• crime fiction,  crime thrillers,  Detective novels,  fiction,  New Books,  writing

    Review of Montana by Stephen Bentley

    Montana is the fourth of the Matt Deal Thrillers Trilogy. It had me staying up all night until I finished reading it. I usually take a break when reading but not this time. I had to see what happened next to Sherriff Matt Deal and his partner, rookie Bianca, his partner Mickey’s niece, who’s fresh out of police training, as they worked to bring down the corrupt O’Hara family. But Bianca’s sense of danger lurking just around the corner and her determination to clean up Cut Bank, makes up for her brief time on the job. The small town Cut Bank, Montana is the perfect setting for this crime novel.…

  • writing

    The Corner Coffee Cafe

    Today is the letter “C” on the A-Z Blog Challenge. An image of a coffee shop immediately came to mind when I knew I was going to write today’s blog. I visited a place with this name in Scotland, Mexico, Canada, Chicago-they are everywhere. They’re all the same. Only this one was named Corner Coffee Cafe. Only the weather is different, or the surroundings. Inside the tables, chairs, booths, counter and display cases are like all the other cafes. The espresso machine. Paper cups. “Should I leave room for milk?” Writers occupy the tables. Every one of them look up at the same time when a customer walks in the…

  • Be A Better Writer,  blogs,  Characters in Writing,  Literary Devices,  Quotes,  writing,  Writing Help,  Writing Terms,  Young Adult

    Should Your Character Give A Soliloquy?

    Hamlet Flower Quotes: Ophelia’s Mad Scene In Act 4 ofHamlet,Ophelia has gone mad. In her distress, she has a speech that seems to ramble, but actually has a great deal of flower symbolism. She says, in part: “There’s fennel for you, and columbines. There’s rue for you; and here’s some for me: we may call it herb of grace a’ Sundays. You may wear your rue with a difference. There’s a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died.” –Ophelia, in Hamlet, Act IV scene v Lines 180-185 William Shakespeare Should you have your main character speak a soliloquy? This literary device adds…

  • author's life,  blogs,  Health,  the writer's life,  writing

    A Writer’s Hands

    Hands Have you ever noticed those photos of hands that some people use for blog headers or advertising? You may have seen an ad for an editing service or a proofreading business that shows a pair of hands on a keyboard. Anyone who sees the ad would likely be convinced the company knows how to edit. The text in the ad would explain about the service. Schools many times use hands in their ads or on their website. A photo of hands on a keyboard or a hand holding a pen are common. Sometimes all you see are the fingers on the keyboard, not the whole hand. I could expand…

  • Christmas Novels,  Foodie Romance Novels,  Holiday Books,  Reviews,  Romance novels,  Romantic Comedy

    Review of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bar by Isabella May

    Isabella May’s novel, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bar, is a fantastic story with quirky characters, a collection of Christmas food treats such as gingerbread men, frosted reindeer, and decadent hot cocoa made with exotic flavors and spices. There’s a bit of mystery and unanswered questions to keep you interested until the end. Will Zara admit Bruno into her heart? What did Aunt Sheba leave to her heirs in her will? Will River and Alice stay together? The reader will hang on to the little subplots that make stories on their own. Plenty of heat and romantic tension builds throughout the story. The little catering van with the troop of characters traveling…

  • blogs,  Catholics,  Faith,  family,  healings,  Health,  Jesus,  Pilgrims,  RELIGION,  Saints,  The Cross

    Our Lady of Guadalupe

    Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe To those who say Mary is not important.  Mary is certainly important because she is Jesus’ mother. They give that old, tired argument without bothering to investigate whether it’s true or false. Catholics honor Mary. We do not worship her. We worship God. Jesus said as he was dying on the Cross “Behold your Mother.” John 19: 26-27. He said that for all of us! Here’s a reply I made to a friend from my church back in Indiana after she shared this image.   When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here…