the first milking of cows to prevent enchantment of the animals. Garlands with the plant were also worn on Midsummer’s eve. Sipping tea made from the herb is a way to help a person overcome shyness and become more assertive by taking control of a situation or making his or her opinions known. Another use of the plant is to promote serenity and peaceful dreams, which can be done by strewing the leaves onto the floor.

Other Use: The young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked like spinach and are a salad ingredient, or they can be added to soups for flavoring. It’s also dried for an herbal tea. The herb can still be a substitute for hops to clear beer. It’s an ornamental plant that covers large areas and prevents soil erosion. The plant is one from which bees love to collect nectar.

Other Names: Creeping Charlie, creeping Jenny, gill

-over-the-ground, cat’s foot, cat’s paw, field balm.

Aromatic: The leaves and flowers have a camphoric smell with a bit of peppermint and citronella, and an astringent taste.

CAUTION: Possibly safe for food flavoring and in small doses medicinally, but if using for therapeutic reasons, first consult a medical professional, because the plant has substances that are known to cause liver damage and miscarriages. Large amounts can irritate the stomach, intestines, and kidneys. Pregnant and lactating women and anyone with kidney disease, liver disease, or epilepsy should not use the herb.

Ground-ivy Healing Oil

This is an oil to apply to bruises, muscle aches, and minor cuts.

Dry and pound the ground ivy leaves with a mortar or blender. Add olive oil and blend. Remove it and let it set for about one month. Filter the mixture and store it in small bottles to prevent decomposition (Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs).

***

Herbs are powerful, but they can also be dangerous.

MEDICAL LIABILITY DISCLAIMER: The information in this article, in the book and on our website is not intended to be medical advice, nor does it claim that the herbs listed are safe or effective to use in the manners described. It is not meant to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease. It is merely a brief summary of various herbal folk remedies and how they have been used in the past and may still be used today. With the exception of a few personal recipes, we have not tried any of these remedies and cannot verify their effectiveness or safety.

MAGICAL DISCLAIMER: Magical ingredients and spells are for entertainment only. We have not tried any of these remedies, nor do we make any claims as to their effectiveness or safety.

77 and a Half Herbs?

The wheels in your mind have probably been turning as you think, “77½ herbs is an odd number.”

And you’re right. But it’s a special, magical number, referring to herbs gathered on Eniovden, June 24, when Bulgarians celebrate Midsummer’s Day. If you want to find out the secret of the half herb, you’ll have to read the book.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ronesa aveela/77-1-2-magical-healing-herbs-the-secretpower of herbs

Ronesa Aveela is “the creative power of two.” Two authors that is. The main force behind the work, the creative genius, was born in Bulgaria and moved to the US in the 1990s. She grew up with stories of wild Samodivi, Kikimora, the dragons Zmey and Lamia, Baba Yaga, and much more. Her writing partner was born and raised in the New England area. She has a background in writing and editing, as well as having a love of all things from different cultures. She’s learned so much about Bulgarian culture, folklore, and rituals, and writes to share that knowledge with others.

Alpine Loop in Autumn

by Melanie P. Smith

https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/melanie p smith/

© MPSmith Publishing

Great Fire of London

by Hannah Howe

The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed 436 acres of land and made thousands of people destitute. The fire began on Sunday 2 September 1666 in Thomas Farriner’s bakery on Pudding Lane. By 7 am 300 houses had burned down.

The fire raged for four days consuming 13,200 houses, 87 churches, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Guildhall, and 52 livery company halls. Amazingly, the death toll did not reach double figures. However, the fire did make 100,000 people homeless.

London in 1666 was a tinderbox. Timber houses crowded the narrow streets. A dry summer had parched the ground. On the morning of the fire, a strong easterly wind fanned the flames, which leapt from building to building. Each parish was equipped with axes and hooks to pull down buildings and create firebreaks. .

However, the fire was so intense that most people grabbed their belongings, tossed them on to boats and fled via the river. Others ran for the city gates

Looters ran riot. Charles II travelled through the city on his horse, imploring people to fight the flames. The Lord Mayor, Thomas Bludworth, dithered fearing that if he ordered people to pull down their houses, they would respond with compensation claims.

From Pudding Lane, the fire spread to warehouses, then Cheapside, London’s principal street, then St Paul’s Cathedral. John Evelyn reported that the cathedral’s stones exploded like grenades, while molten lead flowed like a stream.

The fire reduced 80% of the city to ruins. For days, the ground was too hot to walk on. Without familiar landmarks, people wandered around, lost. Many camped in nearby fields.

Charles II, and many Londoners, blamed the fire on an Act of God. Sin was its source, particularly the sin of gluttony. The reasoning for this? The fire started in Pudding Lane. Indeed, an enquiry concluded that the fire was an accident, delivered by the Hand of God. Thomas Farriner, the baker, escaped the fire. England was at war with France and the Netherlands at the time so, looking for a human scapegoat, the population persecuted a Frenchman, Robert Hubert, a man who suffered from mental health problems.

After a trial, the authorities hung Hubert. However, evidence later proved that Hubert’s ship arrived in London after 2 September 1666.

My ancestors adults, children, babies experienced the Great Fire. That horror must have remained with them for the rest of their days.

Painted in 1675, the Great Fire of London (artist unknown). This scene depicts the evening of Tuesday, 4 September 1666. To the left is London Bridge; to the right, the Tower of London. Old St Paul’s Cathedral is in the distance, surrounded by the tallest flames. The accuracy suggests that the artist had local knowledge.

Hannah Howe is the author of the Sam Smith Mystery Series, the Ann's War Mystery Series and the #1 international bestseller Saving Grace. Hannah's books are published by Goylake Publishing and distributed through Gardners Books to over 300 outlets worldwide. Her books are available in print, as eBooks and audiobooks, and are being translated into ten languages. Discover more on Mom's Favorite Reads website: https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/hannah howe

Mom s Favorite Reads Author

Sylva Fae

Meet Sylva Fae, the Multi Award winning author of Yoga Fox, Woodland Warriors, Bea & Bee, The Shimmer, that Pesky Pixie, and Messy Christmas. When she’s not conjuring her next children’s adventure or creating masterful illustrations, Sylva Fae works hard to help promote and support her fellow authors. .You may recognize her as a member of the Editorial Team for Mom’s eMagazine. In addition, she helps produce our sister publication Connections eMagazine and is heavily involved in the Indie Author Support and Discussion Group.

If that wasn’t enough, she has participated in multiple anthologies — tipping her toes into a psychological thriller short story for Depths of Darkness and a couple of stories about strong women in an anthology with the same name. Learn more on Mom’s author page. https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/ sylva fae/

Writing Good Dialogue

by Joe DeRouen

How to bring your characters to life

Good dialogue won’t save a bad story, but bad dialogue can ruin a good story. Good, realistic dialogue that enhances a story rather than stops it in its tracks will bring your characters to life and is paramount to writing successful fiction.

But what is good dialogue? Good dialogue is easy to understand, moves the story forward, and makes your characters come alive.

Here are some quick Dos and Don’ts:

Do…

Use dialogue to move the story forward

Dialogue in fiction is an economical representation of the real thing. In addition to being realistic, it must be purposeful. Read your dialogue and ask whether it has a function. Does it establish tone or mood? Does it reveal anything about the plot or characters? Does it add to the relationship that the reader is building with the speaker? Does it add or create conflict? If it doesn’t have a purpose, delete it.

“If we don’t get to the mall by six, they’ll be out of cookies,” said Gavin.

This piece of dialogue moves the story along, and now we know that Gavin’s goal is to get to the mall before the cookies run out.

Break up dialogue with action

Breaking up the dialogue is especially useful when handling large sections of speech which a reader may find tedious. Including actions alongside dialogue also gives the reader a sense of the conversation taking place in the real world, which elevates the conversation above mere words on a page.

“Sheriff Ruskin,” said Shawn, as he slipped into his denim jacket, “if we’re going to have any chance of catching Gavin before he steals the cookies, we’d better get going.”

Action breaks the dialogue into smaller pieces, making it easier for the reader to digest.

Vary the use and placement of speech tags

Speech tags indicate who is speaking and are essential in following dialogue (he/she said). Varying the use and placement of the tag will help the flow of the conversation and prevent the dialogue from becoming tedious. Place tags at the beginning, middle, or end of speech. As you progress in your writing, you’ll begin to instinctively know the most effective use of tags and when to leave them out completely.

Gavin said, “Those cookies are mine!”

“Those cookies are mine,” he said.

“Those cookies,” said Gavin, “are mine.”

At the same time, in a long exchange between characters, you can leave out a lot of the tags. As the conversation flows, it will become obvious who’s speaking.

“I prefer peanut butter cookies,” said Gavin.

“Don’t you like chocolate cookies?” asked Rose.

“I do, but peanut butter is my favorite.”

“Have you ever had oatmeal cookies? Those are the best.”

may give your character a distinct accent or use habitual phrases or mistakes which they tend to repeat or vary the speech patterns through the grammar. Paying attention to what a character will and will not talk about, their level of intelligence and sense of humor will also create the difference.

“Dude,” said Katy, “we really gotta jam before the sheriff catches us stealing the cookies.”

