Tag Archives: writing

book reviews, novel

The Band by David Kummer. A Review .

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OVERVIEW

An exciting tale of violence and mystery.

WHAT AMAZON SAYS

Because of Johnny, I went with the band. Because of Kate, I stayed. They played anywhere, all through Appalachia. They were the best show for miles around. But even I didn’t expect Oakville to be the end.Oakville, WV. It was supposed to be a quiet place: to catch our breaths, to fall in love. It was a chance to know each other completely. As long as Johnny didn’t find out.It would also be the last show they ever played.In a foggy Appalachian town, one of us wouldn’t make it home. And everyone else would never be the same.

STORY

This is a tale told in the first person. The protagonist is a young man, Aiden, who is the sound engineer with a band that is trying to break into the big time.

The Band have left their homes in Tennessee to travel around getting gigs wherever they can.They all have problems and reasons for wanting to spend the summer away from their families.

Tensions abound between the band members, but when they reach the small town of Oakville, things come to a head.

They play an impromptu gig outside the Courthouse one hot afternoon, which leads to a Saturday night gig in one of two bars in the town.

They find a week’s lodging in a run-down basement flat belonging to a mysterious old lady.

Then some gruesome murders take place. Rumour has it the old lady had killed three husbands and buried them in her garden.

Who has been killing the teenagers? Was it the old lady? Sam, a young man who appears to be following the band around? One of a biker gang, with whom the Band had an argument?

Nothing more shall be said by me as I don’t want to write a spoiler.

CHARACTERS

Aiden is the sound man for the Band. He has joined them because of problems at home. Like others in the Band, he’s running away from a dysfunctional family.

He has a thing for the only female in the band, but is lacking in confidence, so says nothing.

Johnny is the leader of the band. He is a very mixed up kid. With his family background making him crave attention, he is easily pushed into jealous outbursts if someone appears to be getting more than what he considers their correct amount.

He’s a bit of a loner, and often goes off on his own.

Kate, otherwise known as Echo, when in the Band, is a young woman who is an amazing singer. It’s she who ensures the Saturday night gig in Oakville. Whenever she sings, the place comes alive with her energy.

She enjoys nature and walking and often persuaded Aiden to go with her on her rambles. Sometimes she seems to reciprocate Aiden’s feelings, and at others she appears to think of him as just a friend.

River is a very good looking young man. The girls all fall over themselves for his attention, and he enjoys this aspect of being in the Band.

He is the most talented guitarist of them all, and also has a superb voice. He has his share of solos.

Finally, Bobby. He is known as Pistol in the Band, and is the drummer. He always wears a cowboy hat, and Aiden thinks he sounds ‘country’ when singing. He has ambitions to play guitar, but Johnny tells him he’s not good enough, so he sticks to the drums.

He seems to be about the most ‘normal’ of the Band.

The characters are all well-drawn and fully rounded, having both positive and negative traits. I’m not going to go into the others or this will never finish.

WRITING

David Kummer does an excellent job of building up the tension in this book. There are several places where I couldn’t have put it down if asked.

He uses the setting well to add to the tension. Hot sultry weather, sudden rain, rickety bridges etc.

There are a few typos, and some grammatical errors, but not enough to make me stop reading.

I did, however, get a bit irritated when he used ‘lay’ every time when it should be ‘lie.’ But as this is a very common error, I don’t suppose it would annoy most people.

I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4*

My ranking of books.

In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

free book, Give Away, Poetry

Spring Blooms. A Poem.

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This poem is taken from my poetry book, January to June, One Poem a Day Book 1.

It isn’t the poem for today, but today’s was rather short, so I picked tomorrow’s instead!

The hedgerows and woodlands are looking lovely with the spring flowers.

A mantle of gold is thrown over the heath;
The gorse is in bloom, spread over the ground.
Wonderful memories it does bequeath 
As its delicate perfume spreads all around.
Golden, as well, are the banks by the road
With dandelions like small shards from the sun.
Primroses, cowslips and celandines explode
Their colour, as if it were shot from a gun.

Pools of pale lilac cover the verge
With the beautiful flowers of ladysmock.
In April and May these flowers emerge
And behind them, grow the tall leaves of the dock.
In woodland the ground is covered in white.
Not snow, but a small and delicate flower.
Wood anemones nod their heads in delight
As the breeze blows in a gentle shower.

Wild cherry and blackthorn are white in the hedge
Blossoms promise of fruit yet to come.
In autumn we make sloe gin from the pledge
They gave us, as they ripen in the sun.
Spring is a time for renewal and growth
As all nature wakens again.
Our hopes are renewed, as she fulfils her oath
As we listen to the song of the wren.

If you like my poem, you can get book 1 as an ebook for free. There is one poem to read every day from January to June. Then book 2 takes up the poems from July to December.

The books are also available in other formats from your favourite online store.

Click to get my free poetry book.

