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Tari Lynn Jewett: Featured Author

February 29, 2024 by in category Charmed Writer by Tari Lynn Jewett, Featured Author of the Month tagged as , , , , , ,

Tari Lynn Jewett lives in Southern California with her husband of nearly thirty years (also known as Hunky Hubby). They have three amazing sons, a board game designer, a sound engineer and a musician, all who live nearby. For over fifteen years she wrote freelance for magazines and newspapers, wrote television commercials, radio spots, numerous press releases, and many, MANY PTA newsletters. As much as she loved writing those things, she always wanted to write fiction . . . and now she is.

She also believes in happily ever after . . . because she’s living hers.

http://tarilynnjewett.com/

Tari’s newest title is Love and Mud Puddles, available now.

Hannah loves her accounting job, the condo that she purchased herself, and her best friend Melinda. What she doesn’t love is baking. To be fair, she’s never tried. But when her cousin shames her into bringing homemade cookies to the family Christmas Eve celebration, she begins a quest to make the perfect holiday cookie.


Paramedic Josh also occasionally teaches kids’ cookie baking classes at his family’s bakery. When a beautiful accountant mistakenly signs up for a children’s holiday baking class, he realizes immediately that she’s in the right place.


Can this local hero help to save Hannah’s Christmas? Or will it all go up in smoke?


Tari’s other Books

#HAUNTEDHERMOSA

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#HAUNTEDHERMOSA

#12DANCINGSANTAS

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#12DANCINGSANTAS

#FIREWORKS IN THE FOG

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#FIREWORKS IN THE FOG

#SILVER BRACELETS

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#SILVER BRACELETS
#PLEASE SAY YES (#HermosafortheHolidays Book 1)

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Growing Feathers by Neetu

February 26, 2024 by in category Poet's Day by Neetu Malik tagged as , , ,

Growing Feathers

we were wingless
until we knew love

our breathless breath
lifted us
into rainbows

eagle-like we soared
fearless and bold

flapping newfound wings
feathers soft as gossamer

and        it was then
we understood
the lightness of being

©Neetu Malik


Some of Neetu’s Books


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Creating a Writing Journal by Kidd Wadsworth

February 25, 2024 by in category Infused with Meaning by Kidd Wadsworth tagged as , , , ,
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Creating a Writing Journal

I wanted to stop forgetting appointments and lunches with friends. I wanted to keep track of events days, weeks, months and even years into the future. After 18 months of watching YouTube videos, I discovered a minimalist system that has worked well for me. I’ve been bullet journaling (called Bujo on YouTube) for two years now. It has revolutionized and simplified my life.

The must dos for creating a personal journal are fairly simple:

  1. The first one to three pages should be an index. It doesn’t have to be fancy. For example:
    p.6  January Brain Dump.
  2. Since I create my journal from a blank, spiral bound, notebook (dotted pages), I draw in my own calendars. Each of my journals lasts me about 6 months. Thus, I draw six monthly calendars. I use two facing pages for each month, so the calendars are large enough to hold important events such as dentist appointments or writing dates with my creative buds.
  3. Immediately following the monthly calendar pages, I use two facing pages to keep track of events that are scheduled more than 6 months out.
  4. For each month I also create a Brain Dump page. On this page I write all of things I want to remember as they come along. For example, replace the whole house water filter or order a book from interlibrary loan.
  5. Finally, every week on Saturday evening, I create a weekly spread. I use 4 pages divided length-wise to create space for Sunday-Monday, Tuesday-Wednesday, Thursday-Friday, Saturday-Tasks. On these pages I write down my to-do lists for that day. I use the Tasks section (the second half of the Saturday page) as a way of keeping track of what I want to do each week. The daily to-do lists are easy to create. I review the events scheduled for that week on the monthly calendar. I also refer back to the previous week and make sure that I reschedule any uncompleted tasks. Finally, I check the brain dump page. Are there tasks there that I need to schedule?

And that’s it. Short, simple, and most of all, in one place.

Last year I decided to also create a Writing Journal. When I first started my writing journal, I kept track of how many hours I wrote each day. I no longer do this. I write incessantly. However, if you find that your writing time is being co-oped by your day-job, your family obligations, etc., you may wish to add a time-tracker to help you prioritize and regain control of your time.