Be aware of pace

Give each character a distinct voice

In theory, a reader should be able to read a line of speech and identify which character is saying it. There are many techniques for achieving this. You

As with all elements of writing fiction, you are in control of the pace. In urgent situations, when you want to pick up the pace, leave out or limit narration and tags. To slow the pace and build suspense, use longer sections of narration.

Use correct punctuation

Your goal in writing realistic dialogue is to make your reader live in the moment, and that can’t happen with punctuation errors because such errors will take the reader out of the moment. Know when to use a comma, when to use a period, and know where the punctuation goes in relation to quotation marks, know that a physical gesture (nodded, shrugged) is not a dialogue tag.

Also, be mindful of using exclamation points in your dialogue. If you must use them, use them very sparingly. And never, ever use multiple exclamation points for emphasis!!! (like I just did)

people talk. People have many different methods of verbal expression which vary depending on who they are talking to, what they are talking about, and their mood and their upbringing. Taking notes from real life will greatly improve the authenticity of your dialogue.

If I wanted to go to the bathroom, for example, I’d probably say: “I’m going to the bathroom, and I’ll be back in five minutes.” I wouldn’t say: “I am going to the bathroom, and I will be back in five minutes,” because I’m not a robot. People use contractions when they talk. Unless your character is, well, a robot, he probably wouldn’t talk in such a stilted manner.

HOW do you learn to write good dialogue?

Listen to how people talk

Hands down, the best way to learn about speech patterns and natural dialogue is to actually listen to

An exception to this is when a character is trying to make a point. “You are not allowed to go to the pool without my permission” sounds sterner than “You aren’t allowed to go to the pool without my permission.”

Read widely

One of the best ways to learn is to just read and take note of how your favorite authors use dialogue.

is strong, simple tags will suffice and keep the reader engaged with what is really important. Use action to ground the reader in the reality of the conversation. There are, of course, some exceptions, but in general keep the “flavorful” speech tags to a minimum.

Test your dialogue by reading aloud

With dialogue, the ears are often a better judge than the eyes. Listen to the dialogue to hear the flow and notice the mistakes that interfere with it.

“I want those cookies,” gushed Gavin. “In fact, I need those cookies.”

“But we’ll get in trouble,” roared Katy, “and they don’t serve cookies in jail.”

Sounds silly, doesn’t it?

Don’t…

Use exposition

This is where trust in your reader is essential. If you have done your job well, the reader will be able to follow the story as it slowly unfolds without a character speaking for the sole purpose of filling in a back story, reminding the reader of past details or over explaining. Information dumps are unnatural, lazy, and annoying. Don’t do it.

Monologuing

A monologue is an uninterrupted burst of speech. In old James Bond films, the villain always spent a good five minutes explaining to Bond how he was about to take over the world, leaving Bond with plenty of time to figure a way out of whatever predicament he was in. Real people don’t monologue, and your characters shouldn’t either.

Overuse speech tics

Obsess about grammar

People don’t obsess about grammar when they speak and you shouldn’t when you are writing speech. People speak in incomplete sentences, leave out words and interrupt each other. Relaxing the grammar can only help your dialogue to be more believable.

Beware of overusing stuttering and stammering. This can distract your reader. In real speech, people take time to think about what they are saying and “Ummming” and “Ahhhing” is normal. In fiction, it’s just annoying. To keep dialogue interesting, use this very sparingly.

Dialect

Overdo Tags

You may be tempted to replace “he said” with “he roared, whimpered, gushed or barked,” but you will be in danger of drawing too much attention to the tag and away from the dialogue. When the dialogue

One of my pet peeves in dialogue is when a writer will phonetically spell the words his character is saying in order to get the speech flavor. An example would be a character from Maine who talks like this: “Ayup, I’ll take another bowl of chow dah.”

Dialogue like that will often take the reader out of the story, especially if she has a hard time deciphering the words. Stephen King can (and does!) get away with that sort of thing. You and me? Not so much.

A better way to indicate a regional accent might be to include it in the text leading up to the dialogue, for instance: His slow, southern accent melted off his tongue like butter. “I do declare, son, I’ve never seen someone quite like you.” That way, the reader supplies the accent in her head and doesn’t have to worry about deciphering your words.

In Conclusion…

Good, creative dialogue is essential to creating a strong story, and most of my Dos and Don’ts have exceptions. In the end, develop your own style. Just keep in mind that good dialogue is easy to understand, moves the story forward, and makes your characters come alive. Your characters will thank you for it.

Joe is the author of the best selling SMALL THINGS trilogy. He was born in Carthage, Illinois, and currently lives in Rogers, Arkansas with his wife Andee, their son Fletcher, and their cats Archer and Biscuit. Joe is a freelance writer, web designer, and substitute teacher. He collects all sorts of things, including Mego action figures, books, and Bicycle playing cards. When not teaching or writing, you can probably find Joe playing Pokemon Go on his phone.

Golden Age of Hollywood

by Hannah Howe Clara Bow

Clara Bow was born into poverty in Brooklyn on 29 July 1905. Her father was an alcoholic while her mother suffered from severe mental health problems; she died in an asylum when Clara was a teenager.

Just before her mother’s death, Clara entered an acting competition. One of the prizes was a small part in a movie. Clara won that competition and was so impressive in the small part that she won further roles, and a contract in the newly developing Hollywood.

Clara’s great ‘skill’ was to cry on demand. She later said that she only had to think of her home life and it reduced her to tears. She became the leading star of the silent era and made the transition into talkies.

In total, Clara made 46 silent films and 11 talkies. However, the strain of Hollywood and her bohemian lifestyle meant that she retired from movies

in 1933 to live on a ranch in Nevada. Must see Clara Bow movie: It, 1927, a movie that made Clara the leading symbol of the Roaring Twenties.

Hannah Howe is the author of the Sam Smith Mystery Series, the Ann's War Mystery Series and the #1 international bestseller Saving Grace. Hannah's books are published by Goylake Publishing and distributed through Gardners Books to over 300 outlets worldwide. Her books are available in print, as eBooks and audiobooks, and are being translated into ten languages. Discover more on Mom's Favorite Reads website: https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/hannah howe

The Only Way is Up

by John Greeves

Mount Lycabettus is a Cretaceous limestone hill in Athens. At 227 metres above sea level its summit is the highest point in the city. A small white church sits perched at the top of the hill providing a major focal point for visitors. Agios Georgios (St. George) was built in the 18th century on the same site where a Byzantium Church once stood and before this a temple to Zeus. A popular place for locals and tourists alike, crowds gather here to take in the panoramic views of Athens and to enjoy a symphony of colour at sunset.

Some estimate it to be a 30 to 90 minute walk to Mount Lycabettus depending on your fitness, but these people don’t say exactly where the starting point begins or whether this can be achieved in temperatures of 30˚C plus heat.

I’ve mapped out a possible route off one of the main avenues from Omonia square. The plan is to keep this distant focal point in sight and walk towards it. The route is less forgiving, taking me endlessly upward through back streets, numerous ascending steps, along narrow undulating pavement with sprawling vegetation. At sea they always advise you to multiply the distance by 4 to gauge a true reckoning; but here, there’s no rough measure to apply.

Eventually I reach a main road, sweat drenched, where I encounter a white faced cliff and on top Agios Georgios. If there is a cable car to the top I haven’t found it yet. I skirt the hill and reach the park on the far side, where a maze of dusty upward paths cross and criss cross under a canopy of dried pines. Talk about earworms, a lyric keeps repeating in my head.

“

The only way is up,” was a chart topping success for Yazz and I’m beginning to wonder if this might have been the inspiration. I presume I’m going in the right direction a few Athenian dog walkers but no incidental tourists in sight. At last, another curving road appears. I feel like I’ve climbed from the South to the North base camp of Everest with the summit still not in sight. What I see now are numerous yellow city cabs, minibuses and private cars heading up to what I presume is my final destination.

How much further? I’m told the human body needs water to function correctly, and a person may only survive a few days without it. Many other factors, such as a person’s activity levels and their environment, also play an essential role, so there is no reliable way to tell how quickly someone would die from dehydration. I wonder how my activity levels might measure up after the last hour and a half? Eventually, another long flight of steps to the summit, with a hand rail in the middle.

A Greek woman born with an Australian accent informs me there’s no admission charge, but her mother soon intercedes, “You can donate and light a candle,”she says. You can tell instantly she’s a heavenly salesperson. Perhaps a candle to Saint

Christopher, the patron saint of travellers who crosses many religions might be appropriate, I think, after all I still need to return to my hotel.

Every cliché can be applied to the views, breath taking, awe inspiring but I’m careful not to suggest

‘heart stopping’ after this morning’s climb. What is amazing is the way the city is laid out in front of you, a panoramic view reducing Athens to godlike proportions. You can understand why Zeus sat on this rocky escarpment to be entertained by the peculiarities and foibles of the human race.

The path to the actual church entrance falters, as people cross themselves before the religious icons. Candles are lit, women adjust head scarfs while mouthing silent prayer or bend to kiss a holy relic. Casual tourists meanwhile breeze through, while black robed clergy, hover to give reassurance to the faithful.

Outside the church, I’m given a black sweetened Greek coffee and a cinnamon biscuit. ‘No charge again,’ I’m told by a naturalised Canadian Greek, but I don’t pursue her story and wonder now if it’s worth buying foot balm later, rather than another votive candle, before I head back to my hotel.