What is your favourite type of poetry to read? Do you enjoy poems written in the modern way, or are you a person who prefers more traditional types?

Let us know in the comments.

Guest Post, Poetry

I’m visiting Robbie Cheadle on her blog tomorrow.

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First of all, I apologise for no post yesterday day. I had a dreadful cold over the weekend, which is when I usually sort out my posts for the following Tuesday. I’m not completely recovered yet, but am well on the way. It was the worst cold I’ve had in ages. Colds don’t usually stop me in my tracks, but this one did!

The good news is that today I’m visiting Robbie Cheadle on her blog. I would like to thank her for asking me. It’s a great honour to be asked by such an excellent author and poet.

To see the post, click on the button below.

Go to Robbie’s blog.

book reviews, fantasy, novel, stories

Review of The Reviled. Book 1 of The Dark Fey by Cynthia Morgan

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OVERVIEW 

An original and intriguing story.

BLURB

From a young age, Ayla has learned about the mortal enemy of all Fey of the Light: The cruel Reviled Fey.

Gairynzvl is a Fey of the Light who was abducted by the Reviled when he was young. Now, he is one of them.

Lurking in the shadows, he lingers near Ayla and secretly whispers to her. The mystery he presents is irresistible, although she knows the Reviled Fey are menacing and devious.

Learning what he wants is only the beginning.

Should she trust him? Or will he tear her world apart?

STORY

Ayla is a fey of the Light. She has unusual gifts. She can distinguish truth from lies, and her empathy is so great that she can take on the pain of others and relieve their suffering.

She is a retiring person, but when her best friend, Nayina, suggests she go to a festival with a young fey of Nayina’s acquaintance, she is at first reluctant. However, the pair are attracted to each other and soon form a bond.

But Ayla has a secret she’s kept from everyone, including Nayina. She has sensed a male presence that seems to be watching her. He hides in the shadows and doesn’t reveal himself.

Could he be one of the Dark Fey, known as the Reviled? These creatures steal young fey and, by means of torture and harsh treatment, turn them to evil?

Eventually, Ayla tells Nayina who urges her to tell the Elders, but, strangely, Ayla doesn’t want to. At least not until she has more idea who the stranger is.

Is this person one of the Reviled? He seems reluctant to leave the shadows, as a Reviled would be. The Light actually hurts and injures them, eventually leading to their death. And what does he want with her? 

CHARACTERS.

Ayla is a gentle soul who likes her own company. She is employed to look after the children, along with Nayina. 

Her encounter with the mysterious stranger makes her plumb depths she never knew she had.

Nayina is not so developed but she isn’t a major character.

Ayla’s ‘boyfriend’, Mardan, is another character who develops through the story. He is a likeable person, and cares deeply for Ayla. He does change throughout the story.

As does the mysterious figure, when we finally meet him.

I don’t want to say much more as the development of the characters is such that to discuss it more would be a spoiler.

WRITING

Cynthia Morgan gives a good description of the Fey and we can picture these wonderful people quite clearly. Maybe a little more description of the setting might make it easier to visualise it, but I did not find it detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

There are few typos and grammar errors.

One thing that did stand out to me, though, was that occasionally the author swapped the point of view character in the middle of a scene. On one occasion this was in the middle of a paragraph. I didn’t find it much of a problem–more an irritation. I think this is because the pronoun changed, from Ayla to Mardan (I think).

I enjoyed the story very much and am looking forward to reading the next part.

I give it 4*

My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

Have you read any of the other Dark Fey books? Let us know what you thought of them in the comments.

Guest Post, interview

Read My Exclusive Interview on Mary Deal’s Blog

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I was recently interviewed by Mary Deal and the interview is now released on her website.

Mary is one of my favourite authors. She writes mystery, suspense and romance. Her writing is excellent and I am honoured that she wanted me to appear on her blog.

Thank you, Mary, for allowing me to visit.

If you would like to pop over and read the interview, click on the button below.

I want to read the interview.

nature, plants, Poetry

Discover the Beauty of Spring Through Poetry

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 I thought I’d write some poems about the seasons. Here is one about spring.

Spring is a lovely month. We’ve lived through the cold of winter and the seeming death of life. Many animals hibernate through the winter and are not seen; the trees are bare; the grass stops growing and many plants die back.

But with the spring, the sun gets warmer and life begins anew. It is an optimistic time of year.

Spring

Dandelions, like gold, cover the meadows.
Newborn lambs frolic in fields.
New leaves on the trees are casting their shadows
And winter’s cold grip quickly yields.

At the edges of woodland the primroses glow
And cowslips their scent fills the air.
Anemones dance when the breezes do blow
And birds sing with never a care.

Then bluebells and campions come into bloom
Their colour the blue of the sea.
The cuckoo, that herald of spring, will come soon,
His call echoing over the lea.

The song of the blackbird is like molten gold.
His notes are so pure and so clear.
Hearing him seems to banish the cold
And brings joy to all those who hear.

