Month: October 2022

#SundayPost: Football, Noah’s Ark, and Tomatoes

BonnieReadsAndWrites31 Comments

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post

I missed last week’s Sunday Post, so here’s a recap of the last two weeks. I missed the post because I was back in Cincinnati going to a Bengals game. The day before that, my friend Lyric and I went to the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter in Kentucky.

This is the Ark Encounter. The ark is built to the specifications in the Bible, and it’s massive. It’s completely full of exhibits inside of animal pens, food storage, and work rooms. It’s really cool, and I enjoyed it a lot.

The Bengals game was fun as always, especially since we won again. Now I’m back to working and blogging.

On the trips to and from Ohio/Kentucky I was able to get a lot of audiobook listening done.

This past week was about catching up, reading, and writing reviews. I’ve let my Goodreads and Instagram fall behind too, so I’ve been trying to catch those up. On Saturday I got some more of my garden tomatoes out of the freezer to thaw so I can get them canned today. Canning will commence soon.

LAST WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

Monday I did two blog tours: Victoria and Violet and Side Launch

Tuesday I participated in Book Blogger Hop

Wednesday I reviewed The Secret Benefits of Invisibility by C.W. Allen

Thursday I reviewed The High Notes by Danielle Steel

Saturday I reviewed The Girl Who Feared Trains for Indie Weekend.

NEXT WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

On Tuesday I will participate in Top Ten Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday I will share some of the reviews I did for the November issue of Historical Novels Review, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society.

On Wednesday I will review Godmersham Park for Austenprose PR.

On Friday I will participate in Book Blogger Hop

I will review Indie books for Indie Weekend

BOOK HAUL THE LAST TWO WEEKS

When Serin discovers a hidden family manuscript, she has no idea what she has set in motion. The old pages reveal the bewildering tale of an ordinary Victorian girl, Wren, who is given an enchanting pendant that changes her life.

Serin reads all night, compelled to discover the fate of her ancestor. Will Wren fulfil her destiny to protect the cursed London Stone, like the witches before her? Or will the relentless raven man be her downfall? Will she lose everyone she ever loved? Will she lose herself?

As Serin reads Wren’s tale, strange things start to happen, and she begins to believe she may have unleashed dormant dark magic upon herself.

This is a gothic tale of magic and myth, family secrets, love and revenge. It is a tale of the extraordinary, hidden beneath ordinary Victorian lives.

If you ever lost a sock, you’ll find it here.
If you ever wondered about your favorite toy from childhood… it’s probably sitting on a shelf in the back.
And the headphones that you swore this time you’d keep safe? You guessed it….

Antoinette has lost her father. Metaphorically. He’s not in the shop, and she’ll never see him again. But when Antsy finds herself lost (literally, this time), she discovers that however many doors open for her, leaving the Shop for good might not be as simple as it sounds.

And stepping through those doors exacts a price.

Lost in the Moment and Found tells us that childhood and innocence, once lost, can never be found.

Two women–bound by blood, torn apart by circumstance–find together that true strength comes in many forms.

In 1911, Mabel MacGinnis is Europe’s strongest woman and has performed beside her father in the Manzo Brothers Circus her entire life. When he dies unexpectedly, she loses everything she’s ever known and sets off in the company of acrobat Jake Cunningham in hope of finding the mother she thought was dead.

Isabella Moreau, America’s most feted aerialist, has given everything to the circus. But age and injury now threaten her security, and Isabella, stalked by old fears, makes a choice that risks everything. Then her daughter Mabel appears alongside the man who never wanted to see Isabella again, and she is forced to face the truth of where, and from what, she derives her worth.

As Mabel and Isabella’s lives become entangled beneath the glittering lights and flying trapeze of Madison Square Garden, their resiliency and resolve are tested as they learn the truth of what it means to be strong.

Indie Weekend: The Girl Who Feared Trains #1918Pandemic #Great Depression #IndieAuthors @mpgerler

BonnieReadsAndWrites9 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Over one hundred years before COVID-19, the flu pandemic of 1918 sweeps through Georgetown, South Carolina, claiming the life of young, pregnant Alice Virginia Freeman Pow. Alice’s little girls, three-year-old Tante and five-year-old Dixie, board the train for Savannah, Georgia to live with their grandmother, Aunt Sissy, leaving their beloved father alone in Georgetown. When, after seven years, Daddy remarries, Tante and Dixie return to their father and his new wife, losing yet another mother, Aunt Sissy. Shortly after the girls’ arrival, The Great Depression engulfs the country, followed closely by Daddy’s sudden and tragic illness. Tante equates train rides with tragedy and loss, but, despite the heartache of separation and the uncertainty that awaits at the end of each journey, the young woman recalls a childhood of family who loves and nurtures her and the Real Mother who promises she’ll never leave.