John Greeves originally hails from Lincolnshire. He believes in the power of poetry and writing to change people’s lives and the need for language to move and connect people to the modern world. Since retiring from Cardiff University, Greeves works as a freelance journalist who's interested in an eclectic range of topics.

Mom s Favorite Kids Zone

By Sylva Fae

My own little monsters loved bedtime stories. They’d pick out their books, often the same ones over and over, and take it in turns to sit on my knee the optimum position for interacting with the illustrations. Then, they’d snuggle in bed, I’d turn the lights low, and finish on a ‘Mummy story’. Mummy stories were usually guided by my rascals, for example: “Mummy, can we have a story about monsters, but cute ones, and it has to include a rainbow, jam and jumping in puddles?” I would then have to improvise a story incorporating their random requests.

Later, they asked for pictures to go with the stories and helped by drawing pictures of the characters. Rainbow Monsters started as a Mummy Story, but is now an award winning picture book, published by Hatchling Press. My Rainbow Monsters present to you, some of our favourite stories, with maybe a few Mummy stories thrown in.

On a mixed up rainy, sunny day, the rainbow monsters love to play. Jump on a cloud and join the rainbow monsters in their fun and games. Come and meet each of the monsters and learn the colours of the rainbow.

Aimed at

fall with the

As the leaves fall from his favorite tree, Fletcher worries that something is terribly wrong. But then winter comes, and with it a wonderful surprise. Do you know what it is? Join Fletcher and find out. . .

Fletcher the fox is concerned about nature and wants to understand the changing of the seasons. Young readers will share the feelings of wonder and empathy as they curl up with a parent or gather in circle time to enjoy this beautiful picture book.

I really enjoyed this sweet story and Fletcher is such a lovable character. There is just the right blend of funny fox antics as Fletcher tries to catch the falling leaves and education. Little readers can learn about the changing of the seasons as Fletcher watches the changes from autumn to winter.

Orange’s Choices: Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

Written by Julia Rawlinson, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke

Autumn Fall – part of the StoryPuzzle series

Written and illustrated by Sylva Fae Aimed at ages 4 8

The animals of Sorrel Wood are collecting food before they settle in for winter, but not all the creatures are prepared. Join Bethany Badger, Theresa Deer and Bertie Bear as they puzzle, colour and play games to get the autumn harvest in.

When I used to do bedtime stories with my own little ones, they loved finding books with stories at the back. I bought them puzzle books but surprisingly, they weren’t engaged by them it transpired that they missed having the story first. It was for this reason, I created the StoryPuzzle series. The series combines mini stories that engage the reader in the puzzling process, with puzzles, word games, mazes, colouring in and much more.

https://bookgoodies.com/a/1989022332

Pumpkin Jam

Why not use all the pumpkin flesh from your lantern to make a tasty jam? This is a great activity to do with older children, though they will need supervision.

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 kg pumpkin peeled and cut into small cubes

• 2 oranges juice and zest

• 1 kg sugar

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• 1 tsp nutmeg

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

1. Chop the pumpkin into roughly 2 cm cubes.

2. Place the pumpkin into a pan and add the spices, sugar and the orange juice.

3. Bring the mixture to the boil and cook for 50 minutes, or until the pumpkin is easily squashed with a wooden spoon.

4. Bash the lumps out of the pumpkin with a wooden spoon, or if you want a very smooth jam, you could use a blender.

5. Spoon the hot jam into sterilised jars and leave to cool.

Autumn Leaves Pictures

You Need:

1. Use a brush to paint a tree trunk and rough branches.

2. Dot on leaves using cotton buds, a small brush or your fingers.

3. Use a variety of autumn colours – reds, oranges, yellows and browns. Don’t forget to dot on some falling leaves, and piles of leaves on the ground.

Can you paint Fletcher the Fox under the falling leaves?

Mindful Wanders – activities to do when out for a walk based on Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

As Autumn/Fall approaches, go on a walk in the countryside, or even just around your garden. Make sure you take a bag to collect the interesting things you find. Look: Fletcher the fox spots that his favourite tree is changing colour, what colour are the leaves on the trees where you are? Do you have a favourite tree too?

Do: watch out for falling leaves. In the story, Fletcher tries to catch the falling leaves, how many falling leaves can you catch?

Sylva Fae is a married mum of three from Lancashire, England. She has spent twenty years teaching literacy to adults with learning difficulties and disabilities, and now works from home as a children’s writer and illustrator.

Sylva has published several children’s books and also writes a blog, Sylvanian Ramblings. Her debut book, Rainbow Monsters won the Chanticleer Best in Category award. Discover more about Sylva on Mom’s Favorite Reads website: https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/sylva fae/

Twists in Flash Fiction

by Allison Symes

I love a good twist in any fiction but they work especially well in flash. You get the payback quicker. A twist gives a massive emotional impact to your tale. Combine that with a very short form of writing, the impact on your reader is greater.

When I write a twist tale, I write the ending first. I then use a spider diagram to work out various ways to reach that point. The advantages are:

a) I don’t go for the obvious as I’ve made time to think out other possibilities (and I recognize there will be other possibilities);

b) whatever route I go with, I know it’s a logical one;

c) I know my story structure works immediately.

There is a proper beginning, middle, and end. Writing the end first means I must get the beginning and middle right.

Twists are a huge draw in crime fiction but a humorous punchline can also act as a twist. Flash fiction is open to both.

So how can you work out a twist?

One advantage to knowing your character well from the start is you will know what they are likely to be capable of and why. You can then look at ways of twisting this.

For example, a character is honest. There are a series of thefts in their area. The twist comes from that character being the thief. They weren’t as honest as people thought. They used that persona to cover up their crimes.

There will be clues in the story as to the character being in the area at the time of the crimes. That will sow doubts in readers’ minds. There will be other instances of the character being honest. You’re keeping the reader wondering and that’s good because they’ll keep reading.

Equally you could have another character use that first character’s honesty to drop them in it and be the fall guy. Will they get away with framing the first character or not? Maybe the first character will be

more than capable of deceit themselves and do it to protect themselves. There’s your twist. The biter bit. You get the idea.

The twist must be logical and something the character could be capable of, especially if under duress, given that can make people do things they wouldn’t usually do. There are good twists to be had from exploiting that idea.

Flash Fiction Challenge

This time I’m giving you a closing line. Your task is to write the story leading up to it and put a twist in the tale. Have fun!

And at least that was over and they wouldn’t ask her to do this again.

Being Artistic

‘What happened, Emily?’

Emily, aged six, looked proudly at her father. ‘I was tidying up my room, as you said.’

‘I don’t recall your mother and I asking you to spread your paints over the walls. You splashed the ceiling and the curtains are ruined. It’s amazing you missed the carpet though.’

The girl looked up. She’d never liked those dark curtains.

She did like the carpet. As for the ceiling, she’d been trying to hit the spider in the left corner. Emily was supposed to be a big girl and ignore them but went for the Emily action plan against spiders idea instead. It worked too. She’d never seen a spider run so fast. ‘I was getting rid of a spider by myself, Daddy.’

The door opened and in came Emily’s mother who paled as she looked at the now bright pink walls.

‘Sarah, this is Emily’s idea of tidying up.’

‘Daddy, you’re being unfair. I tidied up my books nicely, didn’t I?’

‘Yes, Emily, you have and your bears too. But you’ve made a complete mess elsewhere. Daddy and I must redecorate. And those curtains must go.’

‘Oh.’ Emily paused. ‘Will I need to move out for that?’

‘Yes, you’ll have to sleep in your old room, the little one, ‘ Emily’s father sighed.

‘That’s okay, Daddy. I don’t mind it in there. It’s cosy. Can I have an apple now? Tidying makes me hungry.’

‘Yes, Emily, go on. We’ll be with you in a minute. We need to clear the mess as much as we can.’

Emily smiled. She’d be getting new curtains. Hopefully that spider would leave her alone forever now. And at least that was over and they wouldn’t ask her to do this again. Ends.

The twist here? A little girl being cleverer than her parents thought!

Allison Symes, who loves reading and writing quirky fiction, is published by Chapeltown Books, CafeLit, and Bridge House Publishing. Her flash fiction collections, Tripping The Flash Fantastic and From Light to Dark and Back Again are out in Kindle and paperback. She has been a winner of the Waterloo Arts Festival writing competition three years in a row where the brief was to write to a set theme to a 1000 words maximum. Website: https://allisonsymescollectedworks.com/

Closing lines

Pressure By Ceri Bladen

“Remember, timing is crucial.”

Rebecca studied the face of the older man towering over her. There was not a glimmer of jest. He was deadly serious.

“Do you understand?” he said, greying eyebrows raising. “This all rests on you.”

Rebecca attempted to swallow, but the action was difficult with a mouth as dry as tinder. The responsibility was nerve wracking, and his demeanour was not making her feel better.

Instead, she nodded, watching his lips purse under his bushy moustache. It was surprising he did not add ‘the youth of today’, much was the look of exasperation on his weathered face.

“Keep alert and watch for the sign.”

Rebecca watched him disappear before swivelling around in her seat. The silence was deafening. To control her growing anxiety, she studied her fingers, flexing and stretching them.

She noticed a chip in her muted nail polish. Her favourite colour was flashy red or even black, but today, neutral had been called for. She was not to be noticed. She might be a cog in the works, but one no one would see.

