Fae Dwelling

Mother Earth

Blue Fantasy

Three today and yes, I do love blue. Thank you for looking. 

Destination Dachshund: A Travel Memoir

Destination Dachshund: A Travel Memoir: Three Months, Three Generations, & Sixty Dachshunds by Lisa Fleetwood

I just finished reading this book and my review follows Fleetwood’s book blurb found on Amazon.

“Not just a book about pets. Not just a book about loss. And not just a book about travelling and broadening the mind.

Destination Dachshund rolls them all into one and takes you on a journey much further than the European adventure depicted within its pages. It is a book about coming to terms with loss of family and of much-loved family pets. It is a book filled with fun and laughter, even amidst the pain and heartache of bereavement. And above all it is a book about the love of a family.

From the shores of Sydney to Europe, Russia and the United States and back again, see the world through three generations, as they travel for 3 months on the vacation of a lifetime, filled with love, adventure, hope and recovery.

Written with tenderness and affection throughout, Destination Dachshund is a book which will have you laughing out loud and looking for one of these little dogs everywhere you go.”

I must admit that the cover had me from the start – so heartwarming. I admire anyone who can plan an 88 day vacation that covers 15 countries over the holidays. I was sad when Christmas came and the family mourned their loss of a loved one who passed before the trip was taken. The loss of, and the manner of the loss of one of their dachshunds was sad as well. All that part aside, this memoir invokes a warm feeling during many humorous and not so humorous adventures while on vacation. Fleetwood has a knack for the sights and sounds of their travels, rich history of what they did and saw, and I would have loved to have been on that trip. While at Auschwitz, I had to stop reading just that part; however, it is an important piece of history and one that everyone should know about (of course I do know the history quite well) and as such, is a commendable part of this memoir. The style of writing, the grammar, everything is perfect so I rate this book as five stars.

Love: A Tangled Knot by Eichin Chang-Lim

I finished reading Love: A Tangled Knot last evening and my review follows Chang-Lim’s book blurb found on Amazon.

“If love is true, how long should you wait? 
How much pain should you endure before moving on?

Love: A Tangled Knot is a new edition of a romantic novel penned by the award-winning author of Flipping, Eichin Chang-Lim. A clean romance about the struggles of a couple to keep their family together against all odds.

With the Golden Gate Bridge in sight, the story begins.

Kayla is an ambitious seventeen-year-old who is content to deliver “real-talk” to her boy-crazy best friend, Breeana, while running the high school’s environmentalist club. She has no time or desire for boys, viewing even a crush as an unwanted commitment. Until Russell Mancini joins Beach Cleanup Day. Kayla learns that she’s a sucker for love just like her peers.

Their relationship seems perfect, but fate conspires against the pair. Kayla’s dreams are shattered when she becomes pregnant. Struggling to make ends meet, Russell makes a decision that threatens to destroy their relationship, irrevocably steering his course away from Kayla and their daughter. Kayla finds herself pitted in a conflict she would never have expected.

As Russell’s fate presents him with a seven-year incarceration sentence, Kayla must pick up the pieces and stay firm in her marriage. Dreaming of the day her daughter will have a father once again.

Will Kayla and Russell untangle the knot that was once their love? Or will temptations and inner demons succeed in moving them further apart”

The beginning of the story was a little boring as I’m not a YA reader, but I do think that it makes for a great beginning for those who favor that genre. That said, Kayla getting pregnant and going to high school in her senior year with said pregnancy, resonated with me as my best friend in high school found herself the same way. So did my older sister. I felt a sisterly connection for that reason. We all make decisions and we all must deal with what becomes of those choices. Kayla and Russell’s story shines with the characters’ story arcs and how they dealt with them. This is a wonderful drama piece and I highly recommend this book to high school kids especially. The powerful messages within are such that I must give this book five stars. That said, I see that this book had two editors, and I blame them for the mistakes in the grammar, etc. Truly mistakes such as Kyla when it should have been Kayla, and this type of thing should have been caught by at least one of the editors. They have done this book and author wrong.

We wanted to let all of you know that our children’s book, Suzy Has A Secret, will be #FREE on #Kindle August 13th – 17th! 

Reviewed by Tiffany Davis for Readers’ Favorite

“Suzy Has a Secret by S. Jackson with A. Raymond is a children’s story about educating them on self awareness and inappropriate behavior. The story is simple and easy to read to children. It’s important to allow children the opportunity to learn what should and should not be done to them by family members. Suzy did not like the game of tickling that Uncle Bob played with her when her parents weren’t around. Suzy did not want to keep the secret from her parents, but Uncle Bob made her feel that she couldn’t tell anyone about the way he touched her. Although the story is short, it has a powerful message because all children should know the importance of not allowing anyone, young or old, to touch their bodies. 

Children have a right to be happy and understand what should not be happening when Mommy and Daddy aren’t around. The portion of the story designed for Parents and Educators was a good read because it reaffirmed that children have the right to know that their private areas are off limits, and that when playing no one should ever touch those areas. When dealing with children, it’s important to ensure they understand at an early age that they can talk to their parents about anything and not be scared. Abusers use manipulation when abusing children to keep them from telling their parents, that’s why parents need to have a strong bond with their children to make them feel comfortable. One thing I learned is that you should not ask a lot of questions if you suspect abuse, but rather ask simple questions for the best and most reliable answers.”

Violet Mist

Beckoning Within

New Day

I think New Day evokes tranquility. Thank you for looking. 

Surprise in the email today! My poem titled, I’M NOT THE WOMAN I ONCE WAS, was chosen to be included in an anthology book of poems by McGrath Huose. Always a humbling moment.