Robin is nesting, and other birds too,
The hedgehog is active once more.
The young of the deer and the badger and shrew
Play their games as in old days of yore.

The sun climbs higher and higher each day
Giving more of his heat and his light.
It sparkles like stars fallen into the bay.
All smile at the beautiful sight.

Hope and excitement come with each spring morn.
What blessings will come with this day?
New starts can begin once again with each dawn
And send us all hopeful away.

I hope you enjoyed my spring poem. It can be found in my poetry book, Miscellaneous Thoughts along with many more of my poems, both about the seasons and nature and a variety of other subjects.

If you would like to read more of them, you can click on the book cover in the sidebar, or click the button to take you to the online bookstore of your choice. It is available in ebook format as well as a ‘real’ book.

Get my book

Uncategorized

Healing the World: The Power of Individual Actions

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I’ve had a lot going on recently, so I’m a little late with this week’s post.

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

This post is inspired by Morgan’s post. You can read her post, Healing the World, here.

There are two things I would like to mention in regard to healing the world.

The first, is about a couple whom I knew slightly.

They had a daughter with cerebral palsy. She was grown up, but very severely brain damaged. She had no speech and couldn’t walk, thus was confined to a wheelchair.

They were staunch Christians and, although not Roman Catholic, decided to take her to Lourdes in France to pray at the shrine for healing.

They said, ‘She wasn’t healed, but we were.’

On returning, they fostered many handicapped children, all the while still looking after their own severely handicapped daughter.

They also set up a school in an African country (I forget which) and raised money for it as well as visiting.

While no one but a few people know of them, and they will never be known by the Vatican, nor Canterbury, in my mind they are true saints.

The second occurred during Lent, in 1989. There were Lent groups that year on the theme of persecuted Christians around the world. Prayers were said, especially for those in the Soviet Union.

These groups were held throughout the Anglican Church, once a week for the duration of Lent. I believe they still are.

In November of that year, the Berlin Wall came down.

Thus the power of many people acting together can have a result, and the actions of individuals can be a wonderful way to help others and have wide-ranging effects.

WILL EVERYONE WHO HATES THE WAY THE WORLD IS GOING, PLEASE 🙏 THINK POSITIVE THOUGHTS, OR PRAY, IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER OF ANY RELIGION. 

MAYBE IF ENOUGH OF US DO THIS, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IN MY STORIES ABOVE, THINGS WILL CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.

Uncategorized

A Story About Wealth

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How Wealthy Are You? A Lesson from the Midas Touch
history

A Chilling Comparison.

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Morgan has compared the rise of Hitler to that of Trump.

Are You Tired of the Darkness? A Motivation to Make a Small Change.
book reviews, fantasy, free book, Poetry

A Review of ‘From January to June’: Dive into Poetry

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I recently looked at the reviews I received for my poetry book, From January to June ; One Poem a Day, and was delighted to find this.

From January to June (One Poem A Day Series Book 1)

imagemarjorie mallon

A variety of poems to enjoy

December 13, 2024

From January to June. V M Sang

As a poetry enthusiast I was keen to read V M Sang’s poetic observations: From January to June.

It’s a eclectic collection with a variety of topics such as Spring, Family, Communications (how they change through time,) music, travel, (France and UK,) amusing poems, and daily life.

Some of my favourite poems: Grandma’s Hands, Son, Songbirds, Teddy, Dark Creatures, Doorway, Home Sweet Home, New Mown Grass, The Internet, and I Am A Writer.

Something for everyone, some short, like this haiku.

‘The bees are humming.
Gentle breeze quivers the leaves
And a poet dreams.’

Some poems are longer, some telling a tale. A good way to discover more about the author and what makes them tick!

I enjoyed, and can recommend – 4 stars 🌟

And now to whet your appetite, here’s today’s poem from the collection.

February 17th

Another one from a prompt. This time it was to write a poem with the following words. Lavender, horn, gold, hooves, trot.

Unicorn

I heard a sound in the wood.
And thought, “What can it be?”
I kept silent where I stood
Hoping I would see
Something wonderful and rare.
Perhaps a shy and timid deer.
But there is magic in the air
And stranger beasts live near. 

A glimpse of lavender appeared
Between the beech trees tall.
My brow I furrowed. This is weird.
I could not work it out at all.
Then from the trees a unicorn
Trotted out so that I
Could see his unique horn of gold
And cloven hooves and clear, bright eye.

I held my breath to see this beast.
I felt my heart beat fast.
My mind was filled with thoughts of peace
As he trotted past.
He paused and took away my pain.
I knew not what to say,
But he shook his lavender mane
And trotted on his way.

If you would like to read more of my poetry, you can get the ebook for free. by clicking the button below or the cover in the sidebar.

It is available from your favourite bookstore in ebook, paperback or hardcover versions.

Get my book here

I would like to thank Marjorie Mallon for her kind review.

Do you enjoy poetry? What is your favourite kind of poetry?