The creak of an old wooden door made her jump. She swallowed loudly. Sweat trickled down her back. Nervous, she looked towards the sound.

The police not the friendly uniformed ones you find walking the streets, but the serious ones in normal clothes. One nodded to her.

The sign.

Rebecca took a breath and stretched her fingers over the organ keys. Now was the time to play for the mourners’ entrance into the abbey.

When quiet descended once again, she took a long shaky breath.

Rebecca was proud to be a part of history, but also glad at least that was over, and they wouldn’t ask her to do it again.

The Final Task

By Joe DeRouen

There were always so many things to do before a funeral. Choose a plot at the cemetery, choose a coffin, write the obituary, set a time for the viewing, organize a post funeral reception, and more. And it wasn’t like you had time set aside to do any of those things. After all, you hadn’t planned for anyone to die. But you did what you had to do.

“One last thing, Mrs. Jacobs,” the funeral director said, looking at Terri, who stood beside her

husband, holding his hand.

“Do you want a priest to lead the funeral?”

See? That was another thing that wouldn’t have even crossed her mind. So many choices, so little time. But that pretty much described life, didn’t it?

“No. I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” said Terri. “Mom wasn’t religious.”

“Mr. Graves is our funeral officiant for non denominational burials. Will he work for you?”

She almost laughed. Mr. Graves, indeed.

Terri nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “That sounds fine.”

“I’ll make the arrangements. Now if you’ll excuse me a moment, I have some papers you’ll need to sign. I’ll be right back.”

She watched as the funeral director left the room. “How are you holding up?” asked Terri’s husband, John.

“I’m really going to miss her.”

Jennifer Higgens floated in the air as she watched John take her daughter Terri into his arms. She’d always liked her son in law. A few minutes later, the funeral director reappeared, papers in hand. Terri signed the papers and walked out the door.

As Jennifer phased through the floor and back to her body in the basement, she hoped her daughter could find a little peace. At least that was over, and they wouldn’t ask her to do this again.

Driving It Home by Jenny Sanders

The heat was on: unpleasant clamminess between Laura’s hands and the steering wheel. Acutely aware of a bead of sweat trickling down her back, she glanced sideways at her companion. He sat, his eyes fixed ahead, apparently averse to conversation.

Taking a deep breath, she checked her rear view mirror, indicated and pulled away from the curb. The traffic wasn’t heavy but, unsure of her route, she found her eyes flicking frequently from the speedometer to the cluttered signage.

Waiting at a red light, she observed several motorbikes weaving their way incautiously between the lanes. Someone in a Volvo stalled their engine, initiating a burst of alarming hooting from behind. Beside her, the air brakes of a supermarket lorry air brakes sneezed. With nerves stretched to breaking point, her white knuckles failed to hide her increased stress.

Grateful for her passenger’s gesture to turn left at the next junction, Laura’s mood lifted as an avenue of shady trees welcomed her into shade, easing the tension briefly. A loud bang caused her to slam on the brakes, abruptly throwing them both forward. She held her breath, thinking an erratic cyclist had clipped her, but exhaled with relief on realising the man had simply dropped his clipboard on the dashboard.

Trying to regulate her breathing and relax her shoulders, she navigated her way along a rabbit warren of residential streets she didn’t recognise. After performing a three point turn to exit a cul de sac, she subsequently reversed back onto another side road.

Two minutes later she maneuvered the car into an open parking space.

“Congratulations, Laura, you’ve passed,” said the man, smiling at last.

She breathed a sigh of genuine relief. At least that was over and they wouldn’t ask her to do this again.

She looked in the mirror, fastening her earrings that hardly fit the reflection. Tonight was important and size mattered. Of course, she mattered and they would understand that, without visible support from her side, but she had to remove all traces of doubt. So her hair was in the largest bun her hairdresser managed. Her heels might not support her back, but she would make that sacrifice to secure her position.

She knew it had been an open application and there would be other women interested in this position. Never had she imagined a room full of glowing, smiling, dolled up ladies. Her hairdresser was clearly due for retirement and could those things be called shoes without blushing? She smiled warmly, blinking her eyes the way she had seen the Empress do. Soon the room offered more space as the Count’s lackeys walked through the soft humming crowd, assessing.

By the time her second blister popped, there were only ten of them left. She touched her eyelashes to hide her shock when the rudest servant gave them all menial tasks to perform. Menial indeed as what kind of woman in her position would ever serve drinks to other women who had no right to breathe the same air as she was forced to do?

When he looked at her twice, she knew something had to be done. A real lady always wore a ring with a deadly powder compartment. Carefully rearranging the glasses on the tray was natural.

The glasses were distributed, followed by embarrassment and discomfort to nine applicants. She explained in discreet tones to the scowling lackey that certain drinks weren’t appreciated by women of a certain standing. And at least that was over and they wouldn’t ask her to do this again.

by Maressa Mortimer

Trapped by Sylva Fae

I’d struggled for a good ten minutes, trying to ease my way through gracefully, but it was no good I was well and truly stuck. For the zillionth time, I pondered my predicament. I needed help but none of the passers by seemed to notice, intent only on pushing past me, some even laughing as they wriggled through the gap.

Finally, I summoned the courage and swallowed down my embarrassment.

“Help! Can you go get someone to help me?”

My pleas were met with blank stares followed by indifference. Louder now, “Can someone help me? I’m stuck.”

Finally, a lady walked over. She hesitated as she attempted to stifle a snort of laughter, but I guess the sight of me wedged there was too much to deal with.

“Err, how…whatever possessed you to…?” she tailed off as she weighed up the situation.

“I know, it seemed like a good idea at the time and they begged me to go with them,” I explained, gesturing to the pair responsible. “I didn’t realise there was no other exit, I tried to get through but…”

Between giggles, my saviour grabbed an arm and a leg and pulled. I breathed deeply, pulling in my tummy, trying to make my ample frame as flat as possible. She yanked hard, and finally, I slithered out of the narrow foam tunnel and landed in the ball pool.

“Mummy, you got squished!” my toddlers called and leapt on top of me, completely unfazed by the nightmare they’d just put me through.

Mouthing a thank you to my rescuer, I climbed out, as my rascals ran back in to race through the soft play’s labyrinth of slides and padded tunnels. I sighed as I watched their antics, at least that was over and they wouldn’t ask me to do this again.

Birthstone Crystal Grids

by Lisa Shambrook

November Topaz and Citrine

This crystal grid is for the pure Joy of Life and all it has to offer. Topaz and Citrine are November birthstones, and both bring clarity, healing, and warmth. A central yellow Labradorite harnesses the light of the late Autumn sun and offers a moment to cross the veil into higher realms, awakening your inner spirit. Imperial Topaz surrounds the Labradorite bringing with it some of the most powerful manifestation energy. Topaz warms to the sun and the grid's Blue Topaz takes its energy from the sky bringing inspiration, healing, and fulfilment. Rainbow Moonstone symbolises balance and harmony, and Citrine brings sunlight and joy and the power to overcome. Remember the best times and move forward with all your heart..

You can find out more about the sensory author and artist, who will lift your spirit, steal your heart, and ignite your imagination at: www.lisashambrook.comCrystal Grids made by Lisa Shambrook for mindfulness, meditation, and art. Prints of some grids are available at: www.amaranthalchemy.etsy.com.

She also loves dragons and squirrels.

Lisa Shambrook is an author, artist, and dreamer who loves dragons. Born and raised in vibrant Brighton, England, living by the ocean heavily influenced her lyrical and emotional writing. She now lives in Carmarthen, West Wales, another town rich in legend and lore. A sensory writer, Lisa delves into sensitive subject matters that will lift your spirit and steal your heart. Find out more at her website lisashambrook.com and her Etsy shop amaranthalchemy.etsy.com

Language Learning is Fun

Submitted by Maressa Mortimer

Written by Zach Age 12

I never used to have an ambition to learn languages. When I was about four or five I did a little bit of French, then my older brother and I started learning German with a German teacher when I was eight. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t until I was eleven that I had a great interest in learning foreign languages. It began when I started writing a book set in Wales and so decided to learn Welsh and realised there were many other languages I wanted to learn.

Learning a language today is much easier than it was twenty years ago because there are so many good, free resources to use, and when going to another country it is fun and useful to talk to people in their native tongue.

Here is a list of online language resources I would recommend: 1. LingQ. On LingQ you can learn a wide range of languages very effectively. It is based on familiarising and immersing yourself in the language. 2. Duolingo. Again, Duolingo teaches a large range of languages. It has a nice simple set up and is easy to use. 3. Memrise. Memrise is especially useful if you’re learning unusual, endangered or extinct languages that might not appear on other courses (though they cover more mainstream languages as well). LingQ, Duolingo and Memrise are free but they all have paid versions too.

An important thing to note is that you can learn more than one foreign language at a time if you are motivated to do so. Polyglots (people who speak lots of languages) recommend learning two or three languages at the same time. This makes the language learning process quicker (though learning too many languages at the same time can make things slower). I am focusing on German and Welsh while studying some Latin, Norwegian, French, Cornish, Greek and Hebrew. Language learning is also good for the brain.

Speaking languages makes me feel more happy and confident. It has also made me more interested in history and geography. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Another Year

by Stan Phillips

So strange how the year drifts away.

I awoke one morning to see the golden ranks of daffodils dancing in the new born spring. Small birds flew into that early day, chirruping with the joy of life.