BOOK REVIEW

This is a true story and a tribute by the author to her family. After the 1918 pandemic kills her mother, 3-year-old Tante and her sister Dixie leave South Carolina and board a train. Their father will remain behind and they are going to stay with their grandmother. Several years later, when their father remarries, they board a train and go to live with him and his new wife, leaving behind their beloved grandmother. Then the Great Depression begins, and her father falls ill. The author beautifully weaves together the story of her family, filled with love, loss, and train rides,

This is a gorgeously written novel in which trains become a symbol of heartbreak, loss, and new beginnings that aren’t exactly welcome. It is the coming-of-age story of the author’s mother, but also a history of significant events in the early 20th Century United States. The author brings her departed loved ones to life and introduces them to the reader so well that they become dear friends. The love of family and their resilience in hard times make this a hard one to put down. I must also mention the amazing cover, which immediately draws you in. Highly recommended to fans of US historical fiction.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Padgett Gerler was born on the coast of South Carolina but grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, in the heart of the Alleghany Highlands. (Padgett’s husband, Ed, calls it Dick and Jane Country.) She has spent most of her adult life in the Coastal and Piedmont regions of North Carolina. She graduated from North Carolina State University (in a brief 28 years) with a degree in accounting and enjoyed a career as a CPA in public and corporate accounting. In 2010, when her love of writing leapt way ahead of her love of accounting, she left her hard-earned profession to pursue a career in fiction writing. Because of her immersion in southern culture and dialect, Padgett writes of the southern experience, from the mountains to the coast. (She is a scholar of y’all, y’all’s, and all y’all’s.)

When she isn’t writing, Padgett loves reading, especially other authors’ takes on the southern experience. She also enjoys the beaches of North Carolina, travel, aqua aerobics, knitting, NC State basketball, and doing nothing.

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Amazon UK

BEFORE YOU GO

*If you buy the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books.  Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!

#Bookreview: The High Notes by #DanielleSteel #musicbusiness

BonnieReadsAndWrites4 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Iris Cooper has been singing ever since she can remember, hitting the high notes like no one else. When she is twelve, her father convinces the owner of a bar in Lake City, Texas, to let her perform, and she stuns the audience. In the ensuing years, never staying anywhere for long, father and daughter move from one dusty town to the next, her passion for music growing every time she takes the mike in another roadhouse.

But it is not an easy life for Iris with her father in charge and using her income to pay for gambling, women, and booze. When she starts to tour at age eighteen, she takes on a real manager. Yet he exploits her too, and the singers and musicians she tours with are really the only family she has. It is they who give Iris the courage to finally fly free, leave the tour, and follow her dreams.

After years of enduring the hardships of the road, exploitation, and abuse to do what she loves, Iris’s big chance comes as her talent soars. But at the top at last, Iris still has to fight every step of the way. In The High Notes, Danielle Steel delivers an inspiring story about finding the strength to stand up for yourself and your dreams, no matter what it takes.

BOOK REVIEW

Iris is a singing prodigy but unfortunately is raised by a selfish, alcoholic father who forces her to sing for both their suppers. When she finally breaks free of him, she still has to deal with dishonest and abusive managers as she tries to make her way in the music business. More than once, Iris has to walk away. What she eventually finds is a singing career and more.

I enjoyed Iris’s friendships, especially with Pattie and Boy, and her willingness to start a new life. There is an event that happens in the book that is similar to a music-related tragedy in real life, and I thought that was done very well. The fact that Steel’s heroine in this book is not rich and has to make her own way over many obstacles is a welcome departure from many of Steel’s other works. The romance is sweet and does not take over the novel. There is also a realistic look at family and how they can let you down. Family is often celebrated in books, and rightly so, but through Iris we see a realistic look at how the family you are born into doesn’t always have your back.

The first 15% of this book is hard to get into. Steel is known for breaking the rules, but the “telling instead of showing” doesn’t work as well for her in this book, and there are way too many run-on sentences. The book does get better, though, and I was able to eventually connect with it.

