Kay Castaneda
Kay Castaneda is retired from a career as a college English instructor in Indiana. She received a B.A. and M.A. from Indiana University. Her articles about education and sociology are included in Sage Publication’s Education and Society Reference Book. Her poetry and creative nonfiction have been published in literary journals. Kay is currently researching the history of Ireland and Scotland for a novel based on her ancestors, in addition to editing her poetry manuscript. Kay’s hobbies include reading biographies, memoirs, traveling and baking.
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Lizzie Chantree Has A New Book
EXCITING NEWS! Author Lizzie Chantree has a new book out. She’s an amazing writer and mentor to other authors. The Woman Who Felt Invisible. An exciting story of love, romance and tear-jerking reality, from international bestselling author, Lizzie Chantree. Have you ever felt invisible? Working as a stationery supervisor and a sitter to a pair of internet famous, delinquent dogs, wasn’t how former cyber-specialist, Olivia, imagined her life turning out. Sitting in a tiny cubicle with a decrepit computer and being overlooked had suited her for a while, but now she’s fed up, lonely and determined to make the world ‘see’ her again. Heartbreaker, Darius, wants to fill…
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Gwyneth Lewis, Poet
This month, I’m taking part in Blogging from A 2 Z April Challenge where each day, writers use the letters of the alphabet as a prompt. The main theme of my blogs for the challenge are to write about female poets as this is National Poetry Month. This is also a great way to learn more about poetry. I wasn’t familiar with any female poets whose name began with the letter “L” so I searched through a list. I also wanted to stay within the not too distant past so research would be easier. The list of female poets begins in antiquity! Gwyneth Lewis caught my eye. When I read…
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Jane Kenyon, Poet
Jane Kenyon, Poet I chose Jane Kenyon for today’s post for A2Z April Challenge. Her poetry can be both simple and profound with its images of domestic life in rural New Hampshire. She suffered from depression her entire life which she in turn employed as inspiration for poems. Use of literary devices such as metaphor and description are evident in her work. Details of the land and family relationships are beautifully woven into her writing. Kenyon’s work is worth studying. We are fortunate to have access to her poetry collections. I intend to read more of her beautiful poems. Briefly It Enters, and Briefly Speaks …
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Jennifer Wong, Poet
Blogging From A2Z April Challenge What better way to begin the Blogging From A2Z April Challenge than to tie it in with National Poetry Month. Okay, I started late so today my first blog post begins with the letter J. I plan to go back and write the complete April challenge with more posts for the entire month. I love poetry and look forward to April every year when there’s so many activities revolving around poetry. I’ve written poetry since I was twelve and have several poems published. I’ve written a poetry manuscript which I’ve submitted to a publisher. I’ll let you know how that turns out. Rejection is…
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author interviews, author's life, cop memoirs, crime fiction, crime thrillers, fiction, Reviews, the writer's life, undercover cops, writing
Steve Bentley Author Interview-The Writer’s Life
The Writer’s Life Today for the series The Writer’s Life, I am featuring an author interview with Steve Bentley, former undercover cop and barrister now a freelance writer and bestselling author and HuffPost UK Blogger. Steve is the author of the Steve Regan Undercover Cop Thrillers, the Detective Matt Deal Thrillers, and Comfort Zone: A Tale of Suspense; a different type of mystery that features a conflicted character who suffers PTSD from war. He wrote his best-selling memoir Undercover: Operation Julie – The Inside Story: A Gripping True Story of Britain’s Biggest Drug Bust, which will be made into a movie. I first met Steve on Twitter when I noticed…
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Review of Mayhem: A Detective Matt Deal Thriller (Detective Matt Deal Thrillers, #2
Review of Mayhem: A Detective Matt Deal Thriller (Detective Matt Deal Thrillers, #2 Writer Stephen Bentley, a former UK police Detective Sergeant, pioneering undercover cop, and barrister has published a sequel in the series about Detective Matt Deal, who is still seeking revenge for the death of his daughter Mercy. A New Jersey Mob boss puts out a contract on Deal for his part in the killings of his hit man. A journey to Mexico finds Matt in the midst of a cartel in the drug wars and face to face with a ruthless capo. Bentley provides some back story for those who haven’t read Mercy, although Mayhem is a…
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Why I Keep Trying Even If I’m Too Sick to Go On
“Perhaps some day I’ll crawl back home beaten defeated. But not as long as I can make stories out of my heartbreak, beauty out of sorrow.” Sylvia Plath Should I Give Up Writing? That is the daily question. It never leaves. I am a writer. I’m also sick with incurable illnesses. Lately I’ve been considering giving up writing altogether so that I’ll have less stress and anxiety. Marketing my work especially causes stress along with the painful feelings of rejection. That makes my depression worse. The coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic and quarantine added fear to my problems. My vivid writer’s imagination makes me wonder if the world is coming to…
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WHAT DOES A WRITER DO?
Part One: TELL STORIES I began writing this blog post because someone asked me a very rude question. The subject itself wasn’t the problem; the person’s tone of voice and the look on their face was the giveaway to their sarcasm. I’ll name this person Jealous Envious Maude. Don’t be offended if your name is Maude. It’s not about you. Maude really tried to push my buttons that day when she engaged me in a conversation about my book. I had recently published my new novel, Emmie of Indianapolis. She avoided me when I spread the news to family and friends. She’s not nice enough to be called a friend.…
