Silk is the first graphic novel by E.B. Roshan. It follows a brother and sister into the jungle of a fantasy world, where the girl protects spider like creatures who spin a fine silk. However, her brother works for a group of men who believe the spiders are a danger to the people living in the city. As he is torn between his family’s beliefs and his job, a disagreement ensues and the boy is endangered. Will his sister be able to save him?
Although I am not a fan of graphic novels, I found this one to be unique. I like that it is educational in both a scientific and moral sense. The artwork is unique and is black and white. It fits well with the fantasy, jungle, and city setting the story takes place in.
This story is easy to read, and I believe children of middle grades will enjoy it.
I never have time to read an entire book in one sitting, and usually that doesn’t bother me. However, when I started reading The Lonely Mortician by D. M. Tregaskis, I did not want to put it down, and every time I had to, I couldn’t wait until I could pick it up again. I love Closed Door Romance stories in any genre and I read a LOT of them, but I can honestly say that I have never read one like The Lonely Mortician before.
D. M. Tregaskis wrote a story with a very complex story line and a lot of complications for the main female character, but I never once felt like it was bogged down or confusing. From Cinn’s job as a mortician, to someone haunting the house, to the dating game to raise funds for a community library, I was fully engaged in the story.
I found Cinn to be completely relatable and fully understood her confusion in regard to the men she dated for the dating game show. I felt her pain in the loss of people she loved, and not just in death. I also enjoyed watching Cinn’s change from the beginning of the story to the end. It was very realistic.
When two men, from the dating show, expressed serious interest in Cinn, I thought I knew which one I wanted her to choose. However, as the story progressed, that choice appeared much harder and not as crystal clear. D. M. Tregaskis also included some unique elements as well as some unexpected twists, which added depth and more than one positive message to the book.
This was the first book by D. M. Tregaskis I have read, but it will not be the last! I highly recommend The Lonely Mortician by D. M. Tregaskis to anyone from young adults to adults of all ages who enjoy fun, unique romance stories, and I can’t wait to get my next D. M. Tregaskis book.
Hello Everyone! Yes, I know, I’m a day late. My posts are supposed to post on Wednesdays, but this is Thursday. All I can say is life is busy and sometimes messy, which doesn’t always allow us to adhere to a strict schedule. Add to that, that my mom was a homeschool mom for a little more than twenty years and always had a flexible schedule, and all I can say is “old habits die hard”.
So, anyway, many of the leaves have fallen in our area, and I love to walk through the crunchy leaves that pile on the ground. Also, as you can see in the photo above, I like to lie in the sun on top of crunchy leaves while mom talks to some of the neighbor ladies.
Here at our house, my family is looking forward to Thanksgiving day, when the family will gather together for a meal and time to catch up on each others’ lives. I, however, will not be part of the celebration with the family because it will not take place in our home. But I will enjoy getting to see my oldest boy for a short while, then having a relaxing evening with the family after all the festivities have ended.
In the meantime, Mom continues living the busy life of an independently published author working on her next book, trying to market the currently published book, and making bookish swag to send along with the books that have been directly ordered, from her, as Christmas gifts. In addition, she continues to take care of those who still live in our house, as well as the household itself, and her aging mother. Sometimes she gets overwhelmed and frustrated by it all. She relies on prayer — hers, and those of others, and some down time and snuggle time with me. She spends time reading a book for about two hours every evening before bed so that she can wind down and go to sleep, and during that time, I lie next to her to keep her company and let her know I love her.
How are you other dogs out there taking care of your humans?
Not sure when the next post will appear nor if it will be written by mom or me, but stay tuned because one of us will post, even if it is sporadically, because we enjoy keeping in touch with all our readers here.
Clara Howell, a high school student in my area, has written and published her first novel. At age 13, while she struggled to find fantasy books that met her advanced reading level and were appropriate for a young teen, she decided to write her own. According to Amazon, The Exceptionals is a 337 page fantasy novel that was published on January 11, 2024.
