The Journey Begins

Now is your best chance to find my book, Emmie of Indianapolis: The Story of an American Girl, available for a promotional price of $1.49 at @Smashwords as part of their Annual Summer/Winter Sale! Find my book and many more at https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/ all month! #SWSale2025 #Smashwords ...

Night’s Redemption tells the story of a small-town lawyer who risks everything to seek justice for an innocent man, like Atticus Finch in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Night’s Redemption is set in current-day Montana, whereas the setting of ‘Mockingbird’ is 1960s Alabama. Ignorance, fear, greed, and corruption are still trying to control people’s lives.
Jimmy Grant left the life of a biker gang member in Florida where his handle was Night. With help from the FBI Witness Protection Program, Jimmy flees trouble in Florida to become a lawyer in Cut Bank, Montana. Jimmy assumes a new persona as an attorney and changes his name to Walter Williams.  He’s now settled into a mostly peaceful life with his mother, Rose. Walter agrees to take a case to defend an autistic Black man who is accused of rape. Walter sets out to learn about Samuel Greene, his client, so he can build a defense. But the town has already charged Samuel Green. Their verdict is guilty as charged even before a trial.  Sheriff Matt Deal was previously a detective in Florida where he knew Walter. The two men recognize each other at the courthouse. Instead of hiding from the past, they become colleagues. Matt is a supporting character in this story.
Matt vows to help Walter take down the evil that has long controlled their community. Susan Adams, Walter’s fellow prosecutor and friend, also joins in the fight to help Samuel Green regain his freedom and good name. Walter finds his redemption at last through fighting racism and preventing his client from going to prison.
I really liked Night’s Redemption. Walter is an intriguing character. The court room drama is very realistic. It can be read as a standalone or as part of the Detective Matt Deal Thrillers series. I’ve read books 1-5 of this series, and I’m looking forward to reading Manhunt which is Book 6. Bentley is an excellent author. I highly recommend this book!
Stephen Bentley is a former U. K. detective and barrister. He uses his experiences as a detective to write crime fiction.
#crimefiction #legalfiction #bookreviews #smalltownfiction 😊 ...

Please read Pope Leo`s beautiful story for everyone!
*Quote from Pope Leo XIV.*
I like him already:
" Brothers, sisters…
I speak to you, especially to those who no longer believe, no longer hope, no longer pray, because they think God has left.
To those who are fed up with scandals, with misused power, with the silence of a Church that sometimes seems more like a palace than a home.
I, too, was angry with God.
I, too, saw good people die, children suffer, grandparents cry without medicine.
And yes… there were days when I prayed and only felt an echo.
But then I discovered something:
God doesn`t shout. God whispers.
And sometimes He whispers from the mud, from pain, from a grandmother who feeds you without having anything.
I don`t come to offer you perfect faith.
I come to tell you that faith is a walk with stones, puddles, and unexpected hugs.
I`m not asking you to believe in everything.
I`m asking you not to close the door. Give a chance to the God who waits for you without judgment.
I`m just a priest who saw God in the smile of a woman who lost her son... and yet she cooked for others.
That changed me.
So if you`re broken, if you don`t believe, if you`re tired of the lies...
come anyway. With your anger, your doubt, your dirty backpack.
No one here will ask you for a VIP card.
Because this Church, as long as I breathe, will be a home for the homeless, and a rest for the weary.
God doesn`t need soldiers.
He needs brothers.
And you, yes, you...
are one of them."
Robert Prevost (Leo XIV) ...

Welcome to the “Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures” Book Blog Tour at Bookplaces.blog. Giveaway
This tour we’re giving away digital copies of Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures to three lucky winners. Follow the tour and comment at each stop, so we’ll know you were there. You’ll be entered for another chance in the giveaway at each stop. Winners are chosen through a random drawing by WordCrafter Press. We’ll be watching for your name.
#blogtours #booklaunch #poetryanthology #poetrycommunity #poetrybooks ...

#TankaTuesday #DoubleEnnead #SyllabicPoetry #PoetryChallenge #poetrycommunity #poetsofinstagram #poetryforms #nationalpoetrymonth #haiku #tanka #shadorma #tankaprose #poetryprompt #poetrybooks ...

Long Way From Home



Left my home far away

Where did I leave it

In my mind where I cant get to it reach it

In the closet maybe

In a box hidden



Under moms blue blanket

Behind fuzzy scarves

Stacks of cowgirl hats and rhinestone bags and belts

Purses gloves baseball caps

Sunglasses galore



Photographs in albums

Kodak cameras

Compact digital discs Polaroid snapshots

Antique record player

Let it stay in there

This poem is a double ennead form for Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge. #tankatuesday
tankatuesday.com ...

My favorite poet Emily Dickinson sent her poems to The Atlantic Monthly Magazine in 1862. Editor Thomas Wentworth Higginson promptly rejected them. Emily suffered deeply from the rejection.  What did Emily do when she received the news that the editor was not interested in her writing? She wrote even more poems! Emily turned something negative into something good. The communication between the editor and writer turned into a relationship based on poetry that lasted for many years.

If there`s a chance the winner might only receive a virtual pat on the back, why do people enter writing competitions? They might lose. Sending your writing to a competition involves risk. What if no one acknowledges you and you contact the magazine to see who won? I did that. (I still do!) Sometimes, only Grandma and your husband will know you won that gift certificate or a Famous Writers tote bag. Do it, even if all you win is a note saying your work is promising.

A writing competition is where a person submits a piece of writing by the deadline following the submission guidelines and paying a fee. Different publications and contest sponsors have varying standards. The judges likely have favorite things to look for or that one thing that catches their eye. Judges may have diverse lifestyles, experiences, or education. Submissions are often read first by assistants before sending their choices to the judge. Prizes may include money, from ten dollars to thousands. Your writing could win publication. The prize could be a subscription to the magazine or a free course. Don`t forget that part where your name appears in print. If you`re lucky, your photo could be featured. The word "winner" looks good on a resume.

One of the best things I said to myself after I lost a prestigious contest was "I`ll show them! Just wait until next year. "

Even losing a competition for creative writing at the county fair caused me grief. "They`ll be sorry. The State Fair has a better prize anyway!"
   continued on my blog https://bookplaces.blog ...

The Importance of Setting in a Story

http://bookplaces.blog/setting-2/ ...