And the summer seemed endless, filled with sunshine, walks along unexplored beaches, picnics in gardens bursting with bright and multicoloured flora.

Oh yes, it all lay trembling with glory along an untrod path.

It now seems that all I did was blink my eyes on that fresh dawn.

One or two deep breaths of anticipatory enthusiasm

It has been and gone now.

All so sad.

For I barely noticed it

And now I greet the autumn of my year with a sigh of resignation.

And a strange sense that the echo of a small, important, but forgotten dream shivers nervous on the air.

Stan Phillips is a poet, musical podcast maker, part time wannabe male model, and occasional stand up comedian. “I used to be a psychotherapist/ counsellor when I had an honest job. I was born into prewar London, and attended 17 schools (my father believed they couldn’t hit a moving target) and I eventually finished up here in Ireland. Still wondering what I will be when I grow up but enjoying writing my quirky poetry as I do so.” Discover more about Stan on Mom’s Favorite Reads website: https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/stan phillips

One Human Family

by Father Ian Maher

8.19-21

In a world currently beset by hatred and division, the teaching of Jesus reminds us constantly that there is a different way to live. He offers us a way that can take us beyond the confines of the narrow self interest that infects, like a virus, the lives of individuals, groups, societies, and nations.

At the heart of so much conflict is an underlying assumption of superiority, that somehow ‘we’ are more important or in some way superior to ‘them’. Yet history is littered with the consequences of turning those from whom we differ into the ‘other’, onto whom we project all our insecurities, faults and failings.

Jesus takes us right back to basics, using the unit of the family as a starting point. In this reading, a story also recorded in Matthew and Mark, the gospel writer tells of how, when Jesus was speaking to the crowds, the message is conveyed to Jesus that his mother and brothers have arrived, wanting to speak with him.

Jesus does not rush to meet his family but instead replies: ‘My mother and my brothers are those who heard the word of God and do it.’ That might sound a little harsh at first. After all, shouldn’t Jesus’ immediate family have a greater call on him?

The point being made by Jesus, however, is to extend the boundaries of family to all who serve God with a faithful heart. Inasmuch as we do that, we are brothers and sisters with so many more than the members of our family networks. In fact, we are brothers and sisters in an extended family that encompasses the whole human race.

That is, of course, difficult for us to comprehend; too much almost for us to imagine. That’s why Jesus so often used everyday examples to teach us what it means to be children of the same heavenly Father. He spoke about shepherds, and farmers, and tax collectors; he encourages us to think about the hungry, the sick, and the beaten down; he challenges us to change behaviours that are selfish, greedy and unjust.

All the while, these examples remind us of just how important it is to look at our neighbours in the broad sense and even at our enemies as those with whom we share our humanity and who are, in that respect at least, our sisters and brothers.

So, when Jesus responded to being told that his mother and brothers wanted to see him, his response was not to undermine in any way the importance of family, but rather to extend the boundaries to help us hold others in the same regard in terms of their value as human beings.

The more we are able to do that will surely help our world to be a better place.

I am a priest and minor canon at Sheffield Cathedral. My last post prior to retirement from stipendiary ministry was as the Multifaith Chaplaincy Co ordinator and Anglican Chaplain at Sheffield Hallam University, where I worked for 12 years.

https://imaherblog.wordpress.com/ Twitter @IanMaher7

The Lunch Date

by Cherime MacFarlane

Can’t say I expected the call. Not in the least. Still, it made sense from her point of view. As an ex wife, I’d been reasonable. We attended joint functions. With kids in common, I decided it made more sense to put the nastiness aside. After all, I no longer had to live with him.

This time the wife he picked, number three, had shocked the kids and me both. The man picked a sane woman with a mild temperament. So for many years, we co existed when the holidays came around.

They didn’t have kids. I didn’t know why and never asked. Not my business.

I became a widow first. Then my ex got sick, a drawn out illness produced complications which eventually took his life.

I looked at the phone in my hand. Where she was, I had been. I took the call. She did nothing to me. He did, and he had died.

“Hey. How are you?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Yeah. I understand how that feels. You’re off today, aren’t you?”

“Yes. The house is as clean as I can make it. The kids came over yesterday and helped me pack stuff up. But it’s so quiet. I feel…”

“Listen, I’ve got one errand to run. Why don’t I meet you somewhere? I’ll buy lunch.”

“You wouldn’t mind? I don’t mean to be clingy or anything…”

“Nope. It’ll be fun to get out for a little while. I’ll text you an address. We can meet in an hour.”

“Thank you. I’m going nuts in here with nothing to do.”

“I know.” She was so quiet I almost thought the phone had shut off.

“This is weird, but I didn’t know who to call.”

“You don’t have family close, so who else would you call? It’s not a problem. I’ll see you there in an hour.”

When I got there, she sat in the car in the parking lot. I wasn’t sure why she hadn’t gone inside. She wasn’t sure I’d show. I’d had a long talk with myself and concluded that her being his widow meant nothing. We were two women on our own now. That she had lived with the man for all those years meant nothing to me. I divorced him and moved on.

My tap on her car window had her turning to look at me. Red eyes told the story better than anything. If I hadn’t already made my mind up about helping her, that clinched it. She stayed with him all the way. Neither of us spoke as she left the car and followed me inside.

We ordered and nothing much other than a comment on the weather got said until the food sat in front of us. She pushed bits of salad around on the plate.

“Hey. It’s difficult losing the man you’ve been living with for years. It leaves a big void. Work helps until you get home at night. I can recommend you get a pet. Any kind that will cuddle with you helps. Since you’re working, unless you put in a doggie door, cats are easier to deal with.”

She laughed. “I could get a doggy door put in. There’s the life insurance money that would be a good use for it. If I have a dog, that gives me an incentive to walk it when I get home. Maybe I’ll even feel like cooking.”

I laughed. “Don’t count on that urge coming along unless you like cooking. Even then, it took me a couple of years before I could face cooking for one person. The dog won’t help with that.”

A bite of salad in her mouth, she chewed it. The entire time she watched me. There was something else on her mind, and I guessed how to broach the subject as her issue. I waited. She would or she wouldn’t. Up to her, I didn’t try pushing. I’d known her for a few years and the woman could get stubborn occasionally.

Half through the salad, the fork hit the table. “This might sound… I guess it might give the wrong impression. Do you think the kids would get upset if I used the insurance money to do a major remodel? I don ’t want to sell the place, it’s too close to being paid off. But…”

“The kids don’t have to live in it. You do. Make it your own. You aren’t erasing him, but it will help you move on. The grief will be there no matter what you do. That sneaks up on you and will for a long time. It’s been years, and it still hits me. Is that what’s worrying you?”

“Yes. What if they get angry?”

“I’ll help them understand.” My sigh took me by surprise. “Look, he wasn’t much of a husband to me. That’s neither here nor there. I remarried and happily. We’re two widows trying to find a way in a world we’ve never been in before. We can help each other. I’m willing to be your friend. Call me when you need to. Let’s make this a date. Monthly or weekly, whatever is easier for you. How’s that?”

A tentative smile lit up her face. “That would be wonderful.”

“Good. Next time you pick the restaurant and take me out. Then it will be my turn again.”

She nodded. I made a mental note to check with the kids and make sure they understood there were things she had to do with the house to make it comfortable for her. Life threw me a curve ball, but nothing I couldn’t handle. She loved the kids. I could love her.

Cherime MacFarlane is an award wining, bestselling, prolific multi-genre author. She has a broad range of interests that reflect her been there– done that life. Discover more about Cherime on the Mom’s Favorite Reads website: https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/cherime macfarlane/

Scribble and Script

by Tracey Challis

The Beauty of the Stars

The beauty of the stars

Reflect the beauty of you

From the evening sky

To the midnight deep dark blue

Martha and Arthur Martha and Arthur

Have new boots

Their new abode

To establish their roots

Hi I’m Tracey from The Copper Mouse. I am a creator of bespoke cards, gifts and whimsical characters. I started out making gifts for friends then developed this into a business. I have illustrated 2 books for an author and would love to write/illustrate my own. Examples of my work can be found on social media pages by searching for @thecoppermouse.

Smile as Though Your Heart Were Laughing

by Rhoda Neville

Is there anything as irksome as someone telling you to, ‘Smile, it might never happen’?

When I was fifteen, my mum hired some builders and the youngest one, a sandy haired chap with freckles, took it on himself to become my smile coach. Apparently, I looked like a moody teenager to him. He told me that frowning takes forty two muscles and smiling takes only two. (Well, he was wrong about that as every study seem to come up with different muscle requirements for frowning vs smiling.) But the point here is that Sandy was right, if annoying, in wanting to see me smile more.

Right now, worldwide, we’re facing difficult times, and there are some really good reasons to be worried, but this oddly enough means there are some great reasons to smile. Believe it or not the act of smiling helps to raise our spirits, as well as those of others, and we definitely need to feel more cheerful in order to go ahead and actively cope with the near future.

How does smiling do this? It’s not magic, but biology that makes smiling an effective anti depressant. Here’s how it works: the act of smiling tells the brain to release neuropeptides, which are chains of amino acids that modulate neural activity and other bodily functions. Out of the hundred different types of neuropeptides released by the brain, the ones that smiling activates are designed to soothe stress. As well as releasing these slow acting, long lasting stress relievers, smiling also stimulates some mood elevating neurotransmitters which act more quickly but last for a shorter period of time. Those are dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin.