This book came from an idea Clara had in eighth grade. Clara’s high school English teacher, Scott Hertzog, encouraged her to participate in an independent study. Clara and Mr. Hertzog worked together, and by November 2023, Clara had completed her final draft. She, then, decided to try her hand at graphic arts and created her book cover.
A friend of mine suggested I read The Exceptionals by Clara Howell, so I did.
Back Cover Blurb:
“Sometimes We’re More Like Our Enemies Than We Think”
All her life, Aila Vinn has been taught to fear the Exceptionals. She’s been told that they are dangerous, containing otherworldly powers that make them a threat to the country of Rosan. Marked by a brown X on their left hand, Exceptionals are to be reported on sight. Eight years ago, Aila reported her best friend and watched as the Exceptional Police dragged him away to his death.
On her sixteenth birthday, Aila wakes up to find an X on her own hand, irreparably changing the course of her life.
In another part of Rosan, Storm Dawson is a thief who lives with his nine brothers. Dirt-poor and faced with a life of hard work and little food, Storm dreams of a world beyond the simple streets of Ferrol. He gets more than he asked for when he finds himself marked as an Exceptional and is torn away from the only life he knows.
Both Aila and Storm are reported to the Exceptional Police and supposedly taken to their deaths. But when they wake up the next morning, they begin to realize that the Exceptionals are not what they seem. Secrets are revealed, dangers are faced, and at the heart of the struggle sits a deception that threatens to uproot the entire empire.
In the midst of it all, both teens must face a difficult question: How far are they willing to go to get what they want?
My Review:
The Exceptionals is an exciting, suspenseful novel with a couple unexpected twists. The characters are well developed and keep the reader’s attention. You will find yourself cheering one of the main characters on throughout the book, while wondering, at times, how the other’s decisions will affect the lives of several characters.
This novel is well written and will have the reader on the edge of their seats several times throughout the story. It definitely keeps the reader turning pages.
The characters think for themselves, seek answers to their questions, and make decisions based on what they know and learn, and on their personal convictions.
It is clean fiction. It is a good vs. evil story, and though, there is no clear Christian message, the story does include Christian values such as: kindness, friendship, love and care for a family, and courage.
I greatly enjoyed the story and recommend it. I hope to see more novels by Clara Howell.
A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure is the debut novel of Angela Bell, and what a debut it is!
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and once I did, I couldn’t wait to read it. While reading it, I found it increasingly difficult to put down. Unfortunately, I only have 2-3 hours each evening to spend reading. However, this past Sunday, I spent about 5 hours reading this book because I enjoyed it so much!
I have to say that Angela Bell is an outstanding author. This book is incredibly well written and is very unique. The characters grab your heart from the start. The troubles they face and the adventures they have keep you turning pages. A couple of the characters are quite quirky, which adds some unexpected twists and extra fun to the story. There are even some animal characters that have very interesting personalities and behaviors that add to the uniqueness and adventure. This novel includes adventure, history, steampunk, characters who face struggles that we can relate to, danger, suspense, and a sweet romance. Who could ask for more?
It’s also quite apparent that Ms. Bell not only enjoys using metaphors, but is a master at using metaphors. Her metaphors paint pictures in the reader’s mind and add to the fun of reading this book.
A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure is also a story about faith, and as I read, I found a need to grab a journal and write down my favorite wise and inspirational quotes from the book:
“What-ifs are not acquainted with what-is, and they spread horrid falsehoodsabout what-will-be, so why bother entertaining them? I’d sooner invite hope into my home — for even when her predictions miss the mark, she makes for pleasant company and eats far less food.”
“Oh Clara Marie. The Lord never promised that life would be safe. But He did promise to be with us always. Whatever the harrowing journey life may bring, rest assured, you shall never be left to face it alone.”
“Romance and adventure are the idealistic scribblings of Austen and Dumas. Like Elizabeth Bennet and Athos, they are not real. Nor do they exist off the page. To believe otherwise is to suffer disillusionment and heartbreak.”