I received a free copy of this book from Delacorte Press via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google | Kobo

#BookReview: The Secret Benefits of Invisibility #CWAllen #CinnabarMoth #Middlegrade #Fantasy

BonnieReadsAndWrites7 Comments

This wonderful audiobook is Book Two in the Falinnheim Chronicles series by C.W. Allen. Book two begins with Zed and Tuesday adjusting to a new world, but everything changes again when the Resistance base is attacked. Zed and Tuesday are suddenly in hiding, and they take on an even bigger part in the fight for freedom. From secret missions to kidnapping, the action doesn’t stop, and the fight against evil continues.

It took me just a tiny bit longer to get hooked by this book as opposed to the first one, but then it grabbed me and I went on an even greater adventure than before. The author’s depiction of the varying reactions to those under the thumb of an evil dictator is well done and is similar to reactions in real life. The power of manipulation and the effect it can have is shown through the actions of the dictator and his minions. The roles of Zed, Tuesday, and their parents in this fight grow throughout the book until they reach a dramatic conclusion. The fight for freedom can take many forms, and this series does a good job of explaining that.

The narrator Ivy Tara Blair does a great job of portraying the multitude of characters and displaying all their unique personalities.

Middle-grade readers, their parents, and their grandparents will all find characters to identify with in this book. This is a great family read.

My rating is four and a half stars, rounded up to five on sites with no half-star option.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Cinnabar Moth Publishing via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.W. Allen is a Nebraskan by birth, a Texan by experience, a Hoosier by marriage, and a Utahn by geography. She knew she wanted to be a writer the moment she read The Westing Game at age twelve, but took a few detours along the way as a veterinary nurse, an appliance repair secretary, and a homeschool parent.

C.W. serves on the board of the League of Utah Writers. She is also a frequent guest presenter at writing conferences and club meetings, which helps her procrastinate knuckling down to any actual writing. Her debut novel Relatively Normal Secrets, a middle-grade speculative mystery, was published by Cinnabar Moth Publishing in 2021. Relatively Normal Secrets is the winner of the Gold Quill award, being named the best 2021 children’s book by a Utah author. The Falinnheim Chronicles series continues with The Secret Benefits of Invisibility (2022) and Tales of the Forgotten Founders (2023). Keep up with her latest projects at cwallenbooks.com.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON | AMAZON UK | AUDIBLE

Top Ten Tuesday: #Halloween Freebie: #paranormal #ghosts #toptentuesday

BonnieReadsAndWrites22 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want. Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to The Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a Halloween freebie. Since I don’t read horror or anything too bloody or scary, I decided to post covers of books that include ghosts, witches, or vampires, but are not scary or too violent. Check out my list below. Some of these are books I’ve read and some are books I’m interested in. Some of them are available on Kindle Unlimited.

A grieving widow buys a New England mansion with plans to open up a bed and breakfast. Her first night there, she meets a former resident of the house. He explains to her that he was murdered and wants her help in catching his killer. This is Book 1 of the Salem B&B Mysteries, which has a total of 6 books so far.
Mrs. McClure is managing a mystery book shop in Rhode Island, but soon discovers the store has another resident, a private investigator who was murdered in the store 50 years ago. This is book one of nine in the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.

The Harry Potter series needs no introduction, and it’s full of ghosts, witches, and other magical beings.

Although Twilight does have some violence, it’s not too much for me to handle. I love the fact that the Cullens do not hunt humans and I love the Native American werewolf shapeshifters protecting the town of Forks. I’m Team Jacob. lol.
Jane Garbo has tried to live a normal life, but given that she’s a witch, that just isn’t possible. Her family runs a world-famous haunted house in an old mansion in Maine, and when Jane runs out of options she moves back home. What her family has neglected to tell her is that there are serious problems at the mansion, and no one knows what’s at the root of the trouble. If Jane can’t solve the mystery, more lives could be lost. Including her own.
This is Book 1 in the All Souls Trilogy. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.
This is Book 1 of 4 in the Harper Connelly Series. This is not one of Charlaine Harris’s more popular series, but it’s my favorite. Harper Connelly has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who’s passed, and share their very last moment. Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver are experts at getting in, getting paid, and then getting out of town fast—because the people who hire Harper have a funny habit of not really wanting to know what she has to tell them.
This is Book 3 in the Paige Papillon Mystery Series about a paranormal investigator. I’ve not read this yet but it is available on Kindle Unlimited, so I’m going to check it out.