My must have pages are:

  1. Story Ideas – Story Ideas come at me so fast that if I don’t write them down, I’ll lose them. I try to write the story I’ve dreamed up as completely as possible, including characters names, what they look like, etc. Details are incredibly important. Specific snippets of dialogue I also record. I keep paper and a soft 6B pencil by my bed. When a story idea wakes me up at night, I write it down. I NEVER remember dreamed ideas in the morning.
  2. Great Words and Phrases – These gems provide endless inspiration. Consider: Braiding thoughts, glittering eyes, wobble-bobble, prattle.
  3. Books on Writing –  I write down the titles of books on writing recommended to me by friends and writing professionals. These can be books on craft or the business side of writing. Since I can’t afford to buy all of these books, writing them down helps me save the titles and use inter library loan to obtain a free copy to read. (Typically, these are not fiction books in my genre.)
  4. Great Quotes – I love great quotes because they often include unique word choices. I always write down the name of the author of the quote. That way I don’t confuse my own good quotes with those of others. Yes, I write down “by Kidd Wadsworth” if I’m quoting myself. And yes, I do keep track of my gems, too.
  5. Goals – I both set goals and track how long it takes me to actually complete them.  I’ve learned that I can write a novel in ~18 months. It usually takes a full day for me to send out a single query letter.
  6. Index – Unlike my daily journal, most of the pages in my writing journal are unscripted. I do not have monthly calendar pages, or daily to do lists. So an index is unbelievably important. I don’t worry that the items in my writing journal are not well organized. I write down stuff as it happens. I often use my writing journal for taking notes as I am writing, too. I use the Index to help me find everything later. And yes, the index is not well organized either. But it is usually no more than two pages long, so I can read through every line to find that one crucial item I need.

YouTube has proven to be a fantastic reference for me to begin journaling. But I had to disregard a lot of what I saw. I do not decorate my journals. I am not overly picky. If I make a mistake or draw a line in the wrong place, I fix it and move on. I am definitely not a perfectionist. Some of the journals on YouTube are best described as works of art. My journal is a tool. I do the minimum amount of work needed to make my journals useful, and then I get back to writing.

Happy Writing!

Kidd

Read Kidd’s Stories in the Following Anthologies

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A Bird Will Soar by Alison Green Myers: A Review by Veronica Jorge

February 22, 2024 by in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as , , ,

A BIRD WILL SOAR

ALISON GREEN MYERS

Schneider Family Book Award

Dutton Children’s Books,  2021   

ISBN 978-0-593-32567-4

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Once in a while you come across a book, that after reading it, makes you pause and think, even marvel because you’ve encountered life from an entirely new perspective.

Alison Green Myers’, debut novel, A Bird Will Soar, is such a book. And a recipient of the prestigious Schneider Family Book Award given by the American Library Association for excellence in the portrayal of the disability experience in literature for youth.

Axel, an autistic boy, feels most at home in nature. It is his peaceful place to think and make sense of his parents, and the garden of people in his life that grow up around him and become family. Axel also discovers that he can learn about people by bird watching. His favorite is the eagle. When family calls, the eagle focuses on the nest and never abandons it. So, he wonders why his father left. The eagle also knows just how high it can fly. Something Axel wishes his mother would let him discover about himself: to trust him and give him room to navigate using his own intuition and instincts.

When a tornado hits, Axel’s predictable world is turned upside down. His home is damaged and uninhabitable, locking him out of the safe space of his own room. Fallen trees have made his beloved woods unsafe to visit. The eagle’s nest with its young that he has been observing has been blown out of the tree by the fierce winds. And his estranged father has returned home. All of Axel’s knowledge and hopes are put to the test. 

Can he care about his father as much as he does about the eagle? “To feel something so strongly for another living thing.” (page 93). Will his gut instincts lead him to make the right choices and decisions? Will he finally learn just how high he can fly?

A Bird Will Soar is insightful and captivating. Alison Green Myers masterfully takes us into Axel’s mind revealing this unique character’s thoughts, feelings, and coping mechanisms. The book is also a beautiful exploration of the symbiotic and beneficial relationship between humans and nature.

If you read and were intrigued and entertained by the novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, you will be enthralled and elevated by, A Bird Will Soar.

Buy the book and start soaring!

Veronica Jorge

See you next time on March 22nd!

