I really, really, loved this book. Within the covers, you'll find five stories, all tied together by the living doll (and our narrator), Miss Kanagawa, one of fifty-eight friendship dolls sent as ambassadors to the United States in 1927. (A true story, and one worth the research, even if you're not a history geek like …
Continue reading The Friendship Doll, by Kirby Larson: A Book Review
This week, I've begun to read Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring with my youngest sister. I love seeing her eyes light up with pleasure at this classic. I love that she's interested, even if she can't pronounce the names. I love knowing that what was so precious to me (and still is!) …
Continue reading Lord of the Rings~ an Adventure Through New Eyes
“Mirror, Mirror, in my hand—” I cringe as the incantation rings throughout my prison. “Who’s the fairest in the land?” Against my will, I’m dragged through mists and shadows to the Glass. On the other side stands my captor, Queen Claudia of Grenvue. I clench my incorporeal fists, and my stomach roils as I am …
Today's post talks about one of my favorite non-writing activities: gardening. To prepare a rosebush for winter, at least where I live in the Midwest, you prune it back. The purpose of the pruning is to keep the weight of snow from crushing or breaking off the branches— it's a method of preserving the bush's …
This weekend, Havok Publishing has opened their vaults to the public, from now through Sunday night, to let everyone (non-members, too!) read through past stories for FREE! 😍 In celebration of this fact, I'm going to post links to my stories from the past year, as well as some of my personal favorites from other …
Continue reading A New Year’s Surprise, and A Book Review: Conceal, Don’t Feel (A Twisted Tale)
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three— but the greatest of these is love." Part 3: Love The phone rang as he returned to the counter. “24-7 Shoppe. How can I help you?” “Daddy?” The childish voice was hollow and faint, an unmistakable tone of loss managing to permeate both syllables. An icy chill …
Continue reading Spirit of the Season, A Christmas Tale in Three Parts (Part Three)
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three— and the greatest of these is love." Part 2: Faith Alonzo stared at the floor for some time before emerging from his stupor. Every time the door shuddered in its frame, he jumped, but as the minutes passed and nothing happened, he slowly relaxed. Alright. So it …
Continue reading Spirit of the Season: A Christmas Tale in Three Parts (Part Two)
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three— but the greatest of these is love." Part 1: Hope The front windows of 24/7 Shoppe rattled as the rimy wind screamed outside, and Alonzo Giaccini shivered as he wrung out his mop. It was bad enough to be working late Christmas Eve for minimum wage, but …
Continue reading Spirit of the Season: A Christmas Tale in Three Parts (Part One)
Yes, you read that correctly. The title should be self-evident: my sister is a full-fledged, flesh-and-blood Disney princess. No, she isn't a voice for any of them. Nor is she a cast member at Disneyland. She's just a real-life Disney princess. And I'll explain how, in honor of her birthday, which occurred this week. 1: …
Continue reading My Sister is a Disney Princess (or) Happy Birthday
The promised playlist has arrived! This includes most of my favorites from the previous day's post, and a surprise couple of videos at the end. 🙂 Thanks for coming by to begin celebrations with me! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEptN8TwRheuhIPBUfO_Yc4s3rTm7kXZy
Come in, sit down by the fire, and pull up a chair! But first, hit the hot cocoa bar. There's plenty for everyone. *Offers platter of my favorite Festive Sausage Wraps, Pumpkin-Chocolate Cake, and a warm and fuzzy blanket* Now that you're all settled, I'll explain why I'm a little out of my usual posting …
I was fortunate enough to be tagged for this one by Joelle at Sword of the Penmaiden! (Or else, not so fortunate! 😉 ) And for the questions: (Here we go, ready or not) VITAL STATS AND APPEARANCE (pen)Name: Rose Q. Addams Nicknames: Sometimes I go by "Ruby". Birthday: Hobbit Day!! Ask what year, and I might have …
Instead of an independent story today, I thought I'd share a snippet from draft 2 of "A Debt to Pay" (the WIP that's that far along). Sit back, and prepare to be plunged into some court intrigue and a bit of chaos! “Presenting,” called the herald, “Sir Jack Frost, and Her Most Royal Highness, the …
This week (tomorrow, actually!), I have a story releasing for one day only at Havok Magazine called "Until the Next"! It's a story for their "Gluttony/Temperance" theme: come expecting a dark and chilling twist of a story, set in Victorian London. I wrote this one, again, for the sister who refuses to be frightened. I …
Stitching Snow by R. C. Lewis was an interesting book: I'd give it three-and-a-half out of five stars.I appreciated several elements of the original tale being involved, such as the red-hot iron shoes which are dropped in the iconic Disney movie; but the backdrop of familial abuse is something I would recommend sparingly, and for …
Rewrites with a Faerie Pen 