Elizabeth Bennet’s happily-ever-after might be a work of fiction, but love is real enough. Sometimes it takes idealistic scribblings to remind us of that truth when the whole of our very real, very dark world makes it feel like a lie.”
“You are A maker. Not THE Maker.” Miss Stanton gave his hand a firm squeeze. “Just as Grand would never expect a clock to fix its own windings, God would never expect us to mend our own hearts.”
“Lift your face to the heavens, granddaughter mine! Recall the joyous wonder of dwelling and dreaming beneath a canopy of stars, embracing the peace found in total dependence on Him who spoke their radiance into being. That is my wish for you. That is my prayer.”
“Not all people are treated as palaces, admired by travelers and protected by armed guard. Some of us are treated as a cobbled road, trod upon and soon forgotten. That’s just the way of things.”
“Love is much like a flower, child. You can’t guarantee it’ll grow or endure a bitter winter to bloom again. All you can do is plant what you’re given, tend it faithfully, and rely on the God who cares for the lillies of the field as much as He cares for our hearts.”
A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure has definitely won a spot on my Top Ten Favorite Books of All Time and I will never forget characters, Theodore, Clara, Mrs. S, Grand, and even Mr. Forrester, as well as Fred, Phileas, Honorine, and Todd.
I will be eagerly awaiting what Angela Bell has for her readers next.
I recently finished reading A Promise for Ellie by Lauraine Snelling. It is an older book by this author, and is the first book in her “Daughters of Blessing” series. It is the first book I have ever read by Ms. Snelling, and I read it because someone lent it to me and because someone who reviewed my book suggested that if readers like books Lauraine Snelling, they will most likely like my book. Therefore, I wanted to know if my writing is similar, in any way, to Ms. Snelling’s.
So, what did I find? Well, I think this book is too old for me to really use for comparison. This book was copyrighted in 2006.
Ms. Snelling began her writing career in 1982, which interesting enough was the year I graduated from high school. Lauraine Snelling’s first book was written for young adult readers. If you go to her website and click on the “Meet Lauraine” tab, you will find that she then continued to write more horse books for young girls, but has also added historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers. Over the years, she has published more than 80 books to date.
So, back to my thoughts on A Promise for Ellie by Lauraine Snelling. I did find some similarity of style between this book and what I write. However, I would like to read a more recent book by Ms. Snelling at some point to have a better idea of any possible similarities between her writing and mine. I do know that Ms. Snelling writes historical fiction, and many of her books are set in the historical west.
I have read books by other authors, who also write historical fiction set in the historical west, and I suspect my books could be similar to more authors who write about this time period and setting simply because of the time period and setting, as well as the things we discover in our research and include in our books.
I am honored to have a reviewer suggest that readers of Lauraine Snelling, who has been a successful author for many years, would also enjoy my current book, and quite possibly my upcoming books.
Here is a copy of my September 12, 2024 E-Newsletter, “Love Through the Eyes of Faith”. (It’s a bit blurry because I enlarged it for this post. However, when you receive it, you should be able to enlarge it to read, if you need to, without any issues. I haven’t had any complaints from those receiving it.) It is a monthly newsletter that I send out the 12th of each month. If you’d like to receive a copy of my newsletter in your email inbox on the 12th of each month, click on my email address under “Contact Me” on the right sidebar and send an email to me so I can add you to my list. This post will remain easy to find under the tab: “My Books & Publishing News”.
I met a new friend this week. As you can probably tell from my posture in the photo above, I immediately wanted to play with her. To Mom’s surprise, she was not afraid of me and she wanted to play with me too. Mom laughed when she playfully growled at me.
My new friend’s name is Daisy. She is a Cavalier King Charles puppy. Mom was finally able to capture a shot of her cute little face in this photo. After we played for awhile, the lady who owns Daisy decided to walk with us, and Mom thought it was so cute how Daisy followed after me. I like my new friend!