Have you ever noticed on sunny days how people out for a walk are more inclined to greet one another? Even when the world is a bit dire, we are all made happier by good weather, and also by the contagiousness of smiling. Most of us will naturally see fewer sunny days as the weather closes in, but what if I told you that the very act of smiling helps to drive winter blues away? It is truly a bit of a ‘fake it till you make it’ situation.

I’m not suggesting that you should smile like a dead eyed shark. A bit of smiling, however, even when you don’t feel like it can start the process of lifting your spirits. To assist yourself with this, look for things that make your smile come naturally. The long running ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’ section of the Reader’s Digest used to get me to laugh as did reading silly greetings cards in a card shop. A funny film or serial can get you in stitches. And social media should serve some worthwhile purpose, shouldn’t it? Watching what dogs get up to at the park can be worth a look, as well.

So here we are smiling away with all the relief to stress that it can bring. Stress, as you probably know, has rather brutal effects on our bodies.

While a little stress can help us to perform better at our chosen tasks, too much depresses the immune system thus making us more likely to catch anything from Covid to a cold. It can make us sleep poorly and then start the whirlpool of poor sleep stressed feelings. Additional results of a smile are to lower heart rate and even to reduce pain. Knowing that smiling and laughing lets my body heal itself makes me want to do it all the time.

Also, studies have found that when people are shown photos of people with varying expressions, the smiling ones always make those viewing them smile themselves. People are naturally drawn to a smiling face. Years ago, I remember being impressed with the theme of the film, Pay it Forward, which was a series of incidents begun by three random acts of kindness, in which the one doing the act always tells the one receiving it to ‘pay it forward.’ Acts of kindness can be something as simple as holding a door open or smiling at a stranger. As I

became aware of that thought, I noticed what happened the next time I tried smiling at someone with a face like thunder.

In an instant, that person went from looking wretched to sporting the most beatific of smiles!

We passed on by, but that tiny action made my day and seemed to have made theirs. And I can still smile about that today. So, don’t smile because it might never happen. Smile because you can spread joy and hope to yourself and to others.

Before Rhoda started writing full time in 2019, she went through a number of evolutions, as a bookbinder, a mother, a student of nutrition, an organic farmer, and a natural food store owner/ operator. There is an Ayurvedic proverb: ‘When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; when diet is correct, medicine is of no need.’

Around America in 50 Books

by Wendy H. Jones

Hawai

Hawaii by James Michener

This month in our literary tour of the United States, we find ourselves in Hawaii. This book definitely needed to be Hawaii by James Michener. Yes, I know we have had one of his previously, but I make no apologies for choosing another from this outstanding storyteller.

Description

Pulitzer Prize winning author James A. Michener brings Hawaii’s epic history vividly to life in a classic saga that has captivated readers since its initial publication in 1959. As the volcanic Hawaiian Islands sprout from the ocean floor, the land remains untouched for centuries—until, little more than a thousand years ago, Polynesian seafarers make the perilous journey across the Pacific, flourishing in this tropical paradise according to their ancient traditions. Then, in the early nineteenth century, American missionaries arrive, bringing

with them a new creed and a new way of life. Based on exhaustive research and told in Michener’s immersive prose, Hawaii is the story of disparate peoples struggling to keep their identity, live in harmony, and, ultimately, join together.

Review

If anyone told me I would read a book that started with geology, I would have laughed. Yet, this book does just that. Before you switch off reading, hear me out. Michener, a master wordsmith and novelist, starts this book as Hawaii emerges from the ocean floor. He does so in such a way I was engrossed. Michener then takes us on a trip throughout the whole of Hawaii’s tumultuous history, weaving together stories of people’s lives that entertain and engross. The characters, in whichever period they live, are true to life. As one would expect from a Michener novel, the setting is a major character. Having visited the island, I can assure you his descriptions are spot on I would expect nothing less. At 1490 pages, with small writing, this is not a book for the faint hearted. Nor is it one you will read in one sitting. Despite this, I can highly recommend spending the time to read it as it is outstanding. Need I say more?

Wendy H. Jones is the award winning, international best selling author of the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries, Cass Claymore Investigates Mysteries, Fergus and Flora Mysteries, Bertie the Buffalo children’s books and the Writing Matters books for writers. She is also a writing and marketing coach and the President of the Scottish Association of Writers. As copy editor for Mom’s, she works hard to ensure content is appropriate and free of grammatical and spelling errors. You can learn more about Wendy on her website:

Europe by Book

by Hannah Howe

The Seine: The River that Made Paris by Elaine Sciolino

A vibrant, enchanting tour of the Seine from longtime New York Times foreign correspondent and best selling author Elaine Sciolino.

Elaine Sciolino came to Paris as a young foreign correspondent and was seduced by a river. In The Seine, she tells the story of that river from its source on a remote plateau of Burgundy to the wide estuary where its waters meet the sea, and the cities, tributaries, islands, ports, and bridges in between.

Sciolino explores the Seine through its rich history and lively characters: a bargewoman, a riverbank bookseller, a houseboat dweller, a famous cinematographer known for capturing the river’s light. She discovers the story of Sequana the Gallo Roman healing goddess who gave the Seine its name and follows the river through Paris, where it determined the city’s destiny and now snakes through all aspects of daily life. She patrols with river police, rows with a restorer of antique boats, sips champagne at a vineyard along the river, and even dares to go for a swim. She finds the Seine in

art, literature, music, and movies from Renoir and Les Misérables to Puccini and La La Land. Along the way, she reveals how the river that created Paris has touched her own life. A powerful afterword tells the dramatic story of how water from the depths of the Seine saved Notre Dame from destruction during the devastating fire in April 2019.

Bread on the Table: Recipes for Making and Enjoying Europe’s Most Beloved Breads [A Baking Book]

by David Norman

The debut cookbook from cult favorite Austin bakery and beer garden Easy Tiger, featuring recipes from author David Norman’s time spent exploring bread traditions throughout Europe and North America, plus menu ideas for incorporating homemade bread into everyday meals.

In this highly anticipated cookbook, culinary instructor and baker David Norman explores the European breadmaking traditions that inspire him most from the rye breads of France to the saltless ciabattas of Italy to the traditional Christmas loaves of Scandinavia. Norman also offers recipes for traditional foods to accompany these regional specialties, so home bakers can showcase their freshly made breads alongside a traditional Swedish breakfast spread, oysters with mignonette, or country pâté, to name a few examples. With rigorous, detailed instructions plus showstopping photography, this book will surprise and delight bakers of all stripes.

Hannah Howe is the author of the Sam Smith Mystery Series, the Ann's War Mystery Series and the #1 international bestseller Saving Grace. Hannah's books are published by Goylake Publishing and distributed through Gardners Books to over 300 outlets worldwide. Her books are available in print, as eBooks and audiobooks, and are being translated into ten languages. Discover more on Mom's Favorite Reads website: https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/hannah howe

Summer Memories

by Sylva Fae

https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/sylva fae/

© Sylva Fae

The Joy of Books

by Jenny Sanders

I grew up in a house filled with books. Shelves were positioned wherever there was a gap, and books squeezed together tightly to maximise the space. While we now live in an era of electronic books and online material including this magazine there’s still something magical about opening a real book, turning actual pages and entering a different world.

I don’t remember learning to read, but it happened early, presumably under the tutelage of my parents. We progressed from nursery rhyme and picture books to Ladybird books and old illustrated favourites: Beatrix Potter, AA Milne, Kenneth Grahame. Television was still black and white and heavily rationed in my family, but books were always available.

At the local library, we accessed a raft of genres and plunged into adventures, mysteries, a few clandestine romances when we thought our parents weren’t looking, historical novels, comedic series and school-related stories. There, amongst the wellthumbed pages we explored places we’d never visit; met new people, shared their challenges, conflicts and dramas and learned about empathy. We faced monsters, met military characters and dived into ancient myths; we took voyages of discovery, soared into the sky and beyond; met scientists and explorers. We identified with protagonists and saw ourselves as heroes within our own unfolding stories as we grappled with the nuts and bolts of growing up.

Scientists and sociologists tell us that reading helps child development: it improves concentration, reduces stress, aids digestion, teaches profound lessons about how the world works, strengthens the immune system, boosts mood, improves sleep, re energises the body and introduces the concept of seeing life from another point of view. Smart parents surely jump at the chance to introduce their offspring to the joy of books from their earliest years.

In our screen dominated lives, we are frequently robbed of the opportunity to sit, think and read. We chase our own tails, yearn for peace and quiet and eschew boredom at all costs. But reading (and even boredom), allow space for our conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings to be processed. This is true for adults and children alike.

Reading helps children to grapple with issues and make sense of an increasingly complex and confusing world. Books can help them unpack the unsettling feelings of injustice, anger, hatred, anxiety, regret and fear; emotions which, left to themselves can spill out in words and actions that cause irretrievable pain and anguish. They help demonstrate how such feelings can be understood, channelled, and mastered appropriately. Stories provide escape for children who feel trapped by their circumstances; an opportunity to discover worlds beyond their own front door real and imaginary. There are still adventures to join, mysteries to solve, worlds to explore, puzzles to work out, relationships to forge, conflicts to navigate and values to be weighed, discarded or treasured. Books are oxygen for eager imaginations; they provide opportunities to pause, regroup and replenish; a reminder that life is so much more than academia.