Ophelia Harrison used to live in a small house in the Georgia countryside. But that was before the night in November 1922, and the cruel act that took her home and her father from her. Which was the same night that Ophie learned she can see ghosts.
Now Ophie and her mother are living in Pittsburgh with relatives they barely know. In the hopes of earning enough money to get their own place, Mama has gotten Ophie a job as a maid in the same old manor house where she works.
Daffodil Manor, like the wealthy Caruthers family who owns it, is haunted by memories and prejudices of the past—and, as Ophie discovers, ghosts as well. Ghosts who have their own loves and hatreds and desires, ghosts who have wronged others and ghosts who have themselves been wronged. And as Ophie forms a friendship with one spirit whose life ended suddenly and unjustly, she wonders if she might be able to help—even as she comes to realize that Daffodil Manor may hold more secrets than she bargained for.
I didn’t believe in ghosts…until I became one.
Okay, let me back up a bit to the time when I wasn’t dead. I’d been promoted to manager of special events and concessions at Colby Pointe’s much-loved cinema and drafthouse. I was having a ball with my pug, Cleopatra. And to top it off, I’d started dating a gorgeous cop named Scott.
Then five days ago, I was strangled at the cinema, and it was all taken away from me.
It wasn’t until I met Celeste, my Orientation Specialist and Guide to the Beyond, that I quickly learned that not only was I dead, but there was a good reason for my lingering: to help solve my own murder and put a killer behind bars…
Oh, and interesting twist: Scott is the only living person who can see and hear me in my ghostly form. One problem: he’s a skeptic.
Will I convince this no-nonsense cop that he’s not going crazy and I am indeed real? And if so, will we be able to catch my killer before they claim their next victim?
I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
Join Hannah Jenkins in the Hannah the Ghost P.I. series, a paranormal cozy mystery featuring a ghost sleuth, clairvoyant pets, and a murder to solve.

What about you? What spooky but not too scary books do you like?

Book Tour and #bookreview: Side Launch #WWII #CanadianNavy @Goddessfish #HMCSCollingwood

BonnieReadsAndWrites12 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

1939, Canada, unprepared but defiant, declares war on Germany and mass produces a mid-size warship, the Corvette. Thus starts the creation and journey of Canada’s first Corvette, the HMCS Collingwood. Neither designed nor equipped for the North Atlantic, Collingwood is tasked to protect convoys and take on the predatory Sea Wolves lurking below the waves.

There is also a heartbreaking wartime romance as Ian and Kate struggle with love in difficult times. Our hero Ian, takes command of the Collingwood. He is ready to fight with any weapon he is given. Having witnessed Nazi atrocities, he is now driven by hatred. Kate, the daughter of the Collingwood Shipyards owner, is a brilliant woman with a strong desire to make something of herself. She is ready to fight for her country, but first she must fight for success in a male-dominated world.

This is action-packed historical fiction based on true events of WWII and the Battle of the Atlantic. Filled with murderous Wolf Packs, German Commandos, a nail-biting secret mission, spies, and saboteurs, Side Launch takes the reader through a roller coaster of emotion.

If you are a fan of history and love to learn, this Canadian historical fiction is for you.

EXCERPT

“Plasket’s men are armed and have him covered, Sir. I will have Davies give him additional men from the assembled boarding crew.”

Davies continued to rake the sub’s deck with machine gun fire. This prevented the Germans from arming the deck gun and stopped any further attempts to jump on board the Collingwood.

“Germans going in the water, Sir! Looks like they are abandoning ship.”

Just then the sub turned in its zig-zag pattern putting it under Collingwood. The sub was pushed down and the Collingwood slightly raised up.

“Turn to starboard, Number One. I don’t want any more Germans jumping on to my ship.”

The sub halted. It was obvious for them, the skirmish was over and they had surrendered.

“Chambly is closing, Sir, and preparing boarding parties. Looks like they surrender, Sir.”

“Have our boarding party stand down” ordered Ian.

“Survivors in the water, sir. Your orders?” asked Kendrick.

“Let the bastards die!” was Ian’s chilling reply.

