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Introduction to a dragonet.

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A red outline of Muldee.

I am at the first edit of Book 4 of The Wolves of Vimar. It’s called Immortal’s Death. Once it’s gone through this edit, I’ll send it to critique partners to see what they make of it.

It will be some time yet before it’s ready to go to my publisher, though, but I would like to tell you a bit about one of my favourite characters.

This character began as a surprise in Book 1, The Wolf Pack. He helped the group known as Wolf to escape from capture by a band of hobgoblins. Then he disappeared until the end of book 3, making a brief appearance.

However, this character was not going to be left out. He did not want a bit-part, and so in this book he has quite an important role.

Who is he? I hear you ask.

Well, he’s not human, elf or dwarf. In fact he’s a small relative of dragons. He and his like are called dragonets, and he is called Muldee.

A dragonet looks to all intents and purposes like a small dragon. In fact, the members of Wolf though he and his siblings were baby dragons, until he put them right.

Dragonets, unlike real dragons, have iridescent scales. Real dragons have scales of a particular colour, but those of dragonets shimmer in blue, red, green, purple, yellow, white, you name it and you’ll see it there.

They cannot breathe fire or acid or anything else, like real dragons, nor are they magical, but they do have one talent.

Psionics.

Dragonets are telepathic, and also have a slight telekinesis ability. They can send what they call a ‘mindblast’ into the brain of another creature. They use this for capturing their prey, but it is insufficient to kill a large creature. If they want to kill or seriously harm something larger than a cat, a group of them will band together and use a co-ordinated mind blast.

A single dragonet is capable of giving a large creature a very nasty headache, though.

So much for the background. I’m going to leave more about Muldee for another post, probably next week. He’s quite a character. I’m sure you will like him.

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Funny signs

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We visited my daughter and husband at the weekend and he showed us a video. I thought you might like to have a giggle, so I’m sharing it here.

click here to watch

Please leave your comments in the comments box.

How about a free, exclusive story? You can get one, by me, by clicking on the link below.

Maria and her husband, Jack, have moved into an old cottage. They want to furnish it with period furniture and buy a medieval table.

That’s when the mystery begins. Strange sounds in the night. Have they bought a haunted house? But a medium tells them it is not a ‘lost spirit’, but something else she does not recognise.

What is it that is causing them to lose sleep? The answer is more unexpected than anyone thought.

Send me my free, exclusive story.

By clicking on the link, you will join my quarterly newsletter. But don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at any time, including as soon as you have downloaded the story, if you wish.

I won’t spam you, either. You will only get a newsletter every 3 months, but I might occasionally send you a present, or some exciting news, like a new release.

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A New Book of Poetry by Kevin Morris

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I am not a fan of modern poetry. I’ve said this before. I’m not saying many of these poems are not poetic, and beautiful in many ways, I just can’t recognise them as poetry. To me, poetry should have at least rhythm, if not rhyme. (And as someone who has written poetry, it is much more difficult to deal with rhythm and/or rhyme.) Many of these modern poems, or Free Verse, would not be recognised as poetry if they were not in lines. (In many cases, seemingly random line breaks.)

My friend, Kevin Morris, writes poetry that I recognise as poetry. He writes humorous verse along with other more philosophical ones, and they rhyme and have rhythm.

He has been featured, reading his own poetry, on Canadian Radio on more than one occasion.

He showcases some of his poetry on his blog. (address below).

I am delighted to announce to you all that Kevin has a new book of poetry out. It is called Leaving, and Other Poems.

Here is an example of one of the poems from his latest collection.

Blackbird

I see the sun shine,

Think on the divine

And the tick tock

Of the ever-present clock.

I hear the blackbird,

Who has heard

Nought of clock

And my fleeting word.

(Blackbird can be found in Leaving and Other Poems, which is available from Amazon in Kindle and paperback, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09R8NG6WQ/).

Connect with Kevin on the following sites:

Links:

Blog: https://kmorrispoet.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drewdog2060_

The review below was of Further Selected Poems of K. Morris, also available on Amazon, as Leaving and Other Poems is only just out and it has not got any Amazon reviews yet.