As we gratefully passed through adolescence into young adulthood, a new world of classic literature presented itself through school: Austen, Hardy, Gaskell, Dickens. New treasures to discover, new points of view to consider on our shared

experiences. We observed the choices characters made in their context and saw the consequences play out which perhaps, to some extent, informed our own decision making.

In due course, I taught each of our children to read. My maxim was then, as it is now, that if you can learn to read you will never have an excuse to be bored again. The variety of accessible books literally offers something for every possible taste, interest, age, ethnicity, and intellect.

There is always knowledge to be gleaned from encyclopaedias; skills to be learned and upgraded in ‘How to’ books and recipe books; fascinating history to be explored away from dreary, suffocating classrooms; stimulating essays to be processed and debated; commentators to agree with, or not; philosophies to examine; adventures to share; mysteries to solve, thrillers to excite; pastoral, whimsical, romance novels to bring hope to weary, tired souls; humorous accounts to evoke laughter and a smile; weird, surreal, time travelling escapades of fantasy to transport you to new worlds and galaxies; accurate and less-than accurate, historical stories which seek past solutions for present problems; biographies and autobiographies designed to make you thankful for your lot, sympathise with someone else’s or stir admiration for those who have overcome hardship and adversity, and which inspire you to greater things yourself. Travel books appeal to all your senses, evoking the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a thousand far flung shores and cultures.

There are plays of all flavours available, providing rich reading material, even if you cannot see them performed; from Shakespeare to Sheridan to Stoppard; tragedy or comedy, drama or farce, or anywhere in between; take your pick and enjoy them all. And there’s still more: acres of poetry plumbing the depths of sorrow and the heights of ecstasy; some cathartic, some combative; a raft of expression for every emotion and experience known to dwellers of planet earth.

There are wonderful picture books, coffee table books of breath taking images that stimulate that part of your brain which is so often starved of sustenance in the hurly burly of life. And, of course, we are fortunate to have access to various translations of The Bible, a privilege still denied readers in some nations where it is considered too dangerous, with its talk of reaching out to enemies, radical forgiveness and sacrificial love. Scholars respect this

book as a hallowed piece of literature, others view it as, The greatest story ever told, and still millions more embrace its contents as a living love letter from God Himself, oozing with the good news of redemption and salvation: life, light and hope to a broken world.

My fingers itch for them all. Whether I pick up a bag of books for pennies at a local jumble sale, scour the shelves of charity shops, plunder the resources available online, browse the library or discover a particular treasure in the cathedral quiet of an old fashioned book shop, they still draw me like a magnet. The ritual of opening the cover on a fresh delight or an old friend, firmly pressing the first page into obedient alignment and taking a fragrant breath as I launch into it, is a treat in itself.

Don’t tell my Dad, but I now read some books armed with both a highlighter and a pen; something that would have him turning in his grave.

Some books need to have the good physically wrung out of them and I refuse to be bullied by their pristine pages anymore.

As children, we aligned ourselves with the heroes and heroines portrayed betwixt the pages; we learnt about the world and about ourselves. We absorbed ideas that subtly but clearly equipped us for dealing with the challenges ahead, and provided courageous role models and noble ideals in a world that no longer offers many.

But, there are our stories; they are a living part of our family history; they are precious and vital and important. We are older and wiser now; we understand that not all stories come with that happy ever after ending of childhood.

Books will always beckon me; but for all of us, it’s comforting to know that the last page of our own story has not yet been written.

The tough jolts of adulthood alerted us to the unpalatable fact that there are times when we are no longer the hero of our own story: when our choices have led us down darker paths than we had envisaged; cul de sacs of short sighted missteps. Perhaps our bodies have failed to sustain the spirit within and our actions have been less altruistic than we had hoped. These are the times when the stories take a different turn.

Some of this material first appeared in Jenny’s blog from March 2017: Books Galore: https://dancingthroughchaos.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/ books galore/

Jenny Sanders is a writer, speaker, encourager and mentor. She loves writing, reading and walking in nature whenever she can. For the past several years she’s lived between the beautiful cities of Bath, UK and Cape Town, S Africa. Her exciting and humorous new children’s book The Magnificent Moustache and Other Stories is now available published by The Conrad Press.

Five NaNoWriMo — Winning Tips

by Val Tobin

If you’re reading this, you’re either plunging into NaNoWriMo as we speak, thinking about plunging in, or you’re scratching your head wondering what this NaNo thing is.

First, for those scratching their heads, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and all the information you need is available on their website. Now, for those taking the plunge (or thinking about it), here are five tips to help you win this sucker.

One: Jettison Your Inner Editor

This piece of advice was the best thing that ever happened to me. While I’d always finished nonfiction articles, submitted them, and even got them published, fiction was my Everest. My unfinished stories fill notebooks (from the pre computer and even pre word processor era), electronic files, and my head. I just couldn’t make anything work well enough to complete it.

Everything changed when I bought Chris Baty’s book No Plot? No Problem!

Not only was this book a roadmap for NaNo, which I’d never heard of then, but it also inspired me to

start and finish The Experiencers, my first ever novel, in 2012. One piece of advice in Baty’s book that helped me get there? Turn off your inner editor. Why did this work so well? Much of my problem in finishing what I started stemmed from the fear that what I wrote wasn’t “right.” Baty’s suggestion that the first draft needs to get written to give you something to revise revolutionized my perspective. It freed me up to create without worrying about perfection in a rough draft.

You’ve probably heard the quote attributed to Hemingway that “every first draft is shit.” I made that my mantra. You’d be surprised, too, at how unshitty much of your first draft can be, but even if it’s a complete dung pile, that’s what revisions are for.

I’ve only ever heard of one author claiming to have written publishable first drafts. I admire it, but that makes her a minuscule portion of all the authors who hack out stories just to get them written.

Two: Do the Word Math and the Time Math, and Schedule It

You already know your goal: 50,000 words in 30 days.

This means at least 1,667 words each day for 30 days.

Go to your calendar for November and check your schedule. If you find days where you know commitments will prevent you from hitting the target, add those 1,667 words to other days.

In the past, I’ve had to parcel out two days’ worth of writing. I usually add them to the days before and after the one I’d have to miss. If you find even a smidgen of time on the days you thought you couldn’t write, toss down some words. Even adding two hundred words on a day you expected to be unable to write puts you ahead.

November in the US comes with Thanksgiving, and I hear it’s a big thing down there. Here in Canada, we have Thanksgiving in October, which means it doesn’t interfere with NaNo for me. My November is wide open. But I’ve had to compensate for wedding or baby showers held in that month, so I know what a day of lost writing can do to your psyche. Do the math and compensate for it in your schedule before you lose the day.

Also factor in unexpected delays or missed days because of unforeseen circumstances. Emergencies or sick days happen no matter how well we prepare. You’ll ease the stress of it as far as your NaNo novel goes if you daily overshoot the 1,667 word target.

Instead of 1,667 words per day, I do more. I target 2,000 words per day, but if I only get 1700+, I’m still ahead of the game, and if something comes up on one day, I’ll have enough words in the bank to minimize the damage.

Three: Buy the Book and Work by the Book

Okay, you don’t really have to buy the book. You can borrow it from a friend or the library instead. I find it helps me to have it on hand because chapters five to eight in “Section Two” break down each NaNo week into bite size chunks. At the start of each week, I read the relevant chapter.

Each chapter provides a pep talk for that specific week, and it helps more than you’d think. When you know what to expect, especially how you’ll feel emotionally, it helps you manage your angst.

At some point, you’ll hit a wall or even get revved up. Verifying in the book that everyone else is probably experiencing the same heady euphoria (it happens) or soul crushing despair keeps you forging ahead.

Which brings me to tip #4:

Four: Join the Club

After you’ve registered at the NaNo site, add friends. Even if you don’t know anyone in your immediate circle who’s doing the challenge, you’ll find plenty of folks in the wider world who’ll connect with you and egg you on.

Misery does love company, but so does excitement. Also, as your writing buddies cross the finish line, it inspires you to keep going. If they can do it, so can you, and their cheers as you close in on your finish line can spur you over it.

As well, many participants set up writing sprints, either remotely or in person at various coffee shops around the world. Find a local group, or a remote one that meets when it fits into your schedule, and join them. I’m always more productive when I’m working alongside other writers.

Five: Reward Yourself

Little rewards when you hit your word count can give you something to look forward to besides the satisfaction of completing your work that day. Rewards can be as simple as relaxing with your favourite book and a cup of tea now that your work is done. Taking “me time” to go for a walk or even throw in a load of the laundry you’ve neglected can boost your spirits. Not that I consider laundry a reward or me time, but getting something knocked off the to do list can boost your morale.

The reward for getting your 50,000 words completed should be something special: a spa visit or a treat you’ve wanted. My go to reward is a bottle of Writers’ Tears whiskey. It seems fitting after a month of gruelling writing work, and my husband enjoys joining me in raising a glass to celebrate the end.

You Did It! Now What?

If you’ve read Baty’s book, you know that hitting the 50K target doesn’t necessarily mean your first draft is completed. It doesn’t even mean your work on this manuscript is done. From here, you might have to finish writing the novel.