Everyone on the bridge had heard their Captain clearly. Lieutenant Kendrick did not make a move. He glanced at the Chief who was looking at his Captain. The chief moved his arm slowly laying his hand on Ian’s arm; a gentle touch. “Your orders Captain?” asked the Chief. Ian looked into the Chief’s dark eyes. There was no emotion on either of their faces. The tension in Ian seemed to lessen and his voice was strong as he gave orders. “Scramble nets over the side Number One. Pick up survivors. Have Davies assist Plasket on the forecastle with prisoners.”

“New message from the Chambly Sir, requesting we assist the convoy.”

“Let’s make this quick Number One, and filtered lights only. I don’t know what the Chambly is thinking with its engine stopped and a floodlight on. Maybe he thinks all subs will be focused on the convoy, but he is a sitting duck.”

A few minutes later Ian gave additional orders. “Wrap it up, Number One. The Chambly can pick up the rest of the survivors. We will move on to the convoy and provide additional support.”

BOOK REVIEW

This is exciting historical fiction about Canadian involvement in The Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. It tells the story of Canada’s first Corvette, the HMCS Collingwood. We also get a look inside the Wrens, The Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, and witness their contributions during WWII. The romance between Ian, Captain of The HMCS Collingwood, and Kate, daughter of the Collingwood Shipyard owner, hits some stumbling blocks, but their story is well told. The weaving together of fact and fiction is successful and believable. There is a lot of World War II historical fiction out there, but to see it from a Canadian viewpoint was fresh and unique.

My one criticism would be that the book needs a comprehensive edit. Commas are misused throughout, much of the dialogue is not punctuated correctly, and there are run-on sentences. However, that does not take away from the overall story. If you’d like to see World War II from a Canadian perspective, check this one out.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Goddess Fish Promotions. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brock Martin, a retired captain, served ten years as a Canadian Forces Search & Rescue pilot before his current role. The Canadian Forces gave him the opportunity to travel many areas of Canada and gain an immense appreciation of his country. He has been involved in operations across Canada, including the high arctic.

His free-spirited upbringing in the wilds of Northern Ontario gave him a love of the outdoors and adventure.

Brock is fascinated with historical fiction. He loves to learn of past thrilling adventures through the eyes of fictional characters. He was captivated when he learned the very ships that fought in the Battle of the Atlantic were built in Collingwood.

The Battle of the Atlantic was a massive achievement of Canadian perseverance, dedication and sacrifice of its men and women. Brock wrote this fast-paced, action packed story to honor Canadian heroism.

CONNECT WITH BROCK MARTIN

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON.COM | INDIGO CHAPTERS | BARNES & NOBLE

SMASHWORDS | IBOOKS | ABEBOOKS | WALMART

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Brock Martin will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

RAFFLECOPTER:

Enter to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contact Goddess Fish Promotions:

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#BookTour and #BookReview: Victoria and Violet by #RachelBrimble #QueenVictoria #historicalromance

BonnieReadsAndWrites7 Comments

Victoria & Violet

It should be a dream come true to serve the Queen of England…

When Violet Parker is told she will be Queen Victoria’s personal housemaid, she cannot believe her good fortune. She finally has the chance to escape her overbearing mother, a servant to the Duchess of Kent.

Violet hopes to explore who she is and what the world has to offer without her mother’s schemes overshadowing her every thought and action.

Then she meets James Greene, assistant to the queen’s chief political adviser, Lord Melbourne. From entirely different backgrounds and social class, Violet and James should have neither need nor desire to speak to one another, yet through their service, their paths cross and their lives merge—as do their feelings.

Only Victoria’s court is not always the place for romance, but rather secrets, scandals, and conspiracies…

BOOK REVIEW

This is really fascinating historical fiction set in Queen Victoria’s household. The premise is so unique and captivating. Violet is sent to work as Victoria’s personal housemaid, but there is an agenda at hand. Violet is being forced to participate in a scheme against Victoria by her overbearing mother. The setting in a Queen’s court is intriguing, and of course, schemes, lies, and politics abound. The romance between two people from opposite classes is sweetly done. I felt completely transported to this time and place and loved the look we got at royal life and customs in Victoria’s time. Violet’s own interactions with Victoria are absolutely captivating. There is an underlying theme of dealing with a controlling parent and learning to step out on your own. This is a compelling, intriguing, and sometimes joyful look at the world of a queen and those who served her.