Hannah Symonds

5.0 out of 5 stars

Funny yet thought provoking

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 March 2021

Here we have some funny but also thought provoking poems and limericks. I have to say I do prefer the limericks that are in this book as they are very amusing. My favourite poem in the book is Sparrows in the tree as we get a lot of sparrows in our garden, they are very common in the UK. Now every time I see a sparrow I will be thinking of this poem. My favourite limerick in here is There once was a turkey called Paul, just from the title alone you know it is going to be funny. I laughed my socks off on this limerick. Thank you once again to Kevin who has written some truly fantastic verses.

And a bit about Kevin.

Kevin was born in the city of Liverpool on 6th January 1969. Having attended The Royal School for the Blind and St. Vincent’s School for the Blind in Liverpool, he went on to read History and Politics at the University College of Swansea.

Having graduated with a BA (Joint Honours), and an MA in Political Theory, Kevin moved to London where he now lives and works.

Being visually impaired, Kevin uses screen reading software called Job Access with Speech (JAWS) which converts text into speech and braille, enabling him to use a Windows laptop.

Much of Kevin’s poetry is written in his home, which overlooks a historic park in Upper Norwood/Crystal Palace, a suburb of Greater London.

 Have you read any of Kevin’s poetry? Let me know in the comments box.

How about a free, exclusive story? You can get one, by me, by clicking on the link below.

Maria and her husband, Jack, have moved into an old cottage. They want to furnish it with period furniture and buy a medieval table.

That’s when the mystery begins. Strange sounds in the night. Have they bought a haunted house? But a medium tells them it is not a ‘lost spirit’, but something else she does not recognise.

What is it that is causing them to lose sleep? The answer is more unexpected than anyone thought.

Send me my free, exclusive story.

By clicking on the link, you will join my quarterly newsletter. But don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at any time, including as soon as you have downloaded the story, if you wish.

I won’t spam you, either. You will only get a newsletter every 3 months, but I might occasionally send you a present, or some exciting news, like a new release.

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Review of Misericorde by Cynthia A Morgan

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Overview

This is an excellent book for those who like a s dystopian world.

The story kept me turning the pages (or rather, swiping on my tablet).

The world building is excellent. The reader can feel that this is a world that could actually exist in the future. I hope not!

This is the first book in Cynthia Morgan’s Mercy Series. I am looking forward to the next one, Clandestine.

There are some scenes of violence, including torture, and of rape, but none of them are explicit. There is a warning on Amazon about this.

Blurb

In the year 2446, the world exists as a mere shell of what it used to be. The Great Cataclysm tore the human race apart as the Horsemen of the Apocalypse rode. War, Pestilence, Famine… Only Death has yet to ride.

Archangel Tzadkiel, Angel of Mercy, takes the task upon himself to find one human on the planet who still understands mercy. Humans are a treacherous species and as his journey nears its end, he fears he may never find that person. When he is captured by soldiers of the ruling tyrannical faction, The Eminent Protectorate, hope wanes even further.

A mere scullery maid, Lourdes, hears screams from her room every night. They break her heart and haunt her nightmares, and though she doesn’t know who they come from, she longs to find him and help him.

When she does, Lourdes discovers she’s opened a door she might regret and entered a world darker than she ever imagined.

Story

The world has seen the riding of three of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Pestilence, Famine and War have all ridden. Only Death remains to ride.

But one archangel, Tzadkiel, Angel of Mercy, has persuaded the Almighty to allow him one hundred years to find one person with the quality of Mercy. If he can find no one, then Death will ride.

The main protagonist is a young woman called Lourdes. She hears the cries of a man in great distress, but as an indentured servant, little more than a slave, she is incapable of helping him, but his cries are eating away at her.

It is set in France in the distant future. I assume in the south as Marcais is a nearby city. (Marcais being a corruption of Marseilles.)

Characters

The main character, Lourdes, is beautifully drawn. We feel with her as she listens to the cries of the unknown man. She longs to help him, and when her chance arrives, we feel with her as she sees his suffering.

Tzadkiel, although an Archangel, has many human frailties. We can immediately like and sympathise with him.

The Commander is a complex character. While seemingly in complete acquiescence to the torture of Tzadkiel, there are hints that there might be a kinder person lurking inside.

The torturer, Ghislain, is a thoroughly nasty piece of work. He seems to have no redeeming features. However, this fact is explained near the end of the book, as to why this is. I won’t say more as I don’t like spoilers.