My novels are always between 60K and 90K words, so finishing NaNo is an end, but not “the end,” of my first draft. Since I can’t keep up the pace I set during NaNo the rest of the year, it takes me another month or two to finish my first draft. Baty’s book provides some useful what next tips, but other resources take deeper dives into what comes after a first draft. A good one is Stephen King’s On Writing, more for inspiration than anything else, but his practical suggestions are invaluable. His advice to let your first draft sit for six weeks before rereading it

will allow you to work on another project while your current magnum opus steeps. In this way, you can get a cycle going that’ll allow you to publish multiple books per year, depending on how quickly you get through the rest of the process.

To all those participating in this month’s NaNoWriMo: Good luck and happy writing.

References

Baty, Chris, No Plot? No Problem! A Low Stress, High Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days, San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2004.

Val Tobin writes speculative fiction and searches the world over for the perfect butter tart. Her home is in Newmarket, Ontario, where she enjoys writing, reading, and talking about writing and reading. Discover more about Val on Mom’s Favorite Reads website: https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/val tobin

Marketing seems to be one of those areas that every author struggles with. It’s the same struggle companies world wide have been dealing with for decades. How do I get my product in front of my target audience? Connections

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Coloring Page

By Adrian Czarnecki

Though I love dreaming up and putting together my Siberian Husky themed children’s illustrated picture story books, Adventures of Hot Rod Todd, I don’t think of myself as an ‘author’ or as a ‘writer’. ‘Story teller’ sounds better.

My books are so dependent upon the illustrations. That’s where illustrator Cameo Anderson http:// www.cameoanderson.com/ comes in. Cameo really can see into my mind’s eye interpreting my often rambling page descriptions into works of art; there’s a saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” and with a children’s book that is so important and Cameo nails it every time and then some.

So, for your enjoyment, here is a page from the Coloring Book featuring some of the characters and scenes from the books.

Coloring Book

Adrian S. Czarnecki is a semi retired writer of Siberian Husky oriented children’s books based on an actual litter of 6 puppies born to his Dam Empress Maya and Sire Damien Czar on March 14th 2019.

Born in Huddersfield, England, Adrian has travelled the world extensively pursuing careers in journalism, photography, PR / Marketing as well as print and sales. Adrian now lives in Idaho, USA with his wife Meta and their Siberian Huskies who keep them on their toes.

Veterans & Military Family Month

by Melanie P. Smith

Novembe

Cover design in honor of National Military Family Month

November was declared Military Family Month in 1996. It was developed as a time to acknowledge the tremendous sacrifices our military families make. Active and veteran members embody strength, resilience and courage. Their families left at home must develop the same qualities.

Each November the military community observes National Veterans and Military Family Month to celebrate “how special military families are and recognize the ways they support their service members.”

Some of the events held each year are:

• Sleep strategies for stress

• Family Fact Finding events exploring your ancestors

• Storytime

• Family Picture Day

• MilSpouse Secrets

• Nutrition and healthy meals for the MilFam

• Resources for Spouses and Children

The sacrifices of the nation’s military families make often goes unnoticed. They are faced with constant moves, job changes, long periods of separation and tremendous amounts of stress. November is a great time to show these families how much their sacrifice for our country means to all of us. Think of it as a way to kick off the holiday season adding another event to our normal traditions.

Personal Connections

I’ve always known I have a lot of connections to the military. My husband was in the army. One of my closest cousin’s is married to a former marine. I have another cousin that’s also a former marine that served in Iraq and his brother is still active in the air force.

Additionally, I have a cousin that spent most of her life as a military / combat nurse whose husband was also career military. She rose up through the ranks and spent over a year as President Clinton’s private nurse, traveling around the world with him on Air Force One.

While my grandfather was not actually in the military, he was well known throughout the west for his unique skills as a machinist and was recruited by the

US government to work on a top secret military project. They flew him to a secret facility and took him away from home for several months until the project was complete.

Focusing on my personal ancestors, I have been able to trace my lineage back to the 18th century and I’m now officially certified as a Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR).

I also have a distant cousin that was killed on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor and received the purple heart posthumously for his dedication to duty and personal sacrifice.

Another relative was traveling across the plains with Brigham Young and was recruited into the Mormon

Battalion. When the army approached Brigham and asked for help, my ancestor left the wagon train and marched through Santa Fe into San Diego to fight in the War with Mexico during the 1840’s.

I have other relatives who joined the fight in various branches throughout history. Some excelled and stood out, others worked hard and did their part to serve their country, then left to pursue other interests.

Learning my history has only deepened my appreciation for those who willingly sacrifice for their country and the families that support them. I am thankful we have a dedicated month to let them know their dedication has not gone unnoticed.

We are excited to announce that Goylake Publishing has teamed up with the Fussy Librarian and in partnership we are offering you 20% off your first book promotion with the Fussy Librarian. To qualify for this promotion, your book must be either permafree or listed free during a special offer.

In our experience, the Fussy Librarian is the best book promoter in the business. When we promote with him, our free books always reach the top five of Amazon’s genre charts, most often they reach the top three. We promote with the Fussy Librarian every month and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.

Prices start from as low as $15, minus our special discount of 20%. Click here: https://authors.thefussylibrarian.com/?ref=goylake for full details. And, at the checkout, be sure to enter this code: goylake20 to claim your 20% discount. Thank you for your interest. And good luck with your promotion!

Editor In Chief Hannah Howe

The Editor-in-Chief is the key figure in every publication. Hannah Howe works closely with the editorial staff to ensure the success of each publication. She is the author of the Sam Smith Mystery Series, the Ann’s War Mystery Series and Saving Grace. Get to know more about Hannah, her projects and her work on Mom’s Favorite Reads website here: https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/hannah howe/

Executive Editor | Graphic Designer—Melanie P. Smith

The Executive Editor / Graphic Designer is responsible for developing the layout and design of MFR eMagazine. She also works hard to create new covers each month that captures the essence of each publication. In addition to the editorial staff of Mom’s Favorite Reads, Melanie P. Smith also produces Connections eMagazine. She is a multi genre author of Criminal Suspense, Police Procedural, Fantasy and Romance novels. Get to know more about Melanie, her projects, and her work on Mom’s Favorite Reads website here: https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/melanie p smith/

Managing Editor, Art Director & Proofreader —Sylva Fae

Our Managing Editor oversees the physical content of the magazine and coordinates the production schedule. She administers the day to day operations of the publication, manages submissions, sets realistic schedules and organizes each edition of the magazine. Sylva is is responsible for the amazing graphics that appear throughout the publication each month. She works hard to ensure the images capture the spirit and message our author's convey in their articles and stories. In addition, As Copy Editor, Sylva works hard behind the scenes to correct any grammatical, typos and spelling errors throughout the magazine. Sylva Fae Mum of three, fairy woodland owner, and author of children’s books. https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/sylva fae/

Copy Editors / Proofreaders — Wendy H. Jones and Sheena MacLead

Our Copy Editors for Mom’s work hard to ensure content is appropriate and free of grammatical and spelling errors.

Wendy H. Jones is also our Feature Editor and works hard to provide content that is interesting, informative and professional. She’s the award winning, international best-selling author of the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries, Cass Claymore Investigates Mysteries, Fergus and Flora Mysteries, Bertie the Buffalo children’s books and the Writing Matters books for writers. She is also a writing and marketing coach and the President of the Scottish Association of Writers. You can learn more about Wendy on her website: https://www.wendyhjones.com/ Sheena Macleod lectured at the University of Dundee, where she gained her PhD. She now lives in a seaside town in Scotland. Reign of the Marionettes is her first novel. She currently has two additional books: Tears of Strathnaver and Women of Courage A Forgotten Figure Frances Connolly. You can learn more about Sheena on her website: https://www.sheenas books.co.uk/

Story Editor

Allison Symes

Allison Symes works diligently each month to generate flash fiction writing prompts that will stimulate creativity in our authors and entertain our readers. As Story Editor, she also ensures each entry is professional and polished. Allison Symes is an award winning, published flash fiction and short story writer. She also writes a weekly column on topics of interest for writers for online magazine, Chandler's Ford Today. Allison's fiction has appeared in anthologies (CafeLit and Bridge House Publishing) over many years. Allison judges competitions, runs workshops, and is always happy to talk/write about flash fiction writing.

https://allisonsymescollectedworks.com

Marketing Director Grant Leishman

Our Marketing Director, Grant Leishman, oversees marketing campaigns and social media engagement for our magazine. After an exciting career in accounting and journalism, he now focuses on his true calling writing. Get to know more about Grant on Mom’s Favorite Reads website here: https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/grant leishman/

Our Content Writers are freelance authors who contribute articles, short stories, etc. to the eMagazine on a regular basis. They work hard to make our magazine interesting and professional. Get to know our Content Writers here: T.E. Hodden https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/t e hodden/ Stan Phillips https://moms favorite reads.com/moms authors/stan phillips/ Father Ian Maher https://imaherblog.wordpress.com/ Alison Rasmussen https://paynesgreyillustration.com/ Chantel Bellehumeur https://author chantal bellehumeur.webnode.com/products / Joy Margetts www.joymargetts.com Angela Abraham https://www.descriptionari.com/ Lisa Shambrook www.amaranthalchemy.etsy.com

Becky Hemsley https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild/ Allison Symes — https://allisonsymescollectedworks.com/ Penny Luker www.pennyluker.wordpress.com