Inseparable (Shards of Sevia Book 6) by E. B. Roshan is now available. It is the final book in the “Shards of Sevia” series. Each of the books in the series can be read as stand-alones, but there are connections to characters and/or events in each book, so I suggest you read them in order.
The Shards of Sevia is a series of books about characters who live in a country ravaged by war. In the final installation, the characters, Radoslav and Dunya, were brought together by the war. Now, they are trying to live a peaceful existence, with their adoptive son, in a fishing village far from the conflict zone. Or are they? They may not be near the brunt of the fighting and violence of the war, but they still face conflicts – the main one being Dunya’s brother’s reaction and opinion of Dunya’s marriage to Radoslav. As they attempt to adjust to a new life, they soon receive news that requires them to travel to a town near the fighting. During their journey, more trouble comes.
Inseparable is filled with danger, trouble, and suspense. E. B. Roshan keeps the reader on the edge of their seat as they hope all will turn out well for Radoslav, Dunya, and their little boy. Roshan does a great job of portraying life in a war-torn area and portraying the troubles between two groups of people and the government.
As the dangers and problems ramp up, the reader continues turning pages, sometimes holding their breath and hoping for a happy ending. This story is intense and the ending bittersweet, making it very realistic and leaving the reader with the realization of what it’s like to live in a place where war, if not in your immediate vicinity, is all around you and has an effect on your life that could be detrimental in one way or another. But, Inseparable also touches on the internal struggles and emotions that, not only face people in a war zone, but that face people from anywhere in any stage of life. Dunya’s internal struggles are realistic, making her a very relatable character.
I have read all of the books in the “Shards of Sevia” series by E. B. Roshan and I highly recommend them to readers who enjoy realistic stories that include love stories. No, not romance, but love. There is a difference. I have enjoyed these books, but I have to say that the first book and this last book are my favorites. I also recommend these books to both men and women. I look forward to seeing what E. B. Roshan comes up with next.
Hi, it’s me again, Harper! Mom and I are happy for cooler temperatures. Mom now takes me out in the backyard once or twice a day, not just to do my potty, but to play and to run! I love to run!
I want to give you an update on Mom. She really has tried to faithfully post five days a week here and she’s accomplished it a couple times. However, it’s more than she can possibly do at this time. She has a lot of responsibilities: she takes Grandma to all her medical appointments because Grandma is alone and has some health issues; she takes care of me, which means feeding me breakfast and dinner, lunchtime treats, and after dinner, she gives me glucosamine treats to keep my joints healthy, and she walks me three to four times a day and I already mentioned our time in the backyard — yes, she goes out with me and plays with me. She takes care of our household, which means doing four or five loads of laundry every week, cooking dinner for two to four people, depending on who is going to be home, and cleaning the house. She also is an author and an editor, so she has to spend most of five days a week working on her current novel, doing what she can to market her book to make sales, and as an editor, she works on editing other author’s upcoming books for them. Therefore, I have to tell you that Mom will let me continue to post here every Wednesday. Other than that, Mom will post what she can, when she can, as far as the other days go.
Now let’s talk about squirrels!
See the squirrel in the photo above? Well, this is the largest yard in our neighborhood and there are always lots of squirrels in that yard. I used to want to chase them all the time, but soon realized I’m always on a leash, so I can’t chase them. So, now I will often stop and watch them. That’s what I did when I saw this guy, but I must have made him nervous because he started to move toward a tree.
The photo above is the same squirrel. Partway to the tree, he got curious and stopped to watch us.
We saw the squirrel in the photo above a day or so later in the same yard. He was enjoying a couple acorns and was startled when he first saw me, and he ran to the foot of the tree. Then he stopped, picked up another acorn and the two of us stared each other down for awhile. These little guys fascinate me. They move so fast I’d really like to know if I could catch one if I wasn’t leashed.
Kelly F Barr 