Writing

On the whole the writing is good. There were not many places where I cringed. If I were to make a comment, I would say that there are too many examples of so-called filer words. Words like ‘just’, that appears too often, and a few other words that could easily be left out to make the writing tighter.

Apart from that, it is well written, without any major problems with understanding, or plot holes.

I gave the book 5* on Amazon and Goodreads.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it if you have. I love the cover. Do you like it?

Replies in the comments box please.

How about a free, exclusive story? You can get one, by me, by clicking on the link below.

Maria and her husband, Jack, have moved into an old cottage. They want to furnish it with period furniture and buy a medieval table.

That’s when the mystery begins. Strange sounds in the night. Have they bought a haunted house? But a medium tells them it is not a ‘lost spirit’, but something else she does not recognise.

What is it that is causing them to lose sleep? The answer is more unexpected than anyone thought.

Send me my free, exclusive story.

By clicking on the link, you will join my quarterly newsletter. But don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at any time, including as soon as you have downloaded the story, if you wish.

I won’t spam you, either. You will only get a newsletter every 3 months, but I might occasionally send you a present, or some exciting news, like a new release.

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My TBR Pile. A Poem

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D. Wallace Peach, who blogs at https://mythsofthemirror.com, has posted a writing challenge. The challenge involves writing about all books someone has and hasn’t had time to read. In other words, their To Be Read (TBR) pile.

Here’s my effort.

My TBR Pile

TBR—to be read.

A pile of books beside my bed.

Now ebooks have arrived and so

On Kindle now, my books do go.

But Kindle just goes on and on

To fill it you are never done.

Books to improve myself are there,

To live my life without a care.

Books to improve my language skill.

(I am hoping that they will.)

I can escape this world and go

To another one, although

It might be a dystopian one.

One that’s scary, not much fun

I’ll live the lives of those who’ve gone;

I’ll solve a murder, live like a nun.

I’ll kill the dragon, love the child,

Cry with the forsaken, run with the wild.

Adventures wait, all on that pad

And more are added, good and bad.

Will I get time to read them all?

Not if I keep buying more.

I welcome your comments. Please add them to the comments box.

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A 4*review for Vengeance of a Slave

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I recently discovered this review on Goodreads.

Barbara Ann Author

June 6, 2020

Adelbehrd and his family live in the Roman provinces. Their simple life is suddenly turned upside down when Roman soldiers come to exact revenge for a rebellion in which they played no part.

They randomly choose men to be examples. Adelbehrd’s father is crucified. He and his sister are singled out to be sold as slaves because of their blond hair. Torn from their grieving mother, the two terrified children are carted off to a far-off villa to be enslaved.

For many years, their monotonous life continues. One day, Adelbehrd discovers that his sister is about to be sold. A friend tells him about a group of Britons who rescue slaves. Adelbehrd is determined to protect his sister and hatches a plan to escape.
Will they be successful, or will they suffer the dire consequences?

The book appears to be well researched. The plot moves along and keeps the reader’s interest. I would recommend it to those who enjoy history and intriguing characters.

Thank you Barbara Ann for this kind review.

Please leave your comments in the comments box.

How about a free, exclusive story? You can get one, by me, by clicking on the link below.

Maria and her husband, Jack, have moved into an old cottage. They want to furnish it with period furniture and buy a medieval table.

That’s when the mystery begins. Strange sounds in the night. Have they bought a haunted house? But a medium tells them it is not a ‘lost spirit’, but something else she does not recognise.

What is it that is causing them to lose sleep? The answer is more unexpected than anyone thought.

Send me my free, exclusive story.

By clicking on the link, you will join my quarterly newsletter. But don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at any time, including as soon as you have downloaded the story, if you wish.

I won’t spam you, either. You will only get a newsletter every 3 months, but I might occasionally send you a present, or some exciting news, like a new release.

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A bed of roses?

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Here’s a story from Tallis Steelyard, a poet from the city of Port Naain in the Land of the Three Seas.

Posted on  by jwebster2

Most religions are actually a pretty broad church. The grown-up ones have realised, often through harsh experience, that the ability to tolerate different interpretations is one of those gifts that leads to a longer and more tranquil existence. Once you start burning people at the stake for thinking the wrong thing, it’s only a matter of time before it’s your turn at the stake.

So while the various religious denominations seem to have realised this, it must be admitted that their arguments can be convoluted, protracted and even rancorous. In spite of this they still manage to join their voices in harmony at the next formal plain-chant Querantur. Life would be so much more pleasant if both students and sinecurists learned this lesson.

continue reading here

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The Dolphin Clitoris Is Full of Surprises, Scientists Discover

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https://www.sciencealert.com/behold-the-dolphin-clitoris-in-all-its-engorged-glory

I just came across this article on Musings of an Arch Druidess. and commented, ‘Wow! That’s an amazing article. I’m not surprised that there has been little research on female sexual pleasure in mammals ( or other creatures,) given that the scientific community was/is dominated my males.’

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Review of The Greenland Diaries, Day 1-100 by Patrick W. Marsh

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Overview

I think that the title of this book is misleading. I thought it would be set in the country of Greenland, but it is set in Minnesota. I think that the Greenland refers to the growth of plants turning everything green. Perhaps if Mr Marsh had called it The Green Land Diaries, it would have been better.

Blurb

“It began with a drum. Then the monsters came. I’ve been hiding ever since.”

The following collections of journals were recovered from a caravan outside of Duluth, Minnesota. The exact date of recovery is not known nor is the origin of the speaker. The Bureau for the Restoration of History (BFRH) would like help in identifying the man who kept these records. This unedited record of events is still considered the most accurate history of the apocalypse that occurred on April 15th, 2011.

Story

Something came. The writer of the diaries calls them the Unnamed. Every night a drum sounds all night long, and then come the Unnamed. They seem to be intent on wiping out humankind. They search for them and tear them to pieces but they themselves are wispy and no-one can see their faces.

Accompanying them is a growth of vines that cover and wreck everything.

This is the story of how one man escaped from them. Sadly, though, it is all rather samey. There is an increase in the pace towards the end, though, and a few questions were asked, but none were answered. I feel that even in a series, there should be some sort of closure at the end.

There are 4 books in the series, and I don’t think I can manage to go through 4 books in order to discover what the Unnamed are and where they came from. (Besides, the ebook is rather expensive at £4.33)

Characters

This mainly revolves around one man—the writer of the diaries. His character is rather flat, and he doesn’t change much throughout the book. There are a few other characters. An old man called Gerald, whom the protagonist becomes friends with, a young boy called Timothy who is not what he seems, and an older man called Francis, who is also an enigma.

The best character is the protagonist’s little dachshund, called Snowy. (Yes, it’s an odd name for a brown dog, but it is explained in the story.)

Writing

The writing is not good. There is an overuse of the word ‘just’, which to me screams Amateur. Far too many superfluous prepositions, and many spelling mistakes. (scrapping instead of scraping, for example.) Mr Marsh also uses wrong words in some places and does not know when to use ‘lay’, and when to use ‘lie’. Some people might be able to ignore these things, but I find it grates and spoils my reading experience.

Conclusion

This book could have been shorter. If the others are the same, then, with the elimination of the superfluous words and speeding up the action, it could probably have been fitted into three books and be a better read. The premise is good, and this book could be excellent and very scary, but the writing lets it down.

I give it only 2*

Have you read this book? If you have , I would be interested in your thoughts about it. There are quite a number of positive reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. How much does the writing matter?

Leave your comments in the comments box, please.

How about a free, exclusive story? You can get one, by me, by clicking on the link below.

Maria and her husband, Jack, have moved into an old cottage. They want to furnish it with period furniture and buy a medieval table.

That’s when the mystery begins. Strange sounds in the night. Have they bought a haunted house? But a medium tells them it is not a ‘lost spirit’, but something else she does not recognise.

What is it that is causing them to lose sleep? The answer is more unexpected than anyone thought.

Send me my free, exclusive story.

By clicking on the link, you will join my quarterly newsletter. But don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at any time, including as soon as you have downloaded the story, if you wish.

I won’t spam you, either. You will only get a newsletter every 3 months, but I might occasionally send you a present, or some exciting news, like a new release.

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Signs of the times — winter wonderland edition

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See more for a good laugh.