Books Reviewed by Veronica Jorge

BLACK FOOD: STORIES, ART & RECIPES FROM ACROSS THE AFRICAN DIASPORA

INCIDENT AT SAN MIGUEL

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INCIDENT AT SAN MIGUEL

REFUGEE

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REFUGEE

THE WITCH WHISPERER

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THE WITCH WHISPERER
UPROOTED: THE JAPANESE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE DURING WORLD WAR II

THE ORPHANS OF BERLIN

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THE ORPHANS OF BERLIN

DISTANT RELATIONS

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DISTANT RELATIONS

FIVE BELLES TOO MANY

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FIVE BELLES TOO MANY

THE ONLY ROAD

Buy now!
THE ONLY ROAD

THE LAST GOODNIGHT

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THE LAST GOODNIGHT

MIGUEL’S BRAVE KNIGHT

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MIGUEL’S BRAVE KNIGHT

FOUR CUTS TOO MANY

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FOUR CUTS TOO MANY

FORGIVING MARIELA CAMACHO

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FORGIVING MARIELA CAMACHO

FORGIVING STEPHEN REDMOND

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FORGIVING STEPHEN REDMOND

FORGIVING MAXIMO ROTHMAN

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FORGIVING MAXIMO ROTHMAN

MY FRIEND JACKSON

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MY FRIEND JACKSON

THREE TREATS TOO MANY

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THREE TREATS TOO MANY
SERIOUSLY, MOM, YOU DIDN’T KNOW?

SECRET RELATIONS

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SECRET RELATIONS

TWO BITES TOO MANY

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TWO BITES TOO MANY
#PLEASE SAY YES (#HermosafortheHolidays Book 1)

FOREIGN RELATIONS

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FOREIGN RELATIONS

ONE TASTE TOO MANY

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ONE TASTE TOO MANY

THE ALLIANCE

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THE ALLIANCE

A DRAKENFALL CHRISTMAS

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A DRAKENFALL CHRISTMAS
THE RELUCTANT GROOM AND OTHER HISTORICAL STORIES
THE DAY BAILEY DEVLIN PICKED UP A PENNY

THE SCRIBE OF SIENA

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THE SCRIBE OF SIENA
THE DAY BAILEY DEVLIN’S HOROSCOPE CAME TRUE

SEVERED RELATIONS

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SEVERED RELATIONS

A BIRD WILL SOAR

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A BIRD WILL SOAR

NEMESIS AND THE SWAN

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NEMESIS AND THE SWAN
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Belated Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 16, 2024 by in category It's Worth It by Kitty Bucholtz tagged as , , ,

Belated Happy Valentine’s Day! Or…not. It’s not for everyone, apparently only for those in love. And that leaves out a lot of people. But maybe today we can look at it as just a celebration of love. Familial love, brotherly love, these are as important as—arguably more important than—romantic love.

So, what can we do today to be more loving?

You might be thinking, well, all those people fighting can just stop. That would be a great step. (That’s what I’m thinking!) But unless you’re one of “those people,” that isn’t something you can participate in. So, what can you do today to add more love to the world?

Here are some of my ideas based on my own life circumstances:

  • Text or email each of my siblings to tell them I love them.
  • Text each of my nephews and niece to tell them I love them.
  • Send a handwritten note to a couple of my closest friends.
  • Say thank you to the person who cleans our apartment building lobby.
  • Send a short email to my readers, not saying Happy Valentine’s Day but “Thanks for being part of my life.”
  • Rub my husband’s shoulders instead of asking him to rub mine.
  • Smile and tell the grocery store clerk to have a great day!

Funny, the first two were easy, then I had to sit here and think about what *I* can do today or this week. But once I got past the third or fourth bullet point, the ideas started flowing!

I hope you’re thinking of some things you’ll do. No matter how small it is, it will make a difference, so do it! At the very least, it will make you feel even a little bit happier to bring a little happiness to someone else.

And that’s worth it.

Have a wonderful day!

P.S. If you’d like to read a short Valentine’s Day story with superheroes on a date, a villain, and a happy ending, try My Bullheaded Superhero Valentine, a side novella in my Adventures of Lewis and Clarke superhero series. I hope it makes you smile!

My Bullheaded Superhero Valentine | Kitty Bucholtz | A Slice of Orange
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More of Kitty’s Novels

ROMANCING THE PAGES

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ROMANCING THE PAGES
ADVENTURES OF LEWIS AND CLARK BOXED SET

WELCOME TO LOON LAKE

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WELCOME TO LOON LAKE

LOVE AT THE FLUFF AND FOLD

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LOVE AT THE FLUFF AND FOLD

LITTLE MISS LOVESICK

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LITTLE MISS LOVESICK

A VERY MERRY SUPERHERO WEDDING

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A VERY MERRY SUPERHERO WEDDING

UNEXPECTED SUPERHERO

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UNEXPECTED SUPERHERO
MY BULLHEADED SUPERHERO VALENTINE

SUPERHERO IN DISGUISE

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SUPERHERO IN DISGUISE
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