I received a free copy of this book from Wild Rose Press via Rachel’s Random Resources Book Tours. My review is voluntary and the opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Brimble lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of 29 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin). Her latest novel, Victoria & Violet is the first book in her new Royal Maids series with the Wild Rose Press.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

Rachel’s Social Media Links

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Purchase Links

AMAZON UK | AMAZON US

New Indie Book Release: Your Words Your Heart by Louise Bélanger. #Indie Weekend #ChristianPoetry #Poetry #Photography #flowers

BonnieReadsAndWrites5 Comments

Indie Weekend starts a little early with a reminder that Your Words Your Heart, a book of Christian poetry and photographs by Louise Bélanger, is out now. My review of this wonderful book is here.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON | AMAZON UK| AMAZON CANADA

BEFORE YOU GO

*If you buy the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books.  Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!

#TopTenTuesday: Favorite Words or Phrases

BonnieReadsAndWrites42 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want. Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to The Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt was simply “Favorite Words.” I added phrases to that as well, and my words/phrases all come from the South. My list is below.

Y’all: Y’all is a southern word meaning “you all.” It is meant to be used to address a group of people. It annoys me to no end when I’m watching tv and some actor says “y’all” to one person. No. Proper use: “Y’all come in and get some cornbread,” as long as “y’all means at least three people.

“Fixin to”: “Fixin to” is a phrase that means you’re about to do something. Proper use: “I’m fixin to go make some cornbread.” Speaking of cornbread, since I’ve mentioned it twice now, true Southern cornbread does not have sugar in it. If there is sugar in it, it’s cake. It also must be made in a cast iron skillet to get the crunchy sides and bottom.

“Holler: Holler has two meanings. It can mean to yell at someone, but in Appalachia it is also a dip in the mountains where one might reside. For example, Loretta Lynn was born in Butcher Holler, i.e. Butcher Hollow.

“Bless Your Heart”: “Bless Your Heart” as a phrase can be either a sincere sentiment or a slight dig. In the South, it often means, “well that was a slightly stupid thing you just said or did!”

“Hissy Fit,”: A grownup temper tantrum. Proper use: “Granny’s done had a hissy fit.” “Done” in that sentence can be described as “already had” or “just had.”

“All Get Out”: All Get Out is the top of the top. ” He was as mad as all get out.” As far as reactions, it’s hard to get higher than “all get out.” I was shocked as “all get out.”

“A Month of Sundays” This means a very long time. “I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays!”

“Mess” Mess could mean untidy or disorderly, but in the South it also refers to a large quantity. “I’m fixing a mess of collard greens.” “I’ve got a mess of beans on the stove.”

“Sam Hill.” This is a substitution for a curse word. “What in Sam Hill are you doing?” I tried to find the origin of this, and there may have been a man named Sam Hill who was such a notorious swearer that others just substituted his name for a curse word. A dubious honor in my opinion. There was also a Kentucky general named Samuel Ewing Hill, who was sent to investigate the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys, and then the expression “What in the Sam Hill is going on up there? was born. There are also several other origin stories, and in other parts of the country. EDIT: I would put my money on “What in Sam Hill” being a safe substitute for “What in the hell,” and there is probably not really a person named Sam Hill associated.

“Son of a Biscuit”: This is another popular substitution for a curse word. “He’s a real son of a biscuit!”

American Biscuits.

So that’s my list of Southern Words and phrases. I hope y’all liked it. 😉 Can you think of any words or phrases from your part of the country or world that you especially like?

#SundayPost: Sunrises and future dreams

BonnieReadsAndWrites16 Comments

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post

This is the beautiful sight we woke up to this morning at our future retirement home. It makes me want to retire right now! In a little over a week, my husband will be coming back down to resume remodeling. It is fun to think about the finished product and the new life that awaits.

Next week I’m going back to Cincinnati for another football game, and my good friend Lyric and I are going to go to the Creation Museum and The Ark the day before. We are looking forward to it!

NEXT WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

On Tuesday I will participate in Top Ten Tuesday

On Wednesday I will finally post my review of The American Adventuress.

On Friday I will participate in Book Blogger Hop.

I will provide a review of The Girl Who Feared Trains for Indie Weekend.

I’m on vacation Friday through Monday, as I mentioned above, so I will be posting when I can.

NEW BOOK HAUL

Click on the cover to find out more about the